Paul Bayvel Dies

RIP: Paul Bayvel, who played scrumhalf for Transvaal (now the Golden Lions) and South Africa, has died at his home in Hout Bay. He was 71 years of age.

Born and bred in Johannesburg, Bayvel and his family moved to the Cape about five years ago.

After matriculating at Parktown Boys’ High, Bayvel went to the University of Witwatersrand and played for Wits and then for Diggers who were Transvaal champions in 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977 and 1978. From 1972 to 1980, Bayvel played 51 times for Transvaal and in 1974 he became a Springbok. He played in 10 Tests for South Africa between 1974 and 1976.

Bayvel is regarded by some as the best scrumhalf to play for Transvaal. Two of his brothers, Coke (before him, in the 1960s) and Norman (after him, in the 1980s) also played scrumhalf for Transvaal. A fourth Bayvel, Nicky, played for Transvaal under-20

Bayvel’s introduction to Springboks rugby came at a tough time and was not without controversy, in which he was involved but which was certainly not of his making.

In 1974 the B&I Lions toured South Africa, a tour without defeat, the first such a success rate since the initial tour of 1891. Bayvel was chosen to replace Roy McCallum at scrumhalf for the second Test at Loftus Versfeld. The tourists won 28-9, South Africa’s heaviest defeat in a Test match up till then. Bayvel was paired with Gerald Bosch who scored all of the Springboks’ points in the game. Bayvel’s immediate opponent was the great Gareth Edwards.

In the wake of the Pretoria hammering, the selectors made 11 changes for the third Test in Port Elizabeth, including one which was a heart the heart of the controversy. Gerrie Sonnekus, a loose forward, was chosen at scrumhalf. To put it mildly it was a huge mistake, and the Lions won 26-9, regarded as far and away the most notorious selection error in Springbok history.

Bayvel was back at scrumhalf for the fourth Test at Ellis Park, which was drawn at 13-all, in the context of the series a fine result for the humiliated Springboks.

That same year, the Springboks went on a two-Test tour of France with Bosch and Bayvel back as halfbacks and the Springboks victorious under captain Hannes Marais. Bosch and Bayvel were together again for two victorious Tests against France in South Africa in 1975 when Morné du Plessis was their captain and then in the four-Test series against the All Blacks in 1976, a series won 3-1 by the Springboks.

For a while Bayvel had a fitness gymnasium in Blairgowrie, Johannesburg and then owned and ran a successful wholesaling business selling plastic pipes and fittings.

In the last short few months of his life, he battled lung cancer which spread to his spine. He left the Rondebosch Hospital and died peacefully at his home in Hout Bay.

Paul Campbell Robertson Bayvel was born on 28 March 1949. He died on 15 April 2020, survived by his wife Denise, daughters Bronwyn, Debbie Lee and Jo Anne, and two grandsons.

Paul Bayvel has sadly passed away, a great loss, way to soon. May the Good Lord hold and comfort his family during this time🙏 Mooi loop Oom Paul🙏

— Kobus Wiese (@4KobusWiese) April 15, 2020

RIP Paul Bayvel – wonderful cheerie person on and off the field – God bless his family left behind

— Schalk Burger (@skalabrak) April 15, 2020

Best wishes to Paul Bayvel in his fight against cancer. He is a legend and his family a virtual Transvaal scrum half factory. His older brother, Coke, was the reason I came to live in SA.

— John Robbie (@John_C_Robbie) April 13, 2020