The Captains by Edward Griffiths

The Captains (Collectible Springbok Rugby Captaincy History)

A History of the Springbok Rugby Captaincy and What It Has Meant to South Africa Across More Than a Century

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: The Captains
• Author: Edward Griffiths
• Editor: J Owen Hendry
• Publisher: Jonathan Ball Publishers, Johannesburg & Cape Town
• Publication Date: 2001
• ISBN-13: 9781868421121
• ISBN-10: 1868421120
• Binding: Publisher's illustrated glossy paperback wrappers, perfect bound, with a green spine lettered in gilt and cream.
• Physical Format: Large softcover (trade paperback), approximately 235 x 155 mm. Includes a section of photographic plates.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
• Exterior / Wraps: The glossy illustrated wrappers are clean, with a rugby ball on a kicking tee to the front panel. The green spine, lettered in gilt and cream, is straight and clean. Corners are sharp, and the fore-edge, top and bottom edges are cream. No tears or creasing are visible.
• Interior: The text pages are clean and white, with no foxing or markings. The binding is tight.
• The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued)

Synopsis & Historical Value

The Captains by Edward Griffiths, published by Jonathan Ball in 2001, is a history of the Springbok rugby captaincy, running from Bennie Osler to Gary Teichmann. It follows the men who led South Africa's national side through more than a century of eventful and passionate rugby.

The narrative draws on the captains' own recollections, set beside the accounts of opposing captains from the Lions, the All Blacks and the Wallabies. This gives the story a rounded view of how the Springbok leaders were seen at home and abroad.

Griffiths uses the captaincy as a lens on the country itself. The Springbok captain has stood for many different things to many South Africans, and the book uses rugby to look at South Africa's wider history.

A substantial, well-illustrated volume for collectors of South African sporting history and rugby literature.

Author Profile: Edward Griffiths

Edward Griffiths was born in Zimbabwe and educated in England. He worked as a sportswriter with Business Day and was editor of the Sunday Times until 1993. In 1995 he became the first chief executive of SARFU, and he later served as general manager of SABC television sport.

He is the author of biographies of Naas Botha, Kepler Wessels, Kitch Christie, Jonty Rhodes and Gary Teichmann, and co-wrote the autobiography Rainbow Warrior with François Pienaar. A later volume, The Springbok Captains, co-written with Stephen Nell, extends the story told here.

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