Jakkals Keevy
Encyclopedia
Albert Charles "Jakkals" Keevy (12 November 1917 - unknown) was a South Africa
n rugby union
player, most often playing as a fullback, though sometimes utilised at flyhalf. Keevy played club rugby for Brakpan and provincial rugby for both Orange Free State
and Eastern Transvaal
. Although he was never capped for the South African
national team he is still considered a Springbok as he undertook the 1951-52 South Africa rugby tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France. He represented South Africa in thirteen games of the tour, which saw the Springboks lose only once in 31 matches.
. Keevy was not alone in failing to face an international team, as the South African managers kept to a strict 'A' team for the Tests, leaving 12 members of the tour to miss out on the five big games against Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England and France.
Keevy was the oldest member of the touring squad, and his body suffered through his years of playing rugby. When Keevy attended the 1949 Pretoria trials, he had just come out of a plaster after breaking a small bone in his neck. Later that same season he was knocked unconscious in the annual Brakpan-Springs club match, waking in hospital with two broken vertebrae. One of his eyes was permanently out of focus from another injury, from which he suffered poor night vision. Keevy had seen his nose broken on four occasions and he suffered from so many sprains and breaks to his ankles he was forced to strap both ankles in bandages before every match for support.
His first match as a member of the Springboks was on 13 October 1951 facing a combined South West Counties side, the South Africans won 17-8. Keevey then found himself in a three match rotation with Buchler and Basie Viviers, missing two, playing one. Keevy played in wins over Llanelli
and North East Counties, when an injury to Buchler meant that Keevy and Viviers were called upon more often. Keevy then played in the wins over Cambridge University
and a joint Neath
/Aberavon
side, but a recovered Buchler was back for the Scotland encounter.
The game against North of Scotland on 28 November saw Keevy score his first points of the tour, converting a try
from Viviers, who had been brought in at centre. This was followed with wins over Munster and a Combined Services team. By this time the coaches were rellying on just Buchler and Keevy for the fullback position, but a second injury to Buchler saw Keevy play in five of the last eight matches, though in four of those games he was utilisied as a fly-half.
On returning to South Africa, Keevy continued to play rugby, and in 1953 he faced a touring Australian team but now playing for Eastern Province
. Keevy scoed nine points in the encounter, which saw Australia triumph 15-12. He was never capped for his country.
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...
player, most often playing as a fullback, though sometimes utilised at flyhalf. Keevy played club rugby for Brakpan and provincial rugby for both Orange Free State
Free State Cheetahs
The Free State Cheetahs , currently named the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, for sponsorship reasons, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Free State Rugby Union and are based at the 37,076-capacity Vodacom Park in...
and Eastern Transvaal
Falcons (rugby team)
The Falcons, or Valke in Afrikaans, are a South African rugby union team in Gauteng province that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments....
. Although he was never capped for the South African
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
national team he is still considered a Springbok as he undertook the 1951-52 South Africa rugby tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France. He represented South Africa in thirteen games of the tour, which saw the Springboks lose only once in 31 matches.
Personal history
Keevy was born in the Pretoria District of South Africa in 1917. Born Albert Charles Keevy, he was universally known as "Jakkals", though he preferred to be called Johnny. At the time of the 1951 tour he was married with one son, working as a foreman plumber with the Brakpan Municipality. His date of death is prior to 2011.Rugby career
Keevy began playing club rugby at around the age of sixteen, his main club being Brakpan RFC. By 1942, at province level, he was representing the Orange Free State, remaining with them until 1945 when he switched to Eastern Transvaal. He trialed for the 1949 South Africa tour of New Zealand, and again for the 1951-52 tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France, for which he was successful. Although Keevy played in thirteen games of the tour, he failed to be chosen for a single international, with the fullback position for all five Test games going to Johnny BuchlerJohnny Buchler
John Ulrich "Johnny" Buchler was a South African rugby union player, most often playing as a fullback. Buchler played club rugby for West Rand and provincial rugby for Transvaal. He won ten caps for the South African national team , appearing in just one losing game...
. Keevy was not alone in failing to face an international team, as the South African managers kept to a strict 'A' team for the Tests, leaving 12 members of the tour to miss out on the five big games against Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England and France.
Keevy was the oldest member of the touring squad, and his body suffered through his years of playing rugby. When Keevy attended the 1949 Pretoria trials, he had just come out of a plaster after breaking a small bone in his neck. Later that same season he was knocked unconscious in the annual Brakpan-Springs club match, waking in hospital with two broken vertebrae. One of his eyes was permanently out of focus from another injury, from which he suffered poor night vision. Keevy had seen his nose broken on four occasions and he suffered from so many sprains and breaks to his ankles he was forced to strap both ankles in bandages before every match for support.
His first match as a member of the Springboks was on 13 October 1951 facing a combined South West Counties side, the South Africans won 17-8. Keevey then found himself in a three match rotation with Buchler and Basie Viviers, missing two, playing one. Keevy played in wins over Llanelli
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
and North East Counties, when an injury to Buchler meant that Keevy and Viviers were called upon more often. Keevy then played in the wins over Cambridge University
Cambridge University R.U.F.C.
The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest...
and a joint Neath
Neath RFC
Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem...
/Aberavon
Aberavon RFC
Aberavon RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh town of Port Talbot, although the club's name refers to the older settlement of Aberavon which lies on the western side of the town...
side, but a recovered Buchler was back for the Scotland encounter.
The game against North of Scotland on 28 November saw Keevy score his first points of the tour, converting a try
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
from Viviers, who had been brought in at centre. This was followed with wins over Munster and a Combined Services team. By this time the coaches were rellying on just Buchler and Keevy for the fullback position, but a second injury to Buchler saw Keevy play in five of the last eight matches, though in four of those games he was utilisied as a fly-half.
On returning to South Africa, Keevy continued to play rugby, and in 1953 he faced a touring Australian team but now playing for Eastern Province
Eastern Province Kings
The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union...
. Keevy scoed nine points in the encounter, which saw Australia triumph 15-12. He was never capped for his country.