SuperSport Schools Plus

Andy van der Watt (1946-2025): College, Hilton salute one of their greats

By Albert Heenop , in Rugby | Featured Rugby | News , at 2025-01-21 Tags: ,

Andy van der Watt, one of the first Craven Week players to become a Springbok, passed away on Sunday aged 78.

Van der Watt, a member of Maritzburg College’s unbeaten First XV of 1963, represented Natal at the inaugural Craven Week in 1964. The tournament, staged in East London, produced four Springboks. 

Apart from Van der Watt, André de Wet, Mike Jennings, and Joggie Jansen also attained the green and gold in the late sixties.

Van der Watt is still regarded as one of the quickest Bok wingers of all time, yet the legacy he left behind at school level, both as a star of College and later as a master at Hilton College, is equally profound. 

Andrew Edward van der Watt was born on October 10, 1946, in Krugersdorp, but spent his teenage years in the erstwhile South West Africa (Namibia).

“Dad was a civil servant and a huge fan of Maritzburg College, which is why I ended up in the boarding school there,” Van der Watt told me during an interview at Hilton’s hallowed Gilfillan Field a few years ago.

Coached by the legendary Skonk Nicholson, he had already cracked the nod for the First XV at 15 years of age and represented the team with distinction from 1962 to 1965. Van der Watt boasted exceptional acceleration that enabled him to bolt through the tiniest of gaps and he set a record of 22 tries in 17 games for College during their unbeaten 1963 season.

“Skonk was an absolute legend,” he said, “and, later, we became good friends when I also started coaching.

“He was hugely effective in terms of forward play and, thus, the backline was always ensured of quality possession. Skonk was also a champion of positive thinking and had a phenomenal ability to inspire.”

After matriculating, Van der Watt completed his compulsory military service at the Air Force Gymnasium in Valhalla before studying at Stellenbosch University to become a teacher. He represented the Maties First XV for five years in a row and was coached by another iconic mentor, Dr. Danie Craven.

“Doc was one of a kind, and not merely because of his matchless knowledge of the game,” Van der Watt said.

“One of the numerous PhDs that he attained was in psychology and Doc knew exactly when to encourage and when to rebuke a player.”

Maritzburg College 1963
The sensational Maritzburg College First XV of 1963. They won 16 out of 17 games and drew the other. Andy van der Watt is seated on the left, with Skonk Nicholson seated third from left.

Van der Watt excelled for Western Province, too, running in a brace of tries against the visiting Wallabies in 1969 and following that up with a sensational hat-trick for the Gazelles (SA u23) against the Aussies.

Those performances earned him selection for the Springbok touring squad to Britain and Ireland at the end of 1969. He played in 17 of the 24 matches on the so-called “demo tour”, including the tests against Scotland, England, and Ireland.

“For me, personally, that tour was an incredible experience despite all the riots,” he said.

Van der Watt again toured with the Boks to Australia in 1971, racking up seven tries in five games, including four against Queensland Country, but injuries forced him to call it a day a couple of years later.

Chris Greyvenstein writes in Springbok Saga that Van der Watt’s “official achievements on the athletic track support the argument that he was the fastest wing ever to wear the Springbok jersey…”

Van der Watt was WP champion in both the 100 m and 200 m (1967-69), with a fastest time of 10.4 seconds in the 100 m – set in Swakopmund, Namibia.

“I have to add, though, the track was somewhat downhill, and my dad was the timekeeper,” Van der Watt quipped.

In 1973, he became a PE master at Hilton, where he would teach the boys for almost 40 years. He coached a variety of sports, including cricket, swimming, squash, athletics, and basketball, and also became the head of the Afrikaans department.

Van der Watt took charge of the First XV from 1980 to 1989, during which time he brought through future Bok captains, Gary Teichmann and Bob Skinstad.

Andy van der Watt’s dedication certainly ensured that the teachings and wisdom of the likes of Skonk Nicholson and Doc Craven were carried across to future generations. 

May his soul rest in peace.

error: Sorry ol' chap, those shenanigans are not permissible.