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INTERNATIONALS - SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa v Rhodesia

1971 Series tied 1-1
Fri 24.09 : Bloemfontein (Showgrounds) South Africa 17 Rhodesia 29
Sat 25.09 : Bloemfontein (Showgrounds) South Africa 25 Rhodesia 21
The 4-man Rhodesia team included Ian McMillan, Chris Prinsloo, Zak Koekemoer plus a local (South African) rider. No details available. Vic Pretorius has now confirmed that he rode for South Africa in these matches.
More info 04.06.2014 (from David Austin)
"The two matches were staged as part of Bloemfontein's Spring Show at the Bloemfontein Showgrounds and held on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th September 1971.
The matches were scheduled to be run over six heats with the teams originally selected as follows:
SA - Vic Pretorius, Dennis Newton, Ettienne Olivier, Dave Collins and Eddie Lennox
Rhodesia - Chris Prinsloo, Ian McMillan, Charles Harris, Squack Harris and Zak Koekemoer.
Subsequently, the matches were changed to eight heats with Charles and Squack Harris withdrawing from the Rhodesian team and Eddie Lennox guesting for them.
The Bloemfontein newspaper 'The Friend' reported the first Test in its issue of 25th September thus:
TEST WAS NO TEST Rhodesia won the first speedway test against South Africa at Bloemfontein Showgrounds last night without points being announced. Some spectators were furious about the organisation of the test. They complained that it could not be called a test because two of the Rhodesians withdrew and a South African, Eddie Lennox, substituted for them."

1972 Rhodesia won series 2-1
08.07 : Durban (Hoy Park) South Africa 21 Rhodesia 15 (Att: 7,000)
15.07 : Durban (Hoy Park) South Africa v. Rhodesia Cancelled due to rain
06.10 : Johannesburg (Wembley) South Africa 14 Rhodesia 22
07.10 : Durban (Hoy Park) South Africa 15 Rhodesia 21
South Africa Total Rhodesia Total
Dennis Newton 7 - 6 3 16 Peter Prinsloo 9 - 9 9 27
Danie Fourie 3 - 4 2 9 Roni Ferguson 2 - 5 4 11
Neil Mortimer 8 - 0 - 8 Pip Harris 4 - 2 5 11
Vic Pretorius 3 - - 3 6 Alex Hughson - - 6 3 9
Ettienne Olivier - - - 6 6 Ray Barclay - - 0 - 0
Louis Fourie - - 2 1 3 Dave "Squack" Harris 0 - - - 0
Jimmy Chapman - - 2 - 2

1st. Match at Durban 3rd. Match at Johannesburg
Heat No. 01 02 03 04 05 06 Total Heat No. 01 02 03 04 05 06 Total
Dennis Newton 2 3 2 7 Dennis Newton 2 2 2 6
Vic Pretorius 0 2' 1 3 + 1 Danie Fourie 1' 1' 2 4 + 2
Neil Mortimer 3 2 3 8 Neil Mortimer F - - 0
Danie Fourie 2' F 1' 3 + 2 Jimmy Chapman 1 0 1' 2 + 1
SOUTH AFRICA 2 7 12 14 18 21 21 res Louis Fourie 1 1' 2 + 1
RHODESIA 4 5 6 10 12 15 15 SOUTH AFRICA 3 4 7 8 11 14 14
Peter Prinsloo 3 3 3 9 RHODESIA 3 8 11 16 19 22 22
Pip Harris 1 1 2 4 Peter Prinsloo 3 3 3 9
Roni Ferguson 1 1 0 2 Roni Ferguson 0 2' 3 5 + 1
Squack Harris 0 F R 0 Alex Hughson 3 3 - 6
Pip Harris 2' R R 2 + 1
4th. Match at Durban res Ray Barclay 0 0
Heat No. 01 02 03 04 05 06 Total
Dennis Newton 1 F 2 3
Vic Pretorius F 2 1 3
Ettienne Olivier 3 F 3 6
Louis Fourie 1 - - 1
res Danie Fourie 2 0 2
SOUTH AFRICA 1 5 7 9 13 15 15
RHODESIA 5 7 11 15 17 21 21
Peter Prinsloo 3 3 3 9
Pip Harris 2' 1 2 5 + 1
Alex Hughson F 3 X 3
Roni Ferguson 2 1 1 4

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David Austin has sent this rare 1972 Rhodesian team pic. At the back are Scottish exiles Alex Hughson and Roni Ferguson, while in front are (left to right) Pip Harris, Ray Barclay, and Peter Prinsloo

1974 A 2-match series, South Africa v. Rhodesia, was held.
These two Tests were part of meetings staged on April 4 (pm), 5 (9.55pm), & 6 (meetings at 5.30pm & 9.20pm) at Milner Park, Johannesburg as part of the Rand Show.This was an OUTDOOR track, NOT the Indoor venue that was later used. It now looks likely that the Tests were on 05.04 and 06.04, with the South African Open Championship also being held 06.04
Information from the Rhodesian press suggests that the teams were :
South Africa: Brian Stephens 3 (2 matches), Peter Murray 10 (2), with probably Vic Pretorius, & Arthur Bruins (though Ettienne Olivier was originally selected instead of Murray)
Rhodesia: Peter Prinsloo 10 (2 matches), Dave Hemus 10 (2), Pip Harris 10 (2), Roni Ferguson

1975 Rhodesia beat South Africa 2-0
29.03 : Johannesburg (Wembley Stadium) South Africa 21 Rhodesia 25 (Att: 14,000)
31.03 : Stilfontein South Africa 15 Rhodesia 20
Note : Promoter at Stilfontein was South African rider Danie Fourie.
South Africa Total Rhodesia Total
Peter Murray 8 Malcolm Brown 8
Dennis Newton 4 Peter Prinsloo 7 8 ? 15
Vic Pretorius 4 - Dave Hemus 4 5 ? 9
Arthur Bruins 3 2 ? 5 Pip Harris 3
Brian Stephens 1 1 ? 2 Chris Prinsloo 3
Danie Fourie 1 9 10 Colin Payne - 0 ? 0
George Baynes -

1975 30.05 : Johannesburg South Africa 14 Rhodesia 18
(Wembley Stadium) Dennis Newton © Pieter Prinsloo © ‡ {short description of image}
Danie Fourie Neil Webb
Peter Murray Dave Hemus
Arthur Bruins Malcolm Brown
Brian Stephens Chris Prinsloo
‡ Christian name as spelt in the programme.
David Austin writes that "Prinsloo’s first name is actually Petrus but in Afrikaans Pieter is often used instead. Prinsloo was a Rhodesian of Afrikaner descent and his name should have been spelt Pieter when he first went over to the UK but it became anglicised to Peter."

Contributors : Christian Weber, Ken MacLeod, David Austin, Andy Reid

© Brian Collins