User:The C of E/scotland

The 1960 Scotland rugby union tour of South Africa was a rugby union tour by the Scotland national rugby team of the Union of South Africa. The tour was unusual as it was only 3 matches long including 1 test match instead of the tours of several months that had been the usual standard for a tour. Scotland lost the test match against South Africa but won the following provincial matches.

Background
In 1960, South Africa had not hosted a touring nation for 2 years after France last toured them in 1958. As a result, the South Africa Rugby Board President Danie Craven was worried that the Springboks would lose players leaving to play rugby league as professionalism was banned in rugby union at the time. Craven came up with the idea of the four rugby unions of British Isles touring South Africa for short tours lasting no more than a month between long ones due to the geographical location out of the way. When he proposed it when he visited the United Kingdom in 1959, the home nations initially rejected the proposal, citing fixture congestion and player welfare. However after encouragement from the Welsh Rugby Union, the four nations agreed to the concept. Wales were Craven's preferred opponents for the Springboks but Scotland were invited instead. This did result in controversy as to if the International Rugby Football Board would allow them to go. The IRFB reluctantly granted permission for Scotland to tour but stated they did not want a succession of short tours due to being concerned it would diminish the prestige of the British Lions tours.

Scotland selected a team...... South Africa however, elected to select a team with 10 debutants. This included the captain, Des van Jaarsveldt whom had previously been overlooked for Springbok selection due to Afrikaner Broederbond pressures not to select him due to being a Rhodesian. Craven selected him as the first ever Rhodesian captain of the Springboks, though it had been argued Craven only did it as a token gesture due to viewing the Scotland match as low-profile.

Matches

 * Scores and results list Scotland's points tally first.

Aftermath
Following the tour being deemed a success, the IRFB formally announced that they had no objection to short tours in the future, citing that the decision would be a matter for individual unions to decide between themselves as long as they did not interfere with any full tour.

This was the only test match a number of players part of the touring party would play. Scotland's Tommy McClung inflated an emergency life raft on the plane home and was never selected for Scotland again.