Syd Nomis
Encyclopedia
Sydney "Syd" Nomis is a former South African national rugby union
player who until 2001 held the record for most consecutive matches (25) played for the Springboks
. Nomis is best remembered for tries
that he scored against France in 1968 and the All Blacks
in 1970.
Along with Okey Geffin
, Nomis is considered one of the greatest Jewish rugby players of all time, and is a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
. He was inducted in 1999.
Nomis recalled in a 2008 interview with Dave Gemmell how hard and dirty the game had been. He revealed that he while playing club rugby he also occasionally received slurs, with opponents calling him a "Blerrie Jood" [Afrikaans for "Bloody Jew"]. Nomis remembered injuring one such a player to the extent that he had to be carried off the field. " 'If you played rugby then, that was how it was played, there was no other way...club rugby was almost harder than international rugby.' " Nomis said that he only experienced anti-Semitism
at club level. But " 'after the game we would have a beer together and we would be big mates.' " And national rugby official Danie Craven
at the time believed that selecting a Jew and a policeman brought luck to the Springbok team.
In 1961, and again in 1962, Nomis was selected to play for the Quaggas, an invitational South African team styled after the Barbarians
. He spent his provincial rugby career at the Transvaal Rugby Union
, for whom he was first selected in 1963.
matches on tours with national sides, including the 1965 Springbok tours to Australia
and New Zealand, and the 1966 Gazelles outing to Argentina
(which included a game against Chile
).
In 1965 Nomis was selected at centre alongside John Gainsford for the side that left for Australia
under coach Johan Claassen. The Melbourne
newspaper The Age
was impressed with Nomis' and Gainsford's "incredible acceleration" during a 52-6 Springbok victory over Victoria at Olympic Park's no. 2 oval on 12 June. Apart from a solitary win against New Zealand, the Springboks lost five out of six test matches on the rain-sodden tour, and was judged by The New Zealand Herald
's Terry McLean to be the worst South African team to face the All Blacks. Matters were not helped by South African prime minister H F Verwoerd
's announcement during the tour that Māoris would not be allowed to play if selected for the 1967 All Black tour to South Africa.
In 1966 Nomis was chosen to represent a South African under-25 side known as the Gazelles on their tour to Argentina. He did not play in the two "tests" against the Argentinian national side, but did score 5 tries in 7 other matches, including two against Cordoba on 24 August.
. Although selected 22 times for the Springboks on the wing, Nomis' first three test appearances were at centre.
For his debut test against France
at Newlands Stadium
in Cape Town on 12 August 1967, Nomis was chosen at centre – a position he retained for three consecutive tests. The French tour was organized by Danie Craven then-President of the South African Rugby Union) to replace a New Zealand tour, which had been cancelled by New Zealand after the South African government refused to allow Māori members entry. The French were Five Nations
champions that year. Nomis replaced centre John Gainsford, who had occupied the position for 33 tests between 1960 and 1967. Gainsford sent him a telegram that read: " 'Like I’m sad man – like I’m glad man – play well. John Gainsford' ".
For the first test at Newlands on 13 July 1968 against Tom Kiernan
's touring British and Irish Lions
he was switched to wing, where he played for the rest of his international career.
Nomis was selected for what became known as the Springbok "demo tour" of 1969 to 1970 to the United Kingdom
. Continuous disruptions on and off the field by thousands of anti-apartheid demonstrators and associated strikes of service personnel created constant tension within the touring party. These protests were part of a global movement organized by South Africans like Peter Hain
and Dennis Brutus
to isolate South Africa's all-white sports teams due to their racial selection policies.
Nomis fainted at an after-match reception at the Angel Hotel in Cardiff and was hospitalized for a night. His wife was pregnant at the time. " 'You never knew if there might be a guy in the stands with a gun or something, it was frightening. You think, ‘Jeez am I going to get home to see my firstborn?' " During the subsequent tour by the All Blacks to South Africa in the last half of 1970, Nomis tried to let the New Zealand players know that he did not vote for the apartheid government.
in Colombes
, northwest of Paris
. Before 24,000 spectators Nomis helped his team beat France 16-11 by virtually crawling "across the tryline to score". The try came after Mannetjies Roux
was tackled and Nomis kicked the loose ball into the in-goal area. As he ran to dot down, his legs cramped and he fell down. After repeatedly falling down from cramp and getting up again, he managed to score the try. He later discovered that in commentary on the match South African radio broadcaster Charles Fortune had credited Roux with the try.
During the first test on 25 July 1970 against the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld Stadium
, Nomis scored the try most often associated with him. Intercepting a pass from All Black captain Brian Lochore
to Wayne Cottrell, Nomis raced down the field, accompanied by the passionate shouting of "Siddie! Siddie! Siddie! And he scores!" by Afrikaans
radio commentator Gerhard Viviers.
