Western Province Rugby would like to extend its condolences to the Daniels family, with the passing of WPRFU Life Member Johnny Daniels earlier this week.
John Frederick Daniels passed away at the age 89, 10 days before what would have been his 90th birthday.
Daniels was a member of the Wanderers Rugby Club that was based in District Six. He became the treasurer of City & Suburban RFU in March 1959 at the age of 34, before becoming the assistant treasurer of the non-racial SARU in 1968 and, eventually, the treasurer in 1970.
He was part of the SARU delegation in 1971 under the leadership of Abdullah Abass, who met with Danie Craven’s SA Rugby Board (SARB) to foster unity. Further exploratory meetings were again held years later – of which he was part of – in the late 1980s and also included the then Minister of Sport, Dr Piet ‘Ore’ Koornhof.
John was also part of the eventual unity agreement of SA Rugby in 1991/92 and then served on the finance committee of the new SA Rugby Football Union (SARFU) that was, later that year, renamed as SARU.
Daniels, upon his compulsory retirement age from active rugby administration, was awarded with Life Membership by both the Western Province Rugby Football Union and SARU.