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Dawie Snyman

Dawie Snyman was a respected player and administrator. Learn about his life and career with Rugby365, your resident rugby gurus. Click here for more.

Dawie Snyman Biography

Dawie Snyman is a former Springbok flyhalf. He was born on 5 July 1949 in Johannesburg, later attended Grey College in Bloemfontein and then enrolled at Stellenbosch University.

During his time at school, Dawie Snyman represented Free State schools at two consecutive Craven Week tournaments. In 1971, before playing provincial rugby, he was selected for the Springbok tour to Australia.  

Although Dawie Snyman did not play in any test matches during the tour, being selected for the team made him only the third player, after JC van der Westhuizen and Danie Craven to represent the Springboks before playing for a province. 

Eventually he made his provincial debut for Western Province later during the 1971 season. 

Dawie Snyman eventually made his Springbok debut in 1972 at Ellis Park against the touring English side, captained by John Pullin. Snyman, at flyhalf, scored all the points for the Springboks in the 9-18 while England, with unspectacular competence, grabbed every scoring chance.

This first tour undertaken by England to South Africa was organised with a demanding schedule, although with only one Test match. Within two weeks and three days, seven matches were to be played, the first four at sea level, and the final three, including the Test, at the altitude in the highveld with only two days to acclimatise before a demanding fixture against Northern Transvaal.

From September to November 1972, Dawie Snyman toured with the Gazelles, a South African under-24 team, to Argentina. 

Snyman played ten test matches for the Springboks, scoring 24 points, including one try. He also played in twelve tour matches, scoring sixty-two points.

Dawie Snyman served in the administration of the game since the mid-1970s – first at Stellenbosch University and later also at Western Province Rugby.

In 1982 Dawie Snyman was appointed as head coach of Western Province. During his tenure as head coach, Western Province won the Currie Cup five times in a row from 1982 to 1986. In 1989, with Hennie Bekker as his assistant coach, Western Province shared the Currie Cup with Northern Transvaal.