PO Nel
Full names: Pieter Albertus Ryno Otto
Date of birth: 17 Apr 1877
Place of birth: Greytown
School: Paul Roos Gymnasium
Springbok no: 72
Springbok debut province: Transvaal
Date of death: 23 Jul 1928 (Age 51)
Test summary: Tests: 3 Tries: 0
First Test: 29 Aug 1903 Age 26 - Forward against Britain at Wanderers (Old Wanderers), Johannesburg
Last Test: 12 Sep 1903 Age 26 - Forward against Britain at Newlands