1956 — Dr Danie Craven, former Springbok scrumhalf and coach, takes over as president of the South African Rugby Board. He remained at the helm of South African rugby, even after unification when the different racial organisations merged into the South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu), until his death in early 1993. Craven was an influential figure in world rugby, but he was also controversial. In 1976 Craven insisted that a mixed rugby team could not wear the Springbok emblem because it was reserved for whites, but he changed his tune and oversaw the selection of the first player of colour, Errol Tobias, just five years later.
1980 — Hosea Tjale, a truck driver who had taken up running seriously just three years earlier, wins the 56km Two Oceans ultra-marathon, which attracts a record field of 1,500. Tjale clocks 3 hrs 14 min 30 sec to post the second-best time in the history of the race at that stage. Tjale, who shook off defending champion Vincent Rakabaele when he surged up Chapman’s Peak, was nearly knocked down by cars twice on the route. Two weeks earlier he had won the interprovincial marathon championships.
1997 — Shaun Pollock takes four wickets and then scores an unbeaten 41 at his home ground in Durban, but it’s not enough to save the Proteas in the fourth ODI against Australia. The visitors, making 211/9, won by 15 runs to level the seven-match series at 2-2.
1998 — Roger Telemachus takes four wickets as the Proteas thump Sri Lanka by 57 runs in a triangular ODI match at the Wanderers. Opener Mike Rindel’s 59 was the top score in SA’s innings of 266/8. Sanath Jayasuriya’s 68 was the only memorable total as Sri Lanka was bowled out for 209.
2006 — The Proteas thrash India by an innings and 90 runs in the second test in Ahmedabad to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini took three wickets apiece as SA bowled out the hosts for 328. Sourav Ganguly top-scored for India with 87.
2009 — The Proteas level the five-match ODI series at 1-1 as they beat Australia by seven wickets at Centurion. Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell took four wickets each as the visitors were bowled out for 131. Captain Graeme Smith led from the front, scoring 40 before SA wrapped up the game in the 27th over.
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