Former Springbok captain Morne du Plessis
later thanked Viviers for the " 'try you and Syd Nomis scored' ". The Springbok side won the test 17-6.
. Nomis had kicked the ball over McCormick's head and tried to run around him. McCormick spun around and hit Nomis in the mouth with his elbow, knocking out two teeth and losening several others. Referee Wynand Malan, a dentist, straightened Nomis' teeth on the field. Although he had lost consciousness briefly, Nomis stayed on to finish the game with a bleeding mouth. He later described the test as " 'the dirtiest game of rugby I have ever seen or been involved in' ".
The Johannesburg newspaper The Sunday Times
claimed that film of the clash showed it to be accidental. Nomis still dismisses the claim, pointing out that in McCormick's autobiography the fullback said that he would have done anything to stop Nomis. McCormick was "one of the dirtiest rugby players I ever played against," Nomis said in a 2008 interview.
The Springboks targeted McCormick in the third test, played at Newlands. Nomis kicked the ball high towards McCormick, and "Jan Ellis
, Piet Greyling and Hannes Marais
all hit him at the same time", recalled Nomis. He and McCormick also came to blows, with Nomis punching McCormick several times before being stopped by the referee. At the cocktail reception after the game the referee asked Nomis: " 'Did I give you enough time?' ".
For the fourth test Nomis was provided with a gum guard to protect his damaged teeth, which had been reinserted into his mouth. For this reason Nomis believes that he may have pioneered the use of gum guards by rugby players.
Nomis' last international game, at the age of 30, was against England
at Ellis Park Stadium
, Johannesburg. During his career Nomis was offered contracts to play rugby league
with Wigan
(where his wife's parents lived) and Oldham
. Nomis said that Wigan's offer was "half-hearted", while Oldham would not agree to his financial terms and so their offer collapsed.
During a visit to Switzerland
in September 2010, Nomis developed life-threatening blood clots in his left leg, which had to be amputated above the knee.
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 who until 2001 held the record for most consecutive matches (25) played for the Springboks
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...
. Nomis is best remembered for tries
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...
that he scored against France in 1968 and the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
in 1970.
Along with Okey Geffin
Okey Geffin
Aaron "Okey" Geffin was a South African rugby union player.He is sometimes considered the greatest Jewish rugby player of all time, and he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1998....
, Nomis is considered one of the greatest Jewish rugby players of all time, and is a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame was opened July 7, 1981, in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere around the world....
. He was inducted in 1999.
Early career
Nomis played club rugby for Wanderers in Johannesburg, in a league that included Iscor, Diggers, Vanderbijlpark and Police teams.Nomis recalled in a 2008 interview with Dave Gemmell how hard and dirty the game had been. He revealed that he while playing club rugby he also occasionally received slurs, with opponents calling him a "Blerrie Jood" [Afrikaans for "Bloody Jew"]. Nomis remembered injuring one such a player to the extent that he had to be carried off the field. " 'If you played rugby then, that was how it was played, there was no other way...club rugby was almost harder than international rugby.' " Nomis said that he only experienced anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
at club level. But " 'after the game we would have a beer together and we would be big mates.' " And national rugby official Danie Craven
Danie Craven
Daniël Hartman Craven , more famously known as Danie Craven or simply Doc Craven, is a former Western Province, Eastern Province, Northern Transvaal and Springbok rugby union player as well as arguably South Africa's best and best-known rugby administrator...
at the time believed that selecting a Jew and a policeman brought luck to the Springbok team.
In 1961, and again in 1962, Nomis was selected to play for the Quaggas, an invitational South African team styled after the Barbarians
South African Barbarians
South African Barbarians is an invitational rugby union club formed in 1960 by Frank Mellish, the former 1951-2 Springbok selector and manager together with former Natal chairman, Harry Stacey, styled along the lines of Barbarian F.C...
. He spent his provincial rugby career at the Transvaal Rugby Union
Golden Lions
The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason...
, for whom he was first selected in 1963.
Uncapped tours
Nomis played 29 uncappedCap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
matches on tours with national sides, including the 1965 Springbok tours to Australia
Australian Rugby Union
The Australian Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory...
and New Zealand, and the 1966 Gazelles outing to Argentina
Rugby union in Argentina
Rugby union is a popular team sport played in Argentina. The first rugby match played in the country dates back to 1873, as the game was introduced by the British...
(which included a game against Chile
Chile national rugby union team
The Chile national rugby union team is a rugby union nation representing Chile. They first played in 1935 and have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup. Rugby union in Chile is administered by the Federación de Rugby de Chile...
