The three-month public vote for the 2009 induction into the IRB Hall of Fame has now closed.
Once the results of the public vote are compiled and counted the Induction Panel of Don Cameron (New Zealand), Gerald Davies (Wales), Henri Garcia (France), Norman Mair (Scotland), Pablo Mamone (Argentina) and Nigel Starmer-Smith (England) will begin their deliberations to determine the Class of 2009.
This will be the fourth induction since the IRB Hall of Fame was launched in 2006 and the result of the vote will be announced at a ceremony at Rugby School in Rugby, Warwickshire, at the end of October.
This year, the IRB Hall of Fame vote was geared towards the history of the encounters between the British and Irish Lions and South Africa with 2009 witnessing the 13th tour – and first of the 21st Century – and adding another chapter to the saga which began 117 years ago when the birth of South African Test rugby was signed off by Bill Maclagan and his British team of 1891.
The Lions have travelled the world since the first British team left for New Zealand and Australia in 1888. To date they have played a total 109 Test matches of which they have won 40, lost 58 and drawn 11, scoring 1,305 points and conceding 1,498.
In South Africa the third and final Test of the 2009 series, was the 46th international encounter played in the country since 1891 and the 18th the Lions won, with 23 defeats and six drawn Test matches on the record.
Of the 13 Test series to date with South Africa, the Lions have won three series – in 1891, 1896 and 1974 – drawn one in 1955 and lost nine following a 2-1 series in 2009. They have scored a total of 516 points across these tours and conceded 600, figures which included 68 tries scored by the Lions to 90 by South Africa.
The powerful England and Lions centre Randolph Aston, who toured South Africa in 1891, is one of the candidates for induction into the IRB Hall of Fame in 2009 and still holds the record for the most tries scored during a tour with 31.
In addition to Aston, there are other five candidates on the 19th Century list of nominees, including the first captains of the two teams – Maclagan and Herbert Hayton Castens of South Africa. The others are Barry Heatlie, the first captain to lead the yet-to-be-named Springboks to a Test victory against the visitors, and the leading lights of the 1896 tour, captain Johnny Hammond and his understudy Tommy Crean.
There are 10 Lions on the 20th Century list in the guise of three Englishmen (Cherry Pillman, Jeff Butterfield and Fran Cotton), one Scot in Jim Greenwood, four Welshmen (Cliff Morgan, Phil Bennett, JPR Williams and Graham Price) and two Irish in Tony O’Reilly and Willie John McBride.
This list of nominees also features 14 South Africans in Oubaas Markötter, Paul Roos, Billy Millar, Bennie Osler, Boy Louw, Chris Koch, Johan Classen, Keith Oxlee, Frik du Preez, Hannes Marais, John Gainsford, Jan Ellis, Tommy Bedford and Morne du Plessis.
To help the Induction Panel in their selection task the 20th Century – without doubt the longest and most prolific era in the history of the Game – will be divided into two periods, from 1903-1955 and from 1962-1997.
Finally the 21st Century list includes two distinguished Lions in Ian McGeechan and Martin Johnson and one South African candidate, the most capped Springbok scrum half Joost van der Westhuizen.
Chris Thau is Secretary of the IRB Hall of Fame
