Johannes Daniel Brewis

Johannes Daniel "Hannes" Brewis (15 June 1920 – 9 September 2007) was a South African rugby union player.[1] He was capped for South Africa ten times, and was selected to play for the Springboks on the 1951–52 South Africa rugby tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France; playing in all five international games of that tour. The touring team of 1951/52 is seen as one of the greatest South African teams, winning 30 of the 31 matches, including all five internationals. Brewis represented Northern Transvaal at regional level and is recognised as one of the great South African rugby players of the 1940s and early 1950s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannes_Brewis

Hansie Brewis
Full names: Johannes Daniël
Date of birth: 15 Jun 1920
Place of birth: Oudtshoorn
Schools: Oudtshoorn CJ Langenhoven
Springbok no: 268
Debut test province: Northern Transvaal
Physical: 1.8m, 70.31kg
Date of death: 9 Sep 2007 (Age 87)

Test summary: Tests: 10 Tries: 1
First Test: 16 Jul 1949 Age:29 Flyhalf against New Zealand at Newlands, Cape Town
Last Test: 22 Aug 1953 Age:33 Flyhalf against Australia at Ellispark, Johannesburg

Test history:
Date Age Position Opponent Result Score Venue Prov
16 Jul 1949 29 Flyhalf New Zealand Win: 15-11 Newlands, Cape Town N-Tvl
13 Aug 1949 29 Flyhalf New Zealand Win: 12-6 1 try, 1 dropgoal Ellispark, Johannesburg N-Tvl
03 Sep 1949 29 Flyhalf New Zealand Win: 9-3 Kingsmead, Durban N-Tvl
17 Sep 1949 29 Flyhalf New Zealand Win: 11-8 1 dropgoal Crusaders (St George's Park), Port Elizabeth N-Tvl
24 Nov 1951 31 Flyhalf Scotland Win: 44-0 1 dropgoal Murrayfield, Edinburgh N-Tvl
08 Dec 1951 31 Flyhalf Ireland Win: 17-5 1 dropgoal Aviva Stadium (Lansdowne Road), Dublin N-Tvl
22 Dec 1951 31 Flyhalf Wales Win: 6-3 1 penalty Millenium Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), Cardiff N-Tvl
05 Jan 1952 31 Flyhalf England Win: 8-3 Twickenham, London N-Tvl
16 Feb 1952 31 Flyhalf France Win: 25-3 Stade Olympique, Colombes, Paris N-Tvl
22 Aug 1953 33 Flyhalf Australia Win: 25-3 Ellispark, Johannesburg N-Tvl

Hansie Brewis : Doc Craven
Hansie Brewis : Doc Craven
It always amazed me that someone with such a slender, almost fragile build, could perform such huge tasks on the field of play. From the first time I saw him his kicking and exceptional quickness off the mark impressed me enormously.

After he was chosen for the 1949 Springboks I got to know Hansie really well. There was a wonderful warmth - I have no other words to describe it - between him and me from then on and I have come to regard Hansie as a son. He was so brilliant but above all he had the wonderful ability to learn, to put into practice, anything he was told and decided was worthwhile.

Hansie Brewis : Chris Schoeman
The great Bennie Osler had been a wonderful match-winner before the Second World War, and Hansie Brewis fulfilled the same role after it. The lean policeman from Pretoria was a charming, modest man who had no enemies and was never controversial, but as a true rugby artist he commanded great respect from everyone in world rugby.

In his 10 Tests for South Africa, against all of the biggest rugby-playing nations of his era, including four against New Zealand, Brewis was never on the losing side. Because of the war he had missed out on international rugby during his prime, and he was 29 years old when he played his first Test, against the All Blacks in 1949. At the time of his last Test, against Australia in 1953, he was 33 years old.

Nicknamed 'Kiewiet' (The Plover) because of his slender build, hunched shoulders and sudden speed off the mark, he was a masterful tactical kicker, swift as a cat under pressure, could vary his game like no other and had mercurial speed off the mark with wonderful ball sense. Many would remember him especially for his exceptional quickness off the mark - as his fabulous solo try against the All Blacks in 1949 in the second Test, at Ellis Park, demonstrated.

When the Springboks toured the UK and France in 1951/52, Brewis was the pivot in one of the greatest teams in rugby history, playing 31 matches and winning 30, including all of the tests. In the 44-0 Murrayfield massacre he spread the ball around masterfully, and at the time was hailed as the world's top flyhalf. He played his last Test for the Springboks against the 1953 touring Wallabies (in the first test), with the Boks winning 25-3.

His philosophy was, 'I played to win. To me, the scoreboard was important. Whether it's snooker, or rugby, or tennis. I fight for every point. To me nothing is a social game. If I had to win through kicking, I did that. If I had to win through running. I did that.'

