Tributes are pouring in after the rugby fraternity learned of the passing of Norman Mbiko from Nyanga, a doyen of black rugby on a national level.
He served 20 years on the Chris Burger/Petro Jackson Fund and he developed the Sevens strategy and game plans.
The successes that the South African Sevens Teams are currently experiencing can be attributed to the structures, manuals and game plans Mbiko developed and put in place when he started to coach the SA Sevens’ Team way after unification in 1992.
He took over the Sevens Team from the late Millin Petersen when all countries competed in the Melrose Sevens Tournament.
In 2018, Mbiko was honoured at a tribute dinner at the Zolani Multi Purpose Centre in Nyanga.
The former scrumhalf was then the only living black Springbok captain of the South African Rugby Association, also known as the Leopards, with its headquarters in the Eastern Cape.
Mbiko was 23, and still playing for the Flying Eagles and Western Province, when he was called to captain the African Springboks. He was ahead of his age group for years and played for a WP Invitation XV as a 17-year-old in his debut and received his WP men’s colours while still at Langa High School.
During Mbiko’s last two years at school he was selected to the SA Schools team, alongside the likes of future fellow Springboks, right-wing Stanford Mzanywa and Eastern Province lock Meshack Morgan Cushe.
In 1965 and 1966, he played his first two Partons Cup tournaments, respectively in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Mbiko’s rival was EP scrumhalf Wallace Xotyeni, but he himself was a bigger match winner because of a fanatical never-say-die competitiveness.
In 1967, he was instrumental in the African Springboks’ victory over the Federation twice, and they beat the SA Coloured Rugby Board 9-3 at Green Point track after he had taken over the kicking duties after Cushe had fallen short.
Two years later, he was the national team captain and came head-to-head with his friend and former WP colleague Cassiem Jabaar (also a scrumhalf) when they beat the South African Rugby Union 9-8.
He also played against Yusuf “Jowa” Abrahams in 1968, when Mbiko and his team beat Saru 22-9 at the Wolfson Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
In 1971, he had an excellent game against Dougie Dyers’ Proteas, winning 10-3. The rugby public was lobbying for Mbiko, Cushe and Mlungisi Ndzala to tour with Dyers and his team to England but this didn’t materialise.
In 1972, the African Team was renamed South African Rugby Association and Mbiko lead the team against John Pullen’s 1972 England touring side. He was dropped in favour of his friend Xotyeni for clashes with the Proteas.
When Italy toured South Africa the SARA selectors fell back on Mbiko’s experience although they dropped him from the Leopards team in favour of East London schoolboy Gibson Gawulayo.
Mbiko played in teams that lost by vast margins to the 1974 British Lions, the 1975 French tourists and the 1976 All Blacks.
In the first test in 1974 against the Proteas he was dropped and SARA lost 10-3. He was recalled for the test in Goodwood and they won 21-13.
Veteran sports writer AC Parker of the Argus rated Mbiko as the best scrumhalf of any colour in South Africa.
In 1977, he was invited to the first all-race Springbok trials in Pretoria for the World XV at the age of 32 and his eighthman was Wynand Claasen a former Springbok captain.
Mbiko attended many coaching seminars, including IRB courses and the 1980 the International Coaches Congress in Cardiff, Wales.
He found his niche in Western Province and South African rugby coaching as Senior Coaching Officer. Mbiko has served as technical advisor to several national team coaches, and was the manager to the SA team that won the 2003 u-19 World Cup in France.
In his community he is seen as the Father of all rugby players and when Women’s rugby was introduced in 2002 he entered a women’s team from Lagunya, a club established in 1992.
Dinah Zweni was the first female Springbok from the club. Louis Mzomba, one of his protegés became the first African referee of Saru, and Sikhumbuzo Notshe is the latest Bok from Lagunya.
Mbiko was a member of the Chris Burger/Petro Jackson Fund for 20 years until he resigned in 2017 due to illness with Jowa Abrahams under Morne du Plessis.
Players from the club went on to become referees, administrators and selectors due to his encouragement and guidance. Education was always key to developing his players at Lagunya and one player that he is very proud of, is Brian Huno that is a captain for South African Xpress.
Mbiko’s son Mark played Sevens for WP and he resembled his father in his playing days. Pat Kuhn, executive member of Saru, paid tribute to the legend and congratulated him on his contribution to rugby, not only as a player, but as an administrator, father to the community and his impact on people like himself.
“It is fitting to pay tribute to our unsung heroes in our communities while they are still alive and can hear what impact they have on the personal and professional lives of all those whose lives they touched.”
In its tribute WP appealed to clubs to honour his legacy as he was also instrumental in the development programmes of WP.
Mzomba, the first African referee in SA Rugby with the late Carl Spannenberg, described Mbiko as his father, his coach at Lagunya and Sara, his mentor and confidant.
Mark Alexander, SA Rugby president, spoke of a pioneer with a profound impact on SA rugby, far more than a trailblazer.
