Benjamin Duff
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Robert Duff was a South Africa
n rugby union
international. He also played a first-class cricket
match with Western Province. Duff, born in Swellendam, had a brother Colin who represented Rhodesia at cricket
Duff's cricket match was against Natal during the 1889/90 South African cricket season. Although he batted with the tail, at number 10 in both innings, Duff wasn't called on to bowl once in the match. He scored one and eight not out, dismissed by Test player Gus Kempis in the first dig. Western Province's wicket-keeper for this game, Alfred Richards, was also a rugby union international and the duo appeared together in a Test with the South African national rugby union team.
In 1891, Duff played three rugby union Test matches in a home series against England. These were the first ever official Tests that South Africa played and due to his surname being higher up in the alphabet than his teammates, Duff has the distinction of being the first Springbok. He played his games as a full-back and represented Western Province at provincial rugby.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
international. He also played a first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
match with Western Province. Duff, born in Swellendam, had a brother Colin who represented Rhodesia at cricket
Duff's cricket match was against Natal during the 1889/90 South African cricket season. Although he batted with the tail, at number 10 in both innings, Duff wasn't called on to bowl once in the match. He scored one and eight not out, dismissed by Test player Gus Kempis in the first dig. Western Province's wicket-keeper for this game, Alfred Richards, was also a rugby union international and the duo appeared together in a Test with the South African national rugby union team.
In 1891, Duff played three rugby union Test matches in a home series against England. These were the first ever official Tests that South Africa played and due to his surname being higher up in the alphabet than his teammates, Duff has the distinction of being the first Springbok. He played his games as a full-back and represented Western Province at provincial rugby.