Captain Nkohla Dies
His playing days were at a time when there were four national teams – the SA Rugby Board's Springboks, the SA Coloured Rugby Board's Springboks, the SA African Rugby Board's Springboks and the national team of the SA Rugby Union whose ideal was non-racialism. The SA Rugby Board's Springboks played international matches recognises by the International Rugby Board (now World Rugby); the other three played Test matches against each other.
Nkohla was 22 when he made his debut for the African Springboks in 1968 and was made captain in his very first match when Phil Danster was not available. It was against the Coloured Springboks at Wolfson Stadium in Port Elizabeth, a match the Africans won 8-5 when Phildon Kona scored two ties and Morgan Cushe kicked a conversion. Two of the stars of the side were flyhalf Peter Mkata and centre Phidile Madondana. He was not always the captain but was still captaining the side in 1970.
Like many big forwards Nkohla was a late developer. He started as a flyhalf but when his side outgrew his speed he was moved to fullback and then into the pack. When Dr Craven saw him on action for Eastern Province in 1970, he compared Nkohla to the great No.8 Doug Hopwood, a huge compliment.
In 1965, just after leaving school, he joined his family's club, Orientals, founded in 1894 and nicknamed the Blues. It is one of three 19th century clubs playing in New Brighton. He was still a big fullback then but moved into the pack, leading attacks from No.8, and that year played for Eastern Province whose captain he became. He was the captain when they won the Partons Cup, the main SA African Rugby Board competition in 1971.
This was a time of increasing political change. SARU, which had filled the gap when the South African Coloured Rugby Board became extinct, stepped up its campaign for non-racial rugby. Some clubs broke with the African Board and formed the Kwazakhele Rugby Union as Kwaru. There may have been some political impetus but the immediate reason was that the Eastern Province African Rugby Board wanted to discipline Spring Roses after they had not fulfilled a fixture in order to go to Eric Majola's funeral and then having their next match called off for fighting. They decided to withdraw from their Board and nine clubs went with them, including Orientals. They then formed Kwaru and were affiliated to SARU. He played for and captained KWARU who soon became a power in SARU rugby, winning the SA Cup in 1973 and 1975, and were leading in 1974 when the match was abandoned..
He was honoured with the presentation of a Springbok blazer at a gala function in Johannesbrurg, was honoured with a SARU president's award in 2004 and had his handprints cast in bronze along with other living Springbok captains.
Welile James Nkohla, nicknamed Bomza and mostly called James, was born in Port Elizabeth on 22 February. He worked as a salesman in building materials and died in Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth on the morning of 23 July 2017, survived by his wife, Bella and, six children.
