Picture: Harlequins Rugby Club paid tribute to Nic this week and displayed the above picture of him.
KZN racing stalwart of decades standing, Dr Nic Labuschagne, passed away last Friday and is also being mourned by the rugby communities in both South Africa and England.
Nic, a former chairman of the Durban Turf Club, played rugby for Natal and also for England while studying dentistry in London.
He earned 5 caps for England in the 1950s.
He played for the famous Harlequins rugby club in England and earned 55 caps for them.
Nic played hooker and earned 30 caps for Natal between 1957 and 1964.
This was an era when rugby and racing seemed to have close ties simply because sportsmen and sports fanatics in those days generally loved racing too.
Nic was a member of the heroic Natal team who on My 31, 1960, earned the provincial team the possibly most famous result in their history, a 6-6 draw with New Zealand All Blacks touring team.
Another member of that famous team, eighth-man Mike Moon, passed away about a month ago.
Mike was a relative through marriage of the Scott brothers, Des and Robin, well known as thoroughbred breeders and owners in KZN.
The 6-6 draw preceded a Springbok-All Black test match which will forever be inexorably linked to South Africa’s greatest horseracing event, the Durban July.
On 25 June 1960 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg the Springboks beat The All Blacks 13-0 with the left wing Hennie van Zyl, who was wearing jersey number 13, scoring both tries.
Incredibly, a racehorse called Left Wing was set to wear saddle cloth number 13 in the July just a week later.
He was also apparently drawn 13 before a few scratchings saw the field reduced to only 14 runners.
Left Wing, owned and trained by Syd Garret and ridden by Percy Cayeux, was backed in to favourite as news of the rugby connection spread.
In surely one of the greatest topical results in the history of racing he won narrowly from Hyacinth.
In Henk Vos’s famous Painting Of The Century, which depicts every one of the first 100 Julys and hangs in the Hollywoodbets Greyville Classic Room today, he chose to paint a picture of Hennie van Zyl walking up the stairs at the back of the grandstand in his number 13 Springbok jersey to depict the 1960 July.
On the 50th anniversary of “The Rugby July” some members of Natal’s 1960 team were tracked down and asked about their memories of “the rugby July.”
Nic Labuschagne was among them and said, “There was a great connection between rugby and racing back in those days with the like of Basil Jenman being chairman of the Jockey Club in Natal and being a great Collegians man.
He added, “I’m not a great betting man so don’t recall having a bet on Left Wing, but am sure I would have put something small on him.”
Mike Moon was also interveiewed and recalled, “We went to the July every year back then. We used to picnic in the car park area. It was tremendous fun.”
Nic was chairman of the Durban Turf Club from 1991 to 1993 and Gold Circle wrote the following tribute to him after his passing:
A former steward of the local executive of The Jockey Club and past chairman of the Durban Turf Club, Dr Nick Labuschagne (93) passed away on Friday evening after a lengthy illness.
Good friend Bill Lambert said that Labuschagne was one of the doyens of KZN racing as he was passionate about the sport and was one of the pillars of the industry in the province.
He served as a steward and chairman of the Durban Turf Club and according to Lambert was one of the best chairmen ever, as he was scrupulously fair. He was also a member of the local executive the then Jockey Club, now the National Horseracing Authority.
Nic Labuschagne was also a prolific and consistent owner and raced many horse and still did at the time of his passing with trainers Wendy Whitehead and Michael Roberts.
His best horse was probably Peri Peri trained by the late Tony Furness and was one of the favourites for the Bull Brand Jockey’s International of that year.
He will be sadly missed, as will his famous colours of maroon, light blue braces, armbands and cap.
Labuschagne was also a passionate rugby supporter and gained an Oxford Blue in the sport. He also played hooker for England and Natal. His grandson Pat Lambie played flyhalf for the Springboks.
He is survived by his two sons Nicholas and Kim, and daughters Kaz and Glenda, and 13 grandsons.
The stewards and staff of Gold Circle have extended their sincere condolences to his family and he will be sadly missed by all in KZN racing.
