Solly Tyibilika

Last updated

Solly Tyibilika
Birth nameSolomzi Tyibilika
Date of birth(1979-06-23)23 June 1979
Place of birth Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Date of death13 November 2011(2011-11-13) (aged 32)
Place of death Gugulethu, South Africa
Height1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight198 lb (90 kg)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2003–2006

2011		 Natal University / UKZN (Maritzburg)
Hamilton Sea Point RFC		 ()
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Southern Kings ()
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2003–2006 Sharks (Currie Cup) ()
Super Rugby
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Lions ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2004–2006 South Africa 8 (15)

Solomzi "Solly" Tyibilika (23 June 1979 – 13 November 2011) [1] was a South African rugby union footballer, who played as a flanker for the Lions in the international Super 14 competition in his last years. He was the first black person [2] to score a test try for the South Africa national rugby union team. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Career

Tyibilika was born in Port Elizabeth [6] and educated at the Loyiso High School.[ citation needed ] While at high school he started playing rugby union, making his professional debut in 2001 with Griquas. [5]

Tyibilika played for Springbok 'A' in 2004. In November of that year he made his debut for the Springboks in a match against Scotland at Murrayfield playing at flank. South Africa won the match 45–10. He scored on his debut. [5] He played in a subsequent test against Argentina in Buenos Aires, which the Springboks won 39–7.

Tyibilika next played for the Springboks the following season in June, where he played against Uruguay, which the Springboks won 134–3. He then played a subsequent test against the Wallabies in the 2005 Tri Nations Series, which the Springboks won 33–20 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. He earned one other cap that year against Argentina in Buenos Aires in November. He was named in the Springboks' 2006 Tri Nations Series squad.

Tyibilika was part of the Southern Kings squad that played against the British and Irish Lions, in the Lions tour of South Africa in 2009.[ citation needed ]

In the 2011 season, which would turn out to be his last, he played for Hamiltons in Cape Town. [5]

Tyibilika scored 24 tries for Griquas, Sharks, Lions and Border, appearing 158 times. [5]

Personal life

Tyibilika was not married and had four children. [5]

Death

Tyibilika was shot dead in a tavern in the township of Gugulethu, near Cape Town, shortly after 2pm on 13 November 2011. [1] [7] Witnesses reported Tyibilika had his back turned to the entrance and was on his telephone when two gunmen fired ten rounds in the door. Tyibilika was found to be lying lifeless in his own blood on the floor after the incident. [8]

Mr Oregan Hoskins, president of SARU, said, "Solly was a trailblazer among black African Springboks. To lose him so suddenly and in this brutal manner is very distressing. The casual disregard for life in our society is shocking." [9] Hoskins also said, "His emergence was a demonstration of what can be achieved when talent is combined with opportunity in what is always a very competitive position in Springbok rugby". [5] There were pleas for donations for a burial, with his last club Hamiltons offering to help his family. [10] [11] Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula told Parliament two days after the murder that Tyibilika had done his country proud. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schalk Burger</span> Rugby player

Schalk Willem Petrus Burger Jr. is a South African former professional rugby union player. He played as a flanker for Saracens in the English Premiership and has won 86 caps for South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Rugby Union</span> Sports governing body

The South African Rugby Union (SARU) is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to World Rugby. It was established in 1992 as the South African Rugby Football Union, from the merger of the South African Rugby Board and the non-racial South African Rugby Union (SACOS), and took up its current name in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Spears</span> Rugby team

The Southern Spears, were a South African rugby union franchise who were founded in 2005 and were intended to participate in Super 14 from 2007 onwards; however, their proposed entry into the competition led to considerable controversy within the country's rugby establishment. In April 2006, after concerns over the franchise's financial stability and sporting competitiveness, the Spears were denied entry into the Super 14. Following this, the Southern Spears effectively ceased to exist. In June 2009, the Southern Kings, a Port Elizabeth based Super Rugby team, was established and is not connected with the former outfit.

Johan "Rassie" Erasmus is a South African rugby union coach and former player. He was the head coach of the South African national team from 2018 to the end of their 2019 World Cup campaign, doubling up on his duties as the first ever SARU Director of Rugby, to which he was appointed towards the end of 2017. He led South Africa to win the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and he subsequently won the 2019 World Rugby Coach of the Year award.