Obituary: Hansie Brewis : Paul Dobson
Johannes Daniël (Hansie) Brewis who died in Pretoria on September 9th, 2007 at the age of 87 was a great post War Springbok flyhalf. Doc Craven nicknamed him Kiewiet - the Plover - with his hunched shoulders, tall, thin body and sudden speed off the mark. He was also a flyhalf with a great boot. He had remarkable vision, able to look ahead and take the scrumhalf’s pass, see the depth of the defense and gaps that he could exploit. Craven said of him: I had never seen a lovely player with such thin legs who could kick a ball so far and could sidestep the way he did. It always amazed me that someone with such a slender; almost fragile build could perform such huge tasks on the field of play. Hansie Brewis was a brilliant flyhalf.

It was a kick of his that set up the winning try for the Currie Cup final of 1946, the first time Northern Transvaal had won the prized trophy. Western Province were winning 9-8 after Brewis had kicked two dropped goals which were then worth four points each. With time running out Brewis kicked downfield to his wing Johnny Lourens. Con de Kock, the Western Province fullback came across to fly-kick the ball into touch, and end the match, but the ball hopped awkwardly and beat De Kock. Lourens swooped on it and scored the try in the corner that won the match. After the final whistle. Brewis dashed off to marry Priscilla Wilcocks of Bloemfontein and returned to the after match function with a wife. The newlyweds were given the honour of starting the dancing in the Iscor Hall.

Brewis began a Test career often successive tests at the age of 29 when the All Blacks came to South Africa in 1949. In the second test he scored a brilliant try from a scrum after shaping to drop at goal. It was one of the great flyhalf tries. He did in fact kick dropped goals in four successive tests and was never on the losing side in tests. He played his last test against the Wallabies in 1953 when he was the Springboks' vice-captain but played on for Pretoria Police and Northern Transvaal till 1955. In all he played 92 times for Northern Transvaal from 1941 to 1955, World War II and the infrequency of matches notwithstanding.

He was born in Oudtshoorn on June 15th 1920 and was educated at Oudtshoorn Boys' High and Langenhoven Commercial before moving to Pretoria to join the police force, reaching the rank of detective sergeant and so was called Sarge by his team-mates.

BREWIS THE LUCKY CHARM : Eddie Grieb & Stuart Farmer
Johannes Daniël 'Hannes' Brewis, the Northern Transvaal flyhalf, holds a remarkable Springbok record of having played in ten successive tests between 1949 and 1953, all of which were victories. His test career began with the visit of the All Blacks in 1949 in which they were despatched for the only time in their history 4-0. There followed wins over Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England and France on the grand slam tour of 1951-52. before rounding off his career with a 25-3 victory over Australia at Johannesburg in August 1953. He also appeared in the Springbok jersey in nine other touring matches, only one of which, against London Counties at Twickenham in 1951, ended in defeat.

Hansie Brewis
Johannes Daniel "Hannes" Brewis (15 June 1920 – 9 September 2007) was a South African rugby union player. He was capped for South Africa ten times, and was selected to play for the Springboks on the 1951–52 South Africa rugby tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France; playing in all five international games of that tour. The touring team of 1951/52 is seen as one of the greatest South African teams, winning 30 of the 31 matches, including all five internationals. Brewis represented Northern Transvaal at regional level and is recognised as one of the great South African rugby players of the 1940s and early 1950s.

Brewis was born in Oudtshoorn, South Africa in 1920. He was educated at Oudtshoorn Boys' High and Langenhoven Commercial before moving to Pretoria. He became a police officer, and by the 1960s was a police warrant officer in Pretoria. On 28 September 1946 he married Priscilla Wilcocks of Bloemfontein with whom he had two daughters. He died in Pretoria in 2007.

Brewis first came to note as a rugby player in the events of the 28 September 1946. On that day Northern Transvaal faced Western Province for the final of the Currie Cup, the same day Brewis was to marry Priscilla Wilcocks. Rather than miss the match, Brewis arranged to do both. In the match Brewis scored with two dropped goals, one from each foot. His last minute kick to the corner, with the score 8–9 in Western Province's favour, saw a defensive error allow Northern Transvaal to score an opportunistic winning try. This was the first time Northern Transvaal had won the Currie Cup. After the game, Brewis left the celebrations to attend his wedding, and initially the parson of the Dutch Reformed Church refused to marry the couple due to the late hour. The minister was persuaded to change his mind and Brewis and Priscilla were married that day.

In 1949 South Africa played its first international match since the end of the Second World War. The opposition was the touring New Zealand 'All Blacks'. All 15 players of the South Africa team were uncapped, and Brewis was selected at fly-half partnered with scrum-half Ballie Wahl. South Africa rugby legend, Hennie Muller, who made his name during the New Zealand tour, stated that the Springbok team was 'plainly worried' before the game and there were concerns as 'Hansie Brewis and Ballie Wahl, hardly new each other'. Despite the pre-match concerns the first Test of the series, played at Cape Town, saw South Africa beat New Zealand 15–11, all the South African points coming from penalties from Okey Geffin. Brewis was reselected for the second Test against the All Blacks, but his half back partner was switched from Wahl to Fonnie du Toit. Brewis and du Toit would play together for the next eight internationals, a South African half back record. The second Test, played at Johannesburg, saw Brewis score his first international points, with a dropped goal and a try in a 12–6 victory. The final two Tests of the tour both ended in South African victories, a whitewash for New Zealand. Brewis played in both, and in the fourth Test was on the scoreboard again with another dropped goal. The same match also saw du Toit score his first international score with a try.

In 1951, South Africa undertook their Fourth Tour of Great Britain, taking in matches against the four Home Nation teams and later, France. Brewis was selected for the tour, the second fly half selected was Dennis Fry, younger brother of fellow tourist and future South Africa captain Stephen Fry. Brewis played 14 matches of the 31 match tour, and initially was rotated with Fry for the early games against club and county teams. Although on a rota system, when the international games came around, Brewis and du Toit were always first choice selections. Brewis scored in the first three internationals, all South Africa wins, with dropped goals against Scotland, Ireland and Wales. In both the Ireland and Wales matches Brewis had scored his dropped goals after an earlier miss. In the Wales game his score was vital, as the South Africans won by a narrow 6–3 margin. The final Home Nations match, against England on 5 January 1952, saw Brewis play his final game on British soil. The South Africans beat England 8–3 to secure a Grand Slam of wins, but Brewis picked up an injury which ruled him out of the next four games. By the time Brewis was reselected the tour had moved onto France, where he played in two of the last four games. He faced a combined South-Western France team on 7 February, and then lined up against France in the final match of the tour. The Springboks won 25–3. Brewis finished the tour as the team's seventh highest scorer with 27 points, five tries and four dropped goals.

On his return to South Africa, Brewis was selected for one last international, the first Test of the 1953 touring Australia team. Played at Johannesburg, Brewis came into the squad partnered at centre with Hansie Oelofse. South Africa won 25–3. This was Brewis' final international, he had played in ten games, scored 18 points and never appeared on a losing side.

Brewis Street : G.J. van Eck.
BREWIS-STRAAT is vernoem na J. D. (Hansie) Brewis, wat tans nog in Pretoria werksaam en woonagtig is.

Hy is gebore op 15 Junie 1920 te Oudtshoorn. Gaan skool aan die Oudtshoorn hoërskool tot St. VIII, toe verder aan die Langenhoven-handelskool.

Voordat hy egter die Handelsmatriek in November 1939 kon skryf, tree hy in Augustus van daardie jaar toe tot die Polisiediens. Is nog al die jare in Pretoria werksaam. Het begin werk in die Polisiedepot (tans die Polisiekollege genoem). In die huwelik bevestig met 'n nooie Priscilla Wilcocks van Bloemfontein net na 'n Curriebekerwedstryd op Loftus op Saterdag, 28 September 1946. Oor die buitengewone troudag skryf R. K. Stent die volgende: "The day that Brewis remembers best in his rugby career was one in September of 1946. He had fixed it for his wedding day when the announcement was made that it would also be the occasion for the Currie Cup final at Loftus Versveld ground, Pretoria, between Northern Transvaal (his centre) and Western Province. He decided to do both things - play and then get married.

Northern Transvaal won, helped by a dropped goal from his boot; but hero Brewis quickly excused himself and shot away with his bride-to-be . . . and it was as Mr. and Mrs. Brewis that they joined in the celebrations which followed Northern Transvaal's first winning of South Africa's premier rugby trophy".

Brewis dra die Springbokkleure teen die All Blacks in S.A. (1949), teen die Britse Leeus oorsee (1951/2) en teen die Wallabies in S.A. (1953).

Van die oorsese toer skryf Stent verder die volgende:
"J. D. (Hannes) Brewis was the rugby brains of the party and is now established as the best strategist the game has known in S.A. since Bennie Osler".

Oor die dieselfde toer meld Craven die volgende: "Hannes Brewis het 'n Suid-Afrikaanse, en moontlik 'n wêreldrekord opgestel, deur in die 4de agtereenvolgende internasionale wedstryd waarin hy gespeel het, 'n skepdoel te behaal, nl. die laaste internasionale wedstryd teen die 1949-All Blacks in Port Elizabeth (17 September 1949), die 1ste internasionale wedstryd teen Skotland te Murrayfield (24 November 1951) en daarna teen Ierland op Dublin (8 Desember 1951). Dit het sy skepdoele in internasionale wedstryde op vyf te staan gebring - ook 'n Suid-Afrikaanse rekord."

Thomas weer skryf die volgende:
"A happy fellow Brewis, now police warrant-officer at Pretoria . . . regards his tour to the British Isles (1951/52) as the highlight of his career".

BRONNE:
(1) STENT, R. K.: The Fourth Springboks 1951-1952.
(2) CRAYEN, D. H.: Springbok-annale (Rugby) 1889-1964.
(3) THOMAS, J. B. G.: Great Contemporary Players. .
Ook: Rugby in Suid-Afrika. Uitgegee deur Johnston & Neville ten behoewe van die Suid-Afrikaanse Rugbyraad.
Persoonlike telefoononderhoud met mnr. Brewis op 18.7.1967.

- Uit Pretoriana: Rugby Springbokke na wie straatname in Danville, Pretoria, vernoem is