Sports commentator Ken Laban says Saturday’s All Black-Springbok test in Townsville highlighted how much had changed since in the lifetime of rugby great Waka Nathan
The game included a tribute to Nathan, who died on Friday aged 81.
Laban says Nathan was the best open side flanker in his era of the 1960s but he was blocked from touring South Africa because of that country’s Apartheid policies.
For the 100th test between the sides, both captains Siya Kolos and Ardie Savea were non-white.
“In Townsville you had that wonderful image with Siyo and Ardie wakling away after the captains’ photo and Siyo making exactly that point when he said to Ardie, ‘who would have thought that after 100 years two coloured captains would be standing here side by side,’” Laban says.
