Jack van Druten
Full names: Nicolaas Jan Valkenburg
Date of birth: 12 Jun 1898
Place of birth: Griekwastad
School: SACS
Springbok no: 184
Springbok debut province: Transvaal
Physical: 1.83m, 91.6kg
Date of death: 16 Jan 1989 (Age 90)
Test summary: Tests: 8 Tries: 2
First Test: 16 Aug 1924 Age 26 - Eighthman against Britain at Kingsmead, Durban
Last Test: 1 Sep 1928 Age 30 - Flank against New Zealand at Newlands, Cape Town
Test history:
DateAgePositionOpponentVenueResultScoreProvince
16 Aug 1924 26Eighthman Britain Kingsmead, Durban Win: 7-3  Tvl
23 Aug 1924 26Eighthman Britain Wanderers (Old Wanderers), Johannesburg Win: 17-01 try Tvl
13 Sep 1924 26Eighthman Britain Crusaders (St George's Park), Port Elizabeth Draw: 3-31 try Tvl
20 Sep 1924 26Eighthman Britain Newlands, Cape Town Win: 16-9  Tvl
30 Jun 1928 30Flank New Zealand Kingsmead, Durban Win: 17-0  Tvl
21 Jul 1928 30Flank New Zealand Ellispark, Johannesburg Lose: 6-7  Tvl
18 Aug 1928 30Flank New Zealand Crusaders (St George's Park), Port Elizabeth Win: 11-6  Tvl
01 Sep 1928 30Flank New Zealand Newlands, Cape Town Lose: 5-13  Tvl

Jack van Druten: Doc Craven

I saw Jack shortly before he passed away in 1989. He came from Griquastad and as a youngster went to UCT to study medicine and later completed his studies overseas at Trinity College in Dublin.

Jack was a menace to the All Blacks of 1928. They had a lot of respect for him because he was all over the field. This was before the specialisation of forwards and he would work from the back of the scrum and cover the field like a blanket.

I was playing for Northern Transvaal when they split from Transvaal in 1938 and it was then that I met this marvellous old Bok. He had the ability to make you feel as if you were something special.

Whenever I went to Pretoria I always sought him out and had a few words with him. His wife invariably accompanied him to rugby matches and what a wonderful couple they were. And what an inspiration to meet a person of the calibre of Jack van Druten. As a player and as a human being everything about him impressed me; his playing ability, his humility and his humanity. An exceptional person.