Rugby vir Springbokkleure by R. W. Mills
Rugby vir Springbokkleure (Afrikaans Rugby Guide in Dust Jacket, Inscribed 1967)
An Afrikaans Illustrated Guide to the Game, Its Laws and Basic Skills, Inscribed as a Christmas Gift in 1967
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Rugby vir Springbokkleure
- Author: R. W. Mills
- Publisher: Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel, Johannesburg
- Binding: Publisher's blue-green cloth hardcover with black lettering to the front board, issued in a dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Small octavo, approximately 20 x 13 cm. Illustrated with line drawings of rugby play.
- Language: Afrikaans
Official Condition Report
- The Book: Good (G)
- Exterior / Boards: The blue-green cloth boards are titled in black on the front and are clean, with light rubbing to the corners and spine ends. The spine ends of the boards are slightly bumped.
- Interior: The pages are toned but clean in the sections examined, with line drawings illustrating play. The binding appears sound. The front free endpaper has a vertical crease or fold line and some wrinkling near the gutter, and there are pencil marks near the top of the endpaper.
- Provenance: Handwritten presentation inscription in blue ink on the front free endpaper: 'Aan Lourens de Lange Van Tannie Elma oom Tannie en Niggies Kersfees 1967'.
- The Dust Jacket: Present, in a green and yellow design with a springbok illustration, protected in a durable archival-type plastic cover. The top edge of the front panel has chipping, tears and creasing, with a chip at the right edge of the front panel exposing the cloth beneath. The back panel has a rubbed, stained area with loss to the printed text in the middle, and a small chip at the top right. The front flap has a small hole near the fold. The jacket spine is toned, with wear at the head. The rear of the jacket advertises other sports titles from the same publisher.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Rugby vir Springbokkleure (Rugby for Springbok Colours) is an Afrikaans-language guide to playing rugby, written by R. W. Mills and published in Johannesburg by Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel. Line drawings illustrate the play throughout.
The book sets out the laws of the game, including kicking and tackling, and addresses the teaching of basic skills to young players. It reflects the way the sport was taught and discussed in Afrikaans in the mid-twentieth century.
This copy carries a warm Christmas 1967 inscription from an aunt and uncle to a young recipient, giving it a pleasing personal link to the place rugby held in Afrikaans family life. It will appeal to collectors of South African sporting literature and Afrikaans rugby books.
Rugby vir Springbokkleure · R. W. Mills rugby · Afrikaans rugby book · Springbok rugby guide · Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel · vintage South African rugby book · inscribed Afrikaans sports book
