Okey Geffin
Encyclopedia
Aaron "Okey" Geffin was a South Africa
n rugby union
player.
He is sometimes considered the greatest Jewish rugby player of all time, and he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
in 1998.
Geffin's handprints and boot prints are displayed in the New Zealand National Rugby Museum in tribute to his 1949 kicking record.
, his nickname was "Ox".
rugby stadium in Johannesburg
, to a Jewish family of Russian origins.
Geffin fought in World War II
and was captured at Tobruk
as a POW, and trained while incarcerated. While in Stalag XX-A
near Thorn
(Toruń) in occupied Poland
, he met Bill Payn, a former Springbok, and they helped arrange an "international test" against a New Zealand POW XV.
He spent three years in POW camps in Italy and Germany, as well as Poland, where he practiced his kicking barefoot near a mass grave of Polish victims of the Nazis.
Geffin was one of the few prop forwards in the game to kick for goal. The Springboks won ten matches in a row, including a 4–0 whitewash of New Zealand on their 1949 tour to South Africa. Prop Okey Geffin helped kick the Springboks to victory—they won all four Tests despite the All Blacks scoring more tries in three of them. When writing about the 1949 series against the All Blacks, Harding and Williams wrote: "(Okey) Geffin won the series, perhaps, but Muller made it possible." He had been taught his kicking by Springbok Freddie Turner before the war.
To the rugby commentator, Bill McLaren
, Geffin's play was stunning:
Okey Geffin was capped only seven times for South Africa
. His first match was on 16 July 1949, against the All Blacks. His last match was on 22 December 1951 against Wales
.
He was a building contractor by occupation.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n rugby union
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...
player.
He is sometimes considered the greatest Jewish rugby player of all time, and he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame was opened July 7, 1981, in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere around the world....
in 1998.
Geffin's handprints and boot prints are displayed in the New Zealand National Rugby Museum in tribute to his 1949 kicking record.
Nickname
The origin of his nickname "Okey" is unknown. His father was a Russian immigrant, and his first name was left blank on his birth certificate. While a POWPrisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
, his nickname was "Ox".
Biography
Geffin was born near to Ellis ParkEllis Park
Ellis Park may refer to:* Ellis Park Stadium, also known by its sponsored name of Coca-Cola Park, is a stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa* Ellis Park Racecourse, a thoroughbred horse race track in Henderson, Kentucky...
rugby stadium in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, to a Jewish family of Russian origins.
Geffin fought in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was captured at Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
as a POW, and trained while incarcerated. While in Stalag XX-A
Stalag XX-A
Stalag XX-A was a German World War II PoW Camp located in Thorn/Toruń, Poland. It was not a single camp and contained as many as 20,000 men at its peak. The main camp was located in a complex of fifteen forts that surrounded the whole of the city...
near Thorn
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
(Toruń) in occupied Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, he met Bill Payn, a former Springbok, and they helped arrange an "international test" against a New Zealand POW XV.
- "We used to scrum for hours on end, and he coached me. Payn arranged rugby games in camp: South Africa against the New Zealanders. Our gear was dyed underpants and vests, but no boots. We played barefoot. Payn encouraged my development and told me I would be a Springbok if I continued to play after the war."
He spent three years in POW camps in Italy and Germany, as well as Poland, where he practiced his kicking barefoot near a mass grave of Polish victims of the Nazis.
Geffin was one of the few prop forwards in the game to kick for goal. The Springboks won ten matches in a row, including a 4–0 whitewash of New Zealand on their 1949 tour to South Africa. Prop Okey Geffin helped kick the Springboks to victory—they won all four Tests despite the All Blacks scoring more tries in three of them. When writing about the 1949 series against the All Blacks, Harding and Williams wrote: "(Okey) Geffin won the series, perhaps, but Muller made it possible." He had been taught his kicking by Springbok Freddie Turner before the war.
To the rugby commentator, Bill McLaren
Bill McLaren
William Pollock "Bill" McLaren CBE was a Scottish rugby union commentator, teacher, journalist and one time rugby player. Until his retirement in 2002, he was known as 'the voice of rugby'...
, Geffin's play was stunning:
- "The defeat which sticks in the memory is that 0-44 thrashing from the South Africans at MurrayfieldMurrayfield StadiumMurrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
on 24 November 1951. They were just awesome. It was like sevensRugby sevensRugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
played by fifteen men. I had never seen anything quite like them. I had never seen a prop forward run as fast as Chris Koch, had never seen as huge a man as 'Okey' Geffin kick goals...
- "At Murrayfield the massive Geffin thumped over seven goals in nine attempts from all over the pitch, with the old fashioned style of having the ball sloping towards the goal and with a dead run up."
Okey Geffin was capped only seven times for South Africa
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...
. His first match was on 16 July 1949, against the All Blacks. His last match was on 22 December 1951 against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
.
He was a building contractor by occupation.
Statistics
| Number | Name | Test Debut | Opposition | Caps | Total Points | Tries | Cons | Pens | Drops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 270 | New Zealand | 7 | 48 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 0 | ||
- 7 test matchs with South Africa
- Caps by year: 4 in 1949, 3 in 1951
See also
- Rugby union at the Maccabiah GamesRugby union at the Maccabiah GamesRugby union has been played in the Maccabiah Games since 1981. The variety played is the 15-a-side version, rather than rugby sevens.The national sides which compete are organised by the national branches of the Maccabi World Union, rather than by the national rugby unions of each country, with the...
, ironically while Geffin competed at the Maccabiah, it was in lawn bowls, not rugby, as the sport was not introduced until 1981. - List of select Jewish rugby union players