Tokkie Smith and the Colour of Rugby: Creating the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens

Tokkie Smith and the Colour of RugbyCreating the Hong Kong Sevens “The colonial rugby elite sat in stunned silence. He had been accused but not heard. Never before had they been required to make such an emotional and personal decision. Slowly, one by one, they raised their hands and his life was over.” The Hong Kong Sevens produced a burst of brilliant rugby which brightens the world. It didn’t just happen but was created through progressive inclusion. In the process Founder South African Tokkie Smith was caught up in the turbulent forefront of the game’s move from white domination and into the clutches of big money. It brought him personal tragedy but gave the world Sunshine Rugby. Author John D’Eathe is a product of the golden years of amateur rugby. He has seen the game transform from elitist and non-inclusive into the brilliant, open Sunshine Rugby of today. He met Tokkie Smith in 1959 in exotic Hong Kong and joined him for a decade in the waning days of the Empire and of Colonial rugby. Discover the life of Tokkie Smith and his impact upon world rugby.Review by Martin Tiffany:”WHILE this book is essentially about Tokkie Smith and his contribution to rugby union in Asia and the world, it is about much more.It is about the fight against the elitist rugby bodies and their double standards, it is about the stranglehold of world rugby’s governing body, it is about Hong Kong in the colonial era, and above all it is about the birth of one of the biggest and most exciting events on the international rugby calendar – the Hong Kong Sevens.The author John D’Eathe met Cape Town-born Tokkie in 1959 in Hong Kong and through rugby formed a lifelong friendship. One of the main reasons the author wrote this book was to shine a light on someone he felt was an unsung hero of today’s modern game and through the book hopes to establish Tokkie Smith’s rightful place in rugby history. If you are a rugby union fan this book is well worth a read.”

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