Dawie Ackermann

Dawie Ackermann

Ackermann in New Zealand in 1956
Birth name	Dawid Schalk Pienaar Ackermann [1]
Date of birth	(1930-06-03)3 June 1930
Place of birth	Aliwal North, South Africa
Date of death	1 January 1970(1970-01-01) (aged 39)
Height	6 ft 2.5 in (189 cm) [2]
Weight	15 st 1 lb (211 lb; 96 kg) [2]
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1955–58 Western Province () 1959–61 Transvaal () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1955–58 South Africa 8 (3)
Rugby league career
Playing information
Position	Loose forward
Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1963 South Africa 2 0

Dawid Schalk Pienaar "Dawie" Ackermann (3 June 1930 – 1 January 1970), was a South African international rugby union and rugby league footballer. His position was at Flanker (or loose forward in rugby league).

Rugby union career

Ackermann started his career as a rugby union player, appearing for Western Province and Transvaal. He also played in eight test matches for South Africa between 1955 and 1958.

Rugby league career

In 1962, Ackermann was one of a number of high-profile South African players to switch to rugby league. He was selected by the RLSA to play in a three match series against Great Britain, who were returning from their 1962 tour of Australia and New Zealand. Ackermann played in all three games, scoring a try in the second game. ^[3]

In 1963, he was part of the team which toured Australia and New Zealand, captaining the side in the two games against Australia. ^{[4] [5]} Following the collapse of rugby league in South Africa after the tour, Ackermann was forced to retire due to the ban on rugby league players from participating in rugby union.

He died of a heart attack in January 1970, aged 39. ^[6]

References

1. "Dawie Ackermann". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
2. "Meet the tourists". The Rugby League news. Vol. 44, no. 18. N.S.W. Rugby Football League. 13–14 July 1963. pp. 6, 9 – via Trove.
3. Lush, Peter; Snyders, Hendrik (2015). Tries and Conversions: South African Rugby League Players. London League Publications. ISBN   978-1909885073.
4. "Australia vs South Africa 1963 Series - Game 1". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
5. "Australia vs South Africa 1963 Series – Game 2". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
6. "Rugby star dies" . Evening News . London. 5 January 1970. p. 16 – via British Newspaper Archive.

External links

• Dawie Ackermann at Rugby League Project