CAPE TOWN – Legendary former Saru captain Salie “Lippe” Fredericks passed away on Thursday.
The former
lock starred in non-racial rugby in the 1960s and 1970s, and was regarded as
one of the finest rugby players ever to come out of South Africa.
Fredericks played out of the Green Point-based Western Province,
who won the Rhodes Cup for three consecutive years from 1971 to 1973 under his
leadership.
Fredericks – who is believed to have been 74
years old at the time of his passing – has been suffering from diabetes and had
both legs amputated, which confined him to a wheelchair, and was known to be
living in Gordon’s Bay in recent years.
He was visited
by members of the Springbok team in 2014 at his home, with then-captain Jean de
Villiers and Victor Matfield among the delegation.
He played
in over 200 games for Western
Province and nine games
for the South African Rugby Union national team between 1963 and 1974, with his
last match at Athlone Stadium in September 1974.
Fredericks’ Janazah (funeral) will take commence at 10am on Friday at 10 Jan Kemp Street in Panorama, with the
burial at the Mowbray
Muslim Cemetery
in Browning Road,
Observatory.
Many rugby
officials, former players, colleagues and friends of Fredericks took to Facebook to send their
condolences on Thursday.
Temba
Ludwaba: “Legend Salie Fredericks has just passed away. Inna
Lillahe wa inna ilayhi raaji’oon.”
Charles Kleinbooi said: “Today my tutor, coach, hero and
friend has say farewell to us, and the whole rugby fraternity. Salie (Lippe) Fredericks may your
dear sole find rest.”
WP Rugby
Union president Thelo Wakefield said: “Another great player left us for
higher honours. Rest In Peace Salie Fredericks. We will always remember you as
one of our great players.”
Trafalgar High
School principal Nadeem Hendricks: “RIP Verily u returning, Salie Lippe.
Greatest SARU SACOS Legend.”
Reuben
Riffel: “RIP Salie Fredericks, legend the greatest SARU player ever.”
In a Facebook group entitled “images of saru rugby legends”,
a number of members paid tribute to Fredericks.
Athol Ontong: “Rest in Peace: SARU LEGEND!”
Derrick Hoshe: “Gone to soon Legend.Will always
remember you during the EP vs WP games at Adcock and Athlone stadiums.RIP
Legend”
Yunus Ebden: “RIP Mr Fredericks our thoughts are with
your family. you really inspired me to reach for the stars. it's a sad day that
you don't get the recognition from the IRB”