South Africa vs British Lions (1980)

INTRO

The tour went ahead in the face of opposition from the British government and groups opposed to sporting conduct 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, Ireland, Scotland and Wales all approved the tour by January 1980. 

TEST 1 - Newlands, Cape Town (31.05.1980)

Springboks

15.Gysie Pienaar, 14.Ray Mordt, 13.Willie du Plessis, 12.David Smith, 11.Gerrie Germishuys, 10, Naas Botha, 09.Divan Serfontein, 08.Morné du Plessis (c), 07.Theuns Stofberg, 06.Rob Louw, 05.Louis Moolman, 04.Moaner van Heerden, 03.Martiens le Roux, 02.Willie Kahts, 01.Richard Prentis



TEST 2 - Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein (14.06.1980)

Springboks:

15.Gysie Pienaar, 14.Ray Mordt, 13.Willie du Plessis, 12.David Smith, 11.Gerrie Germishuys, 10, Naas Botha, 09.Divan Serfontein, 08.Morné du Plessis (c), 07.Theuns Stofberg, 06.Rob Louw, 05.Louis Moolman, 04.Kevin de Klerk, 03.Martiens le Roux, 02.Willie Kahts, 01.Richard Prentis



TEST 3 - Boet Erasmus, Port Elizabeth (28.06.1980)

Springboks:

15.Gysie Pienaar, 14.Ray Mordt, 13.Willie du Plessis, 12.David Smith, 11.Gerrie Germishuys, 10, Naas Botha, 09.Divan Serfontein, 08.Morné du Plessis (c), 07.Theuns Stofberg, 06.Rob Louw, 05.Louis Moolman, 04.Moaner van Heerden, 03.Martiens le Roux, 02.Willie Kahts, 01.Richard Prentis



TEST 4 - Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (12.06.1980)

Springboks:

15.Gysie Pienaar, 14.Ray Mordt, 13.Willie du Plessis, 12.David Smith, 11.Gerrie Germishuys, 10, Naas Botha, 09.Divan Serfontein, 08.Morné du Plessis (c), 07.Theuns Stofberg, 06.Rob Louw, 05.Louis Moolman, 04.Moaner van Heerden, 03.Martiens le Roux, 02.Ewoud Malan, 01.Richard Prentis

I can remember my first taste of Lions rugby well.

Wish we could have a 4 test series against the Lions!

The lions tour will rekindle a lot of rugby interest. 

A four test series would be marvelous. We can only dream. 

I was at the Pretoria match in 1974 where the Lions humiliated the Springboks in the second test and it made an impression on me what the Lions really represented at the time.

I was also at the Durban test where the Lions failed to score a try in 1997 against the three scored by the Springboks and Honibal missed three sitter conversion kicks  to let the Lions win the game 18 -15  - was not impressed by the Lions of 1997 at all.