Phillippus Jacobus Mostert (30 October 1898 – 3 October 1972) was a South African rugby union player and 16th captain of the South Africa national rugby union team.[1] He predominantly played in the forwards as prop, but could also play lock.

Phil Mostert
Birth namePhillippus Jacobus Mostert
Date of birth(1898-10-30)30 October 1898
Place of birthKrugersdorp, South Africa
Date of death3 October 1972(1972-10-03) (aged 73)
Place of deathSalisbury, Rhodesia
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight88 kg (194 lb)
SchoolPaul Roos Gym
Hottentots Holland High School
SpouseElizabeth (Betty) Mostert
ChildrenPhilippus Jacobus Mostert
Elizabeth Mostert
Occupation(s)Accountant, AECI, Somerset West
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1918–34 Somerset West RFC ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1920–29 Western Province ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1921–33 South Africa 14 (6)

Early life

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Mostert was born 30 October 1898, Krugersdorp, South Africa. His father joined the Boer forces to fight for South African independence, and was killed in the Battle of Colenso, Natal, during the Second Boer War (15 December 1899). Mostert, his mother (Anna Francina Mostert) and 7 siblings (Martha, Gerbrecht, Johanna, Catherina, Francois, Frederik and Willem) were forcibly removed from their razed family farm in Krugersdorp (2 May 1901) and carried off to an infamous British concentration camp and survived there until the end of the war (15 October 1902).[2][3] After release from the concentration camp, Mostert and his family moved down to the Western Cape to live with his maternal aunt.[4]

Career

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Mostert started playing rugby at the age of thirteen and joined Somerset West RFC, where he was selected for the first team in 1918. Later he captained the team for nine seasons in a row, from 1923 to 1931.[4]

In 1920 Mostert was chosen for Western Province to play in the Currie Cup competition. He also competed in the Currie Cup competitions of 1925 and 1927, and during the 1927 competition he scored six tries and kicked a drop goal. In 1929 Mostert captained Western Province, which again won the Cup.[5]

Mostert debuted for the Springboks on 13 August 1921, against New Zealand in Dunedin. He played as tighthead prop in the first and second test matches and then moved to hooker for the third test. The second test series in which Mostert played was the 1924 test series against the touring team from the British Isles. During the second test in the series, he scored his first and only test try.

In 1928 New Zealand toured South Africa and Mostert was named captain of the Springboks. He played twice as a loosehead prop and twice as hooker in the test series which was shared 2 all by the teams. In 1931–32 Mostert toured with the Springboks to Britain and Ireland, playing last international match against Scotland at Murrayfield on 16 January 1932.[6]

Overall Mostert played 14 international games, winning 10, losing 3 and drawing 1.[6] He also played in 26 tour matches, scoring four tries.[7]

After his playing days, Mostert coached and acted as selector in the Western Province and in 1965 he was elected an honorary life member of the Western Province RFU.[4]

Test history

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No. Opponents Results
(SA 1st)
Position Score Dates Venue
1.   New Zealand 5–13 Tighthead prop 13 Aug 1921 Carisbrook, Dunedin
2.   New Zealand 9–5 Tighthead prop 27 Aug 1921 Eden Park, Auckland
3.   New Zealand 0–0 Hooker 17 Sep 1921 Athletic Park, Wellington
4.   British Isles 7–3 Tighthead prop 16 Aug 1924 Kingsmead, Durban
5.   British Isles 17–0 Tighthead prop 1 try 23 Aug 1924 Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
6.   British Isles 16–9 Lock 20 Sep 1924 Newlands, Cape Town
7.   New Zealand 17–0 Loosehead prop (c) 30 Jun 1928 Kingsmead, Durban
8.   New Zealand 6–7 Loosehead prop (c) 1 penalty 21 Jul 1928 Ellis Park, Johannesburg
9.   New Zealand 11–6 Hooker (c) 18 Aug 1928 Crusaders Ground, Port Elizabeth
10.   New Zealand 5–13 Hooker (c) 1 Sep 1928 Newlands, Cape Town
11.   Wales 8–3 Tighthead prop 5 Dec 1931 St. Helen's, Swansea
12.   Ireland 8–3 Tighthead prop 19 Dec 1931 Lansdowne Road, Dublin
13.   England 7–0 Tighthead prop 2 Jan 1932 Twickenham, London
14.   Scotland 6–3 Tighthead prop 16 Jan 1932 Murrayfield, Edinburgh

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Phillippus Jacobus Mostert". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  2. ^ Mostert, Anna Francina. "British Concentration Camps of the South African War 1900-1902". www2.lib.uct.ac.za. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  3. ^ Mostert, Philippus. "British Concentration Camps of the South African War 1900-1902". www2.lib.uct.ac.za. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Dobson, Paul (1995). 30 Super Springboks (1st ed.). Cape Town: Human & Rousseau. pp. 43–51. ISBN 0-7981-3411-9. OCLC 37966584.
  5. ^ Parker, A. C. (1983). W.P. Rugby : centenary, 1883-1983. Western Province Rugby Football Union (South Africa) (1st ed.). Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa: WPRFU. pp. 184–185. ISBN 0-620-06555-9. OCLC 54188953.
  6. ^ a b "Phillippus Jacobus Mostert".
  7. ^ Grieb, Eddie; Heath, Duane (2016). South African Rugby Annual 2016. Cape Town: South African Rugby. p. 178. ISBN 978-0620692908. OCLC 957740131.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Springbok Captain
1928
Succeeded by