1980 British Lions tour to South Africa

March 2014 March 2014 10 May – 12 July IRE rugby union Noel Murphy ENG Bill Beaumont RSA 1928 1–3 IRE rugby union Tony Ward (18) New Zealand 1977 New Zealand 1983 18 15 0 3 4 1 0 3 RSA 1928 4 1 0 3 In 1980 the British Lions rugby union team toured South Africa (including one game in Windhoek, South West Africa, the future Namibia). The tour was not a success for the Lions, as they lost the first three tests before salvaging some pride with a win in the fourth. The team did however win all their 14 non-international matches. The Lions were captained by Bill Beaumont. Political controversy The tour went ahead in the face of opposition from the British Government and groups opposed to sporting contact with the apartheid regime in South Africa. Britain was a signatory to the 1977 Gleneagles Agreement in which Commonwealth governments agreed to discourage sporting contacts with South Africa. The Government of the Republic of Ireland were also against the tour. The Four Home Unions committee which organises Lions tours decided to go ahead with the planned tour, despite this opposition, in November 1979 and the rugby unions of England (RFU), Ireland (IRFU), Scotland (SRU) and Wales (WRU) all approved the tour by January 1980. Touring party, injuries and replacements Of the 30 players originally selected, ten had previous Lions tour experience. Derek Quinnell had toured New Zealand in 1971 and 1977; Andy Irvine and Fran Cotton had toured South Africa in 1974 and New Zealand in 1977 while Bruce Hay, Bill Beaumont, Allan Martin, Graham Price, Jeff Squire, Peter Wheeler and Clive Williams had all toured New Zealand in 1977. Elgan Rees, added to the party before it left the UK, and Phil Orr, a replacement during the tour, had also toured in 1977. Quinnell was selected despite not playing in the 1980 Five Nations Championship; he had also toured in 1971 when yet to be capped by Wales. The tour party was disrupted by an unusually high number of injuries and replacements throughout the 10-week-long tour. Eight players flew to South Africa to reinforce the original 30 tourists; Gareth Williams, Tony Ward, Ian Stephens, John Robbie, Phil Orr, Andy Irvine, Paul Dodge and Steve Smith. Smith joined the tour as cover prior to the final test after Patterson was injured and did not appear in any games. Irvine was in the original 30 selected tourists but withdrew due to injury prior to leaving the UK. He was replaced by Elgan Rees but joined the tour later when Slemen withdrew. Nine players left the tour early, including Mike Slemen who went home due to family illness. The eight players who were ruled out by injury were Rodney O'Donnell (neck), David Richards (shoulder), Gareth Davies (shoulder and knee), Terry Holmes (shoulder and knee), Stuart Lane (knee), Phil Blakeway (rib) and Fran Cotton (suspected heart trouble). Lane's injury occurred after 55 seconds of the opening game and gave him the shortest career of any Lions tourist. He never played international rugby again. O'Donnell's neck injury ended his rugby career completely. Colin Patterson suffered a knee injury in the penultimate game against Griqualand West which also proved career-ending.WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Colin Patterson (born March 3, 1955) http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/where-are-they-now-colin-patterson-born-march-3-1955-25963202.html www.independent.ie 25 October 2005 17 December 2014 Squad Management Manager Syd Millar (Ireland) Coach Noel Murphy (Ireland) Team Doctor Jack Matthews (Wales) Backs Fullbacks Rodney O'Donnell (St. Mary's College and Ireland) Bruce Hay (Boroughmuir and Scotland) Andy Irvine (Heriots FP and Scotland) as replacement Wings Mike Slemen (Liverpool and England) John Carleton (Orrell and England) Elgan Rees (Neath and Wales) Peter Morgan (Llanelli and Wales) Centres Jim Renwick (Hawick and Scotland) Ray Gravell (Llanelli and Wales) David Richards (Swansea and Wales) Clive Woodward (Leicester and England) Paul Dodge (Leicester and England) as replacement Fly-halves Gareth Davies (Cardiff and Wales) Ollie Campbell (Old Belvedere and Ireland) Tony Ward (Garryowen and Ireland) as replacement Scrum-halves Terry Holmes (Cardiff and Wales) Colin Patterson (Instonians and Ireland) John Robbie (Greystones RFC and Ireland) as replacement Steve Smith (Sale and England) as replacement Forwards Hookers Peter Wheeler (Leicester and England) Alan Phillips (Cardiff and Wales) Props Fran Cotton (Sale and England) Clive Williams (Swansea and Wales) Ian Stephens (Bridgend and Wales) as replacement Phil Orr (Old Wesley and Ireland) as replacement Graham Price (Pontypool and Wales) Phil Blakeway (Gloucester and England) Locks Bill Beaumont (captain; Fylde and England) Maurice Colclough (Angoulême and England) Alan Tomes (Hawick and Scotland) Allan Martin (Aberavon and Wales) Back row John O'Driscoll (London Irish and Ireland) Colm Tucker (Shannon and Ireland) Jeff Squire (Pontypool and Wales) Stuart Lane (Cardiff and Wales) Derek Quinnell (Llanelli and Wales) John Beattie (Glasgow Academicals and Scotland) Gareth Williams (Bridgend and Wales) as replacement Schedule