Ian Robertson

Ian William Robertson (28 April 1950 – 24 August 2015) was a South African rugby union player.

Playing career Robertson attended the Prince Edward School in Salisbury (now Harare) and in 1968 represented Rhodesia at the annual Craven Week tournament for schoolboys. The following year, as a nineteen year old, he made his debut in senior rugby for Rhodesia against South West Africa. Robertson went on to represent Rhodesia regularly from 1969 until 1979, but for two excursions in South Africa. First in 1972 when he moved to Johannesburg and only managed to make the Transvaal B team. In 1975 he moved to Cape Town and joined the Villager Football Club. He however could not secure a regular place in the Western Province team. When Robertson returned to Rhodesia at the beginning of 1976, he once again became an automatic first choice for the national side and was 1976 probably his greatest year.

At an international level, Robertson was selected to tour with the Springboks to France in 1974 and made his test debut against France on 23 November 1974 in Toulouse. He played in both test matches on the French tour and also played in five tour matches, scoring eighteen points for the Springboks. He missed out on any further test during 1975 and in 1976 he played in three of the four test matches against the touring All Black side captained by Andy Leslie.

Robertson's career was halted against Transvaal at Salisbury in 1979 when he suffered a badly broken wrist and ultimately retired from rugby.

Test history

No. Opposition Result (SA 1st) Position Points Date Venue 1. 13–4 Centre 23 November 1974 Stade Municipal, Toulouse 2. France 10–8 Centre 30 November 1974 Parc des Princes, Paris 3. 16–7 Fullback 3 (1 dropgoal) 24 July 1976 Kings Park Stadium, Durban 4. New Zealand 9–15 Centre 14 August 1976 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein 5. New Zealand 15–14 Fullback 18 September 1976 Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg

Accolades Robertson was named Rhodesia's Sportsman of the Year in 1976.