Wim van der Berg
Wim van der Berg is the managing editor of Blou, the official magazine of the Blue Bulls. He is a seasoned rugby writer and author and has contributed to numerous magazines and newspapers over more than forty years.
Wim played rugby until he was 57, was a senior club referee, coached rugby at first team level, sat on committees of various clubs, and was manager and coach at provincial Sevens level.
He has written several books on rugby: 75 Blue Bulls Legends; True to the Blue; 150 years of Rugby in South Africa; The Extraordinary Book of South African Rugby; and Great Moments in Currie Cup History. He has also co-authored Blue Bulls: 70 Years of Glory and A Lions Tale with Gerhard Burger.
Description
2011 marks an important milestone in the life of rugby in South Africa – the first rugby game was played on South African soil in 1861 making this the 150th year of rugby in South Africa. Wim van der Berg chronicles the development of the game from its earliest beginnings to its status as a national obsession following the players and the teams through the history of South Africa. With words and photographs the rugby fan is shown how far the game has come and yet how the spirit of the game has endured. Van der Berg follows the changes in provincial rugby, the move from an amateur game to professionalism, the growth of the major tournaments that TV viewers follow so passionately, but never loses sight of the people behind the game – the players the coaches, the administrators and the fans. Detailed statistics on important rugby games through the 150 years of its history in South Africa – who played, who scored, final scores and more.