MatchDateOpponentLocationResultScoreMatch 110 MayEastern ProvinceBoet Erasmus Stadium, Port ElizabethWon16–28Match 214 MaySARA Invitation XVBorder RU Ground, East LondonWon6–28Match 317 MayNatalKings Park Stadium, DurbanWon15–21Match 421 MaySouth African Invitation XVOlën Park, PotchefstroomWon19–22Match 524 MayOrange Free StateFree State Stadium, BloemfonteinWon17–21Match 627 MaySouth African Rugby Football Federation Invitation XVDanie Craven Stadium, StellenboschWon6–15Match 731 MaySouth Africa Newlands Stadium, Cape TownLost26–22Match 84 JuneSouth African Country Districts XVSouth West Stadium, WindhoekWon7–27Match 97 JuneTransvaalWanderers Stadium, JohannesburgWon12–32Match 1010 JuneEastern TransvaalPam Brink Stadium, SpringWon15–21Match 1114 JuneSouth AfricaFree State Stadium, BloemfonteinLost26–19Match 1218 JuneJunior SpringboksWanderers Stadium, JohannesburgWon6–17Match 1321 JuneNorthern TransvaalLoftus Versfeld Stadium, PretoriaWon9–16Match 1428 JuneSouth AfricaBoet Erasmus Stadium, Port ElizabethLost12–10Match 152 JulySouth African BarbariansKings Park Stadium, DurbanWon14–25Match 165 JulyWestern ProvinceNewlands Stadium, Cape TownWon6–37Match 178 JulyGriqualand WestDe Beers Stadium, KimberleyWon19–23Match 1812 JulySouth AfricaLoftus Versfeld Stadium, PretoriaWon13–17 Results First Test 31 May 1980 RSA 1928 26–22 Reporthttp://www.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/match/21300.html South Africa v British and Irish Lions ESPN scrum 14 September 2017 British Lions Louw cW. du Plessis cVan HeerdenGermishuys cSerfontein Botha (3) Price Ward (5) Ward Newlands Stadium, Cape Town 38,170 F. Palmade (France) South Africa: Gysie Pienaar, Ray Mordt, David Smith, Willie du Plessis, Gerrie Germishuys, Naas Botha, Divan Serfontein, Morne du Plessis (c), Theuns Stofberg, Rob Louw, Louis Moolman, Moaner van Heerden, Martiens le Roux, Willie Kahts, Richard Prentis Lions: O'Donnell, Carleton (replaced by Gravell), Richards, Renwick, Slemen, Ward, Patterson, Quinnell, O'Driscoll, Squire, Colclough, Beaumont (c), Price, Wheeler, Williams Second Test 14 June 1980 RSA 1928 26–19 Reporthttp://www.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/match/21303.html South Africa v British and Irish Lions ESPN scrum 14 September 2017 British Lions LouwStofberg cGermishuysPienaar c Botha (2)Pen:Botha (2) O'Driscoll cGravell Davies Davies (2) Irvine Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein 57,159 F. Palmade (France) South Africa: Gysie Pienaar, Ray Mordt, David Smith, Willie du Plessis, Gerrie Germishuys, Naas Botha, Divan Serfontein, Morné du Plessis (c), Theuns Stofberg, Rob Louw (replaced by Thys Burger), Louis Moolman, Kevin de Klerk, Martiens le Roux, Willie Kahts, Richard Prentis Lions: Irvine, Carleton, Gravell, Woodward, Hay, Davies (replaced by Campbell), Patterson, Quinnell, O'Driscoll, Squire, Colclough, Beaumont (c), Price, Wheeler, Williams Third Test 28 June 1980 RSA 1928 12–10 Reporthttp://www.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/match/21307.html South Africa v British and Irish Lions ESPN scrum 14 September 2017 British Lions Germishuys c Botha Botha Botha Hay Campbell (2) Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth 49,250 J.-P. Bonnet (France) South Africa: Gysie Pienaar, Ray Mordt, David Smith, Willie du Plessis, Gerrie Germishuys, Naas Botha, Divan Serfontein, Morné du Plessis (c), Theuns Stofberg, Rob Louw, Louis Moolman, Moaner van Heerden, Martiens le Roux, Willie Kahts (replaced by Ewoud Malan), Richard Prentis Lions: Irvine, Woodward, Gravell, Dodge, Hay, Campbell, Patterson, Squire, O'Driscoll, Tucker, Colclough, Beaumont (c), Price, Wheeler, Williams Fourth Test 12 July 1980 RSA 1928 13–17 Reporthttp://www.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/match/21312.html South Africa v British and Irish Lions ESPN scrum 14 September 2017 British Lions W. du Plessis Pienaar (2)Botha C. WilliamsIrvineO'Driscoll c Campbell Campbell Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria 68,000 J.-P. Bonnet (France) South Africa: Gysie Pienaar, Ray Mordt, David Smith, Willie du Plessis, Gerrie Germishuys, Naas Botha, Divan Serfontein, Morné du Plessis (c), Theuns Stofberg, Rob Louw, Louis Moolman, Moaner van Heerden, Martiens le Roux, Ewoud Malan, Richard Prentis Lions: Irvine, Carleton, Gravell, Dodge, Hay, Campbell, Robbie, Squire, O'Driscoll, Tucker, Colclough, Beaumont (c), Price, Wheeler, Williams References Carwyn James and Chris Rea (1980) Injured pride: the Lions in South Africa (Arthur Barker) Hopkins John British Lions 1980 1980 World's Work Ltd Jenkins Vivian Vivian Jenkins Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1981–82 1982 Rothmans Publications Ltd 0-907574-05-X External links 1980 British Lions tour at Official Lions Website Category:British & Irish Lions tours of South Africa British Lions tour British Lions tour Category:Rugby union tours of Namibia 1980 1980 Category:Rugby union and apartheid British Lions Tour To South Africa, 1980 Lions tour Lions tour British Lions tour Category:Sports scandals in England Category:Sports scandals in Scotland Category:Sports scandals in Ireland Category:Sports scandals in Wales