Phil Mostert

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. He predominantly played in the forwards as prop, but could also play lock.

Early life

Mostert was born 30 October 1898 in Krugersdorp, South African Republic. 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). After release from the concentration camp, Mostert and his family moved down to the Western Cape to live with his maternal aunt.

Career

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.

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.

Overall Mostert played 14 international games, winning 10, losing 3 and drawing 1.

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.

Test history

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