).
In 1965 Nomis was selected at centre alongside John Gainsford for the side that left for Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
under coach Johan Claassen. The Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
newspaper The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
was impressed with Nomis' and Gainsford's "incredible acceleration" during a 52-6 Springbok victory over Victoria at Olympic Park's no. 2 oval on 12 June. Apart from a solitary win against New Zealand, the Springboks lost five out of six test matches on the rain-sodden tour, and was judged by The New Zealand Herald
The New Zealand Herald
- External links :* * *...
's Terry McLean to be the worst South African team to face the All Blacks. Matters were not helped by South African prime minister H F Verwoerd
Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd
Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd , commonly identified as H.F. Verwoerd, was Prime Minister of South Africa from 1958 until his assassination in 1966...
's announcement during the tour that Māoris would not be allowed to play if selected for the 1967 All Black tour to South Africa.
In 1966 Nomis was chosen to represent a South African under-25 side known as the Gazelles on their tour to Argentina. He did not play in the two "tests" against the Argentinian national side, but did score 5 tries in 7 other matches, including two against Cordoba on 24 August.
Test matches
In addition to his uncapped matches, Nomis was capped 25 times for a total of 54 appearances in the green and goldSouth 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...
. Although selected 22 times for the Springboks on the wing, Nomis' first three test appearances were at centre.
For his debut test against France
Rugby union in France
Rugby union is the second most popular team sport in France, after association football, and is the dominant sport in most of the southern half of the country. It was first introduced in the early 1870s by British residents. Elite French clubs participate in the professional domestic club league,...
at Newlands Stadium
Newlands Stadium
Newlands Stadium, currently referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons, is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all seater venue....
in Cape Town on 12 August 1967, Nomis was chosen at centre – a position he retained for three consecutive tests. The French tour was organized by Danie Craven then-President of the South African Rugby Union) to replace a New Zealand tour, which had been cancelled by New Zealand after the South African government refused to allow Māori members entry. The French were Five Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
champions that year. Nomis replaced centre John Gainsford, who had occupied the position for 33 tests between 1960 and 1967. Gainsford sent him a telegram that read: " 'Like I’m sad man – like I’m glad man – play well. John Gainsford' ".
For the first test at Newlands on 13 July 1968 against Tom Kiernan
Tom Kiernan
Thomas Joseph Kiernan is a former Ireland international rugby union player. He won 54 caps for Ireland as a full-back between 1960 and 1973 and captained his country 24 times. At the time of his retirement he was Ireland's most-capped player, most experienced captain and record scorer in...
's touring British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
he was switched to wing, where he played for the rest of his international career.
Nomis was selected for what became known as the Springbok "demo tour" of 1969 to 1970 to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Continuous disruptions on and off the field by thousands of anti-apartheid demonstrators and associated strikes of service personnel created constant tension within the touring party. These protests were part of a global movement organized by South Africans like Peter Hain
Peter Hain
Peter Gerald Hain is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for the Welsh constituency of Neath since 1991, and has served in the Cabinets of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, firstly as Leader of the House of Commons under Blair and both Secretary of State for...
and Dennis Brutus
Dennis Brutus
Dennis Vincent Brutus was a South African activist, educator, journalist and poet best known for his campaign to have apartheid South Africa banned from the Olympic Games.-Life and work:...
to isolate South Africa's all-white sports teams due to their racial selection policies.
Nomis fainted at an after-match reception at the Angel Hotel in Cardiff and was hospitalized for a night. His wife was pregnant at the time. " 'You never knew if there might be a guy in the stands with a gun or something, it was frightening. You think, ‘Jeez am I going to get home to see my firstborn?' " During the subsequent tour by the All Blacks to South Africa in the last half of 1970, Nomis tried to let the New Zealand players know that he did not vote for the apartheid government.
Two famous tries
Nomis scored one of his six test career tries against the French on a cold 16 November 1968 at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-ManoirStade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
The Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir - stadium in Colombes, near Paris, France . Named in memory of French rugby player Yves du Manoir in 1928. Was the main stadium for the 1924 Summer Olympics and had a capacity of 45,000 at the time...
in Colombes
Colombes
Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 13 March 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes ....
, northwest of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Before 24,000 spectators Nomis helped his team beat France 16-11 by virtually crawling "across the tryline to score". The try came after Mannetjies Roux
Mannetjies Roux
Francois du Toit "Mannetjies" Roux is a former South African rugby player. He was capped 27 times; 6 times at wing and 21 times at centre, scoring 6 tries.-Rugby career:...
was tackled and Nomis kicked the loose ball into the in-goal area. As he ran to dot down, his legs cramped and he fell down. After repeatedly falling down from cramp and getting up again, he managed to score the try. He later discovered that in commentary on the match South African radio broadcaster Charles Fortune had credited Roux with the try.
During the first test on 25 July 1970 against the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby and association football stadium situated in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 for rugby union and hosted the 2009 Currie Cup final...
, Nomis scored the try most often associated with him. Intercepting a pass from All Black captain Brian Lochore
Brian Lochore
Sir Brian James Lochore, ONZ, KNZM, OBE is a former rugby union footballer and coach who represented and captained the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. He played at number 8 and lock, as well as captaining the side 46 times...
to Wayne Cottrell, Nomis raced down the field, accompanied by the passionate shouting of "Siddie! Siddie! Siddie! And he scores!" by Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
radio commentator Gerhard Viviers.
Former Springbok captain Morne du Plessis
Morne du Plessis
Morne du Plessis is a former South African rugby union player. He is often described as one of the Springboks' most successful captains. Playing at number 8, his national career spanned ten years, five of which he was captain...
later thanked Viviers for the " 'try you and Syd Nomis scored' ". The Springbok side won the test 17-6.
The McCormick incident
On 8 August 1970 at Newlands in the second test against the touring side Nomis was felled by All Black fullback Fergie McCormickFergie McCormick
Fergie McCormick is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who played for the All Blacks and Canterbury. McCormick first played representative rugby for Canterbury in 1958 when he played first five-eighth against Wellington...
. Nomis had kicked the ball over McCormick's head and tried to run around him. McCormick spun around and hit Nomis in the mouth with his elbow, knocking out two teeth and losening several others. Referee Wynand Malan, a dentist, straightened Nomis' teeth on the field. Although he had lost consciousness briefly, Nomis stayed on to finish the game with a bleeding mouth. He later described the test as " 'the dirtiest game of rugby I have ever seen or been involved in' ".
The Johannesburg newspaper The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (South Africa)
The Sunday Times is a popular South African Sunday newspaper. It has an audited circulation of 504,000 and a weekly readership of 3.2 million, making it the largest weekly newspaper in South Africa. Recently it was involved in exposing a corruption scandal involving the South African government's...
claimed that film of the clash showed it to be accidental. Nomis still dismisses the claim, pointing out that in McCormick's autobiography the fullback said that he would have done anything to stop Nomis. McCormick was "one of the dirtiest rugby players I ever played against," Nomis said in a 2008 interview.
The Springboks targeted McCormick in the third test, played at Newlands. Nomis kicked the ball high towards McCormick, and "Jan Ellis
Jan Ellis
Jan Hendrik Ellis is a South African former rugby union rugby player, who played flanker. He played 38 times for the Springboks, which at that time was a record.-Biography:...
, Piet Greyling and Hannes Marais
Hannes Marais
Johannes Frederick Klopper "Hannes" Marais is a former South African rugby captain. He was capped 35 times, scoring one try.-Personal history:...
all hit him at the same time", recalled Nomis. He and McCormick also came to blows, with Nomis punching McCormick several times before being stopped by the referee. At the cocktail reception after the game the referee asked Nomis: " 'Did I give you enough time?' ".
For the fourth test Nomis was provided with a gum guard to protect his damaged teeth, which had been reinserted into his mouth. For this reason Nomis believes that he may have pioneered the use of gum guards by rugby players.
Nomis' last international game, at the age of 30, was against England
Rugby union in England
Rugby union is one of the leading professional and recreational team sports in England. A popular myth is that Rugby was created in England in 1823, when William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it during a football match at Rugby School. In 1871 the RFU was formed by 21 clubs and the...
at Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's...
, Johannesburg. During his career Nomis was offered contracts to play rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
with Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
(where his wife's parents lived) and Oldham
Oldham Roughyeds
Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895....
. Nomis said that Wigan's offer was "half-hearted", while Oldham would not agree to his financial terms and so their offer collapsed.
Later life
After retiring from rugby Nomis worked in the clothing industry for twenty years before switching to the security industry.During a visit to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in September 2010, Nomis developed life-threatening blood clots in his left leg, which had to be amputated above the knee.
External links
- Sid Nomis on scrum.com
- Letter from Cape Town in The Jewish ChronicleThe Jewish ChronicleThe Jewish Chronicle is a London-based Jewish newspaper. Founded in 1841, it is the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper in the world.-Publication data and readership figures:...
- The Glory of the Game about the Ten Jewish Springboks.
- Sydney Nomis on International Jewish Sports Hall of FameInternational Jewish Sports Hall of FameThe International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame was opened July 7, 1981, in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere around the world....