99 call
Encyclopedia
In rugby union
, the "99" call was a policy of simultaneous retaliation by the Lions
during their 1974 tour to South Africa
. The tour was marred by on-pitch violence, which the match officials did little to control and the relative absence of cameras compared to the modern game made citing and punishment after the fact unlikely."According to the captain, Willie John McBride, the call was supposed to be '999'- for emergency - but he never had time to shout
out the third '9'!"
Lions' captain Willie John McBride
therefore instigated a policy of "one in, all in" - that is, when one Lion retaliated, all other Lions were expected to join in the melee or hit the nearest Springbok
. By doing so, the referee would be unable to identify any single instigator and so would be left with the choice of sending off all or none of the team. In this respect, the "99" call was extremely successful, as no Lions player was sent off during the tour.
At the battle of Boet Erasmus Stadium
, one of the most violent matches in rugby history, there is famous video footage of J.P.R. Williams running over half of the pitch and launching himself at Johannes van Heerden after such a call, something that Williams says he is not proud of.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, the "99" call was a policy of simultaneous retaliation by the Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
during their 1974 tour to South Africa
1974 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1974 the British Lions toured South Africa, with matches in South West Africa and Rhodesia . The tour was a great success, the Lions winning 21 of their 22 matches and drawing the other. After winning the first three test matches, the Lions drew the final test to preserve their unbeaten record...
. The tour was marred by on-pitch violence, which the match officials did little to control and the relative absence of cameras compared to the modern game made citing and punishment after the fact unlikely."According to the captain, Willie John McBride, the call was supposed to be '999'- for emergency - but he never had time to shout
out the third '9'!"
Lions' captain Willie John McBride
Willie John McBride
William James McBride, MBE, better known as Willie John McBride is a former rugby union footballer who played as a lock for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions. He played 63 Tests for Ireland including eleven as captain, and toured with the Lions five times — a record that gave him 17...
therefore instigated a policy of "one in, all in" - that is, when one Lion retaliated, all other Lions were expected to join in the melee or hit the nearest Springbok
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
. By doing so, the referee would be unable to identify any single instigator and so would be left with the choice of sending off all or none of the team. In this respect, the "99" call was extremely successful, as no Lions player was sent off during the tour.
At the battle of Boet Erasmus Stadium
EPRFU Stadium
EPRU Stadium, also known by its original name of Boet Erasmus Stadium, is a stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 33,852 people. The original name Boet Erasmus Stadium was named after Boet Erasmus, a former mayor of Port Elizabeth.It was used mostly for rugby union...
, one of the most violent matches in rugby history, there is famous video footage of J.P.R. Williams running over half of the pitch and launching himself at Johannes van Heerden after such a call, something that Williams says he is not proud of.
External links
- A video of the 99 call in action. Background piece on the importance of rugby to Afrikaans speaking South Africans.