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Australia rugby mourns loss of apartheid-opposing 'Magnificent Seven'

By Online Editors
A giant Wallabies rugby jersey adorning Council House in Perth. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

The Australian Rugby community is mourning the loss of two-Test Wallabies flanker, Barry McDonald who passed away on Wednesday, aged 79.

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The New Zealand-born backrower’s two Tests in the Wallabies jersey came in 1969 and 1970, however his career is equally remembered for his decision to boycott the 1971 tour by an all-white South African squad alongside six of his Wallabies teammates in protest against the country’s apartheid regime.

At the time, McDonald and his teammates faced fierce social and political backlash for their stance, until a groundswell of support grew across the country, reaching the highest office in the land. Incoming Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam then suspended all sporting contact with South Africa and followed by enacting trade sanctions against the country.

The “Rugby Seven” as they had become known, would later be hailed as the “Magnificent Seven” after it was recognised that a direct line could be traced from their actions, to the referendum that marked the end of apartheid in 1994.

The actions of the group were honoured by South African President Nelson Mandela, who bestowed on them the Medal of Freedom.

Continue reading below…

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McDonald was a small in stature backrower who played with fire and passion, punching well above his relative light weight. Born in Wau, Papua New Guinea, he was educated at The Cranbrook School in Sydney’s east which led him, like many others at the school, to link with the Eastern Suburbs Rugby Club.

It was at Easts that McDonald caught the attention of future Wallabies Coach Dave Brockhoff, who convinced him to switch to Sydney University. Having to enrol in order to play rugby for the University, McDonald chose a music course with little credentials other than a modest ability as a pianist.

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(6/13) The best test sides of the 2010's – 2015 Wallabies. This was a great Australian side stacked with legends such as Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Adam Ashley-Cooper as well as guys at their peak in David Pocock, Will Genia and Kurtley Beale. They won the shortened Rugby Championship but failed to win back the Bledisloe in two matches shared 1-1. In the pool of death at the World Cup they beat England and Wales, making a run to the final only to be beaten again by the all-time great All Blacks side. Still went 10-2 and the only losses came against New Zealand. One of the best test sides of the decade, and surely best Australian one of the 2010's. #wallabies #aussierugby #australiarugby #rugbyaustralia #worldrugby #rwc #rugby #rugbygram

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That year, 1969, he made his representative debut for Sydney against Victoria before matches with NSW Country and Queensland. A few days after that Queensland game, McDonald’s name was on the list of players for the Wallabies tour to South Africa.

While the shortest and lightest of the forwards on tour at 1.76 metres and 13 stone, McDonald made up for that with effort and commitment however injuries, firstly a rib and then torn shoulder ligaments restricted him to just eight of the 26 matches.

He would eventually be cleared to return to appear in four of the final five matches, including the fourth Test at Bloemfontein on September 20. While a dead-rubber with South Africa holding a 3-0 series lead, the Wallabies ‘gave their finest performance of the tour’ and the tackling, which had been somewhat fragile, was punishing. McDonald more than held his own against the might of the great Springbok trio of Jan Ellis, Piet Grayling and Tommy Bedford.

McDonald played one more Test, the following year, against Scotland. The catalyst for the 23-3, six tries to none victory was attributed to the ‘mobile Australian forwards who never allowed the Scots to get off the mark.’

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McDonald will forever be Wallaby number 533.

– Rugby AU

Rugby Australia’s swoop for another Fijian winger saw one NRL journalist hit out at the union:

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Jon 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

32 Go to comments
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