Doc Augie Dies Peacefully
As a player, he was one of the hardest-working flanks at UCT where he was studying medicine. He was fast and a fearless tackler and would surely have played for Western Province were it not for Lance Steytler. When he broke his nose he still played for UCT, wearing a guard on his face.
A qualified doctor he then joined Union, a club formed during World War II of members who broke away from clubs such as Gardens and Maitland. It became a huge club. Augie later became the club's president.
Augie was much appreciated as a dedicated and skilful general practitioner who had his own form of medical aid – charging the rich a little more and the not-so-wealthy a lot less!
It was as a team doctor that Augie was most valued and loved in rugby life. He was more than a doctor, rather a member of the team who did everything but tackle opponents on the field of play, a great motivating force in the team. The players could confide in him and he took a great personal interest in each one of them – their families, wives and girlfriends.
For 10 years he was the Springbok team doctor. Probably the most demanding of his trips with the team was on the 1981 tour of New Zealand and the USA, a tour with much local opposition. When Cecil Moss was the Sprtingbok coach, he said he would not go to the field without Augie.
Augie was also the Western Province team doctor. By far his toughest time was in Bloemfontein on 30 August 1980 when Chris Burger, the Province fullback, suffered an horrific injury that killed him. Augie attended to him on the field at a time when helpful equipment was scarce. HE eventually got the stadium people to break down a door and bring it to him as a stretcher. As the player was taken off the field, Augie lay on top of him to keep him from falling off.
The players gathered later and, led by Morné du Plessis, formed the Chris Burger Fund which has grown as the Chris Burger-Petro Jackson Fund to help critically injured players and their families. Augie was one of those at the birth of the fund.
When Doc Craven gathered a team to go round the country with a mission to 'change South Africa on the rugby field', Augie would often go along to give advice on arranging and administering aid to injured players.
Augie was a man of great energy, a wonderful sense of humour, a great raconteur, a man of principle, a loyal man, a rugby man who embodied all that was best in the great game.
Augie was born on 27 August 1927. He grew frail in recent times and died in his own bed on the morning of 21 September 2015 in the presence of his family, including son Brent and daughters Vanessa and Michelle. His is survived by his first wife Ellie and his second wife Lindsay.
There will be a memorial service at the Temple Israel in Wynberg at 10.00 on Friday morning, 25 September 2015.
