Robbie Barnard
Full names: Robert William
Date of birth: 26 Nov 1941
Place of birth: Pretoria
School: Fakkel
Springbok no: 442
Springbok debut province: Transvaal
Physical: 1.83m, 91.6kg
Date of death: 19 Oct 2013 (Age 71)
Test summary: Tests: 1 Tries: 0
Only test: 8 Aug 1970 Age 28 - Reserve against New Zealand at Newlands, Cape Town
Tours British Isles & Ireland 1969-70 Australia 1971
Test history:
DateAgePositionOpponentVenueResultScoreProvince
08 Aug 1970 28Reserve New Zealand Newlands, Cape Town Lose: 8-9  Tvl

Barnard, a Diggers member, played for Transvaal from 1964 to 1972. He played in the front row for Piet Greyling’s Transvaal team when they drew the 1971 Currie Cup Final but did not feature in the winning team that beat Eastern Transvaal the following year.

An agressive hooker, Robbie Barnard played 12 times for South Africa but his only official Test appearance was as a replacement for Piston van Wyk against New Zealand at Newlands in 1970. He was picked for the infamous tour of Australia in 1971 which was marred by sometimes violent protests although he did not play in the Tests.

The 1971 tour of Australia was a tour that had great highs and great lows. The high was that the Springboks won all their matches, the only Springbok touring team to do so. The low was the demonstrations against the team and the virulence of them. There were seven Transvalers in the team – Peter Cronje, Peter Swanson, Theo Sauerman, Piet Greyling, Syd Nomis, Martiens Louw and Robbie Barnard.