Luke Asher Watson is a South African former rugby union footballer who can play at flank or eighthman. He has represented and captained the South African Schools rugby team (2001), South Africa's under-19 (2002) and under-21 (2004) teams, as well as the Springbok Sevens team (2001). Watson has also captained both the Western Province and the Super Rugby Stormers. He most recently played for the Eastern Province Kings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter de Villiers</span> Rugby player

Peter de Villiers is a South African professional rugby union coach and former Good Party politician. He was coach of the South Africa national rugby union team from 2008 to 2011, after successes with the South African U19 and U21 squads, and the first-ever non-white to be appointed to the position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tendai Mtawarira</span> Rugby player

Tendai Mtawarira is a Zimbabwean-South African retired professional rugby union player who last played for Old Glory DC in Major League Rugby and previously for the South Africa national team and the Sharks in Super Rugby. He was born in Zimbabwe and qualified for South Africa on residency grounds, before later acquiring South African citizenship. Mtawarira, a prop, is known by the nickname Beast.

Nomsebenzi Agnes "Noms" Tsotsobe is a South African rugby union player and model. Tsotsobe was born in Kwa Magxaki, Port Elizabeth, and has played for and captained the South Africa women's national rugby union team, the Springboks, since their founding in 2004.

McNeil Hendricks, also known as "Maccie", is a former South African rugby union player who played primarily as a wing. He starred in the movie Invictus, in which he played the role of Chester Williams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Lambie</span> South Africa international rugby union player

Patrick Jonathan Lambie is a retired South African professional rugby union player who last played for Racing 92 in the French Top 14. He announced his retirement in January 2019 due to multiple concussions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bjorn Basson</span> South African rugby union player

Bjorn Alberic Basson is a South African professional rugby union player playing as a wing or full-back for the San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR).

Elton Thomas Jantjies is a South African professional rugby union player for the South Africa national team and Agen in the Pro D2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eben Etzebeth</span> Rugby player

Eben Etzebeth is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship and the South Africa national rugby team. He made his international debut for the Springboks in 2012 and has since won more than 100 caps. His regular playing position is as a number 4 lock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willie le Roux</span> South African rugby union player

Willem Jacobus le Roux is a South African professional rugby union player. He is a versatile back-line player who generally plays as a fullback or wing, though earlier in his career he played mostly as a fly-half. He plays for the South Africa national team and for the Blue Bulls in the United Rugby Championship. He was born in Stellenbosch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Louw</span> South Africa international rugby union & league player

Robert James Louw is a South African rugby footballer who represented South Africa 19 times in international test rugby union. He also played in the Western Province teams that won the Currie Cup five consecutive times. South African rugby chief Danie Craven rated Louw as "one of the best Springboks ever to represent South Africa", "fast enough to play among the backs", and a "superb ambassador for South Africa" due to "his friendly manner and attractive personality". Louw was nominated as South African Rugby Player of the Year in 1979 and in 1984.

Hanyani Masana Shimange is a former professional rugby union player. His position of choice was hooker, but he played one game for the Springboks at flank.

Wendal Peter Wehr is a South African rugby union player for Griquas in the Currie Cup and in the Rugby Challenge. He mostly plays as a flanker, but he has also occasionally played as a winger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan van Zyl</span> Rugby player

Ivan van Zyl is a South African rugby union player for Saracens. His regular position is scrum-half.

Marco Jansen van Vuren is a South African rugby union player for the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship and the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup. His regular position is scrum-half, but also regularly plays centre and wing

Jasper van der Westhuizen Wiese is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for Leicester Tigers in England's Premiership Rugby. He previously played for the Cheetahs in the Pro14, the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup and the Free State XV in the Rugby Challenge. He can play as a number 8 or a flanker. He made his debut for South Africa in 2021. He was a Premiership Rugby champion in 2022, scoring a try in the final and being named as the Man of the Match.

References

  1. 1 2 Imray, Gerald (13 November 2011). "Report: Former Springbok shot dead". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  2. ↑ "Former Springboks flanker Tyibilika shot dead". The Age. Melbourne, Australia. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  3. ↑ "Former Springbok Tyibilika murdered". Agence France-Presse. 13 November 2011. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  4. ↑ "South African rugby 'trailblazer' murdered". RTÉ News. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Tyibilika mourned by Saru". IOL. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  6. ↑ "Former Springbok Solly Tyibilika shot dead in Cape Town". The Daily Telegraph. 13 November 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  7. ↑ Ray, Craig (13 November 2011). "Former Bok, Tyibilika shot dead in Cape Town". Times Live. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  8. ↑ "Tavern guests relate Solly shooting horror". IOL. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  9. ↑ "Ex-South Africa flanker shot dead in bar". Eurosport. 13 November 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  10. ↑ "Pleas for donations to bury Tyibilika". IOL. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  11. ↑ "Club to help with Bok's funeral". Sport 24. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  12. ↑ "Tyibilika did his country proud: Mbalula". South African Broadcasting Corporation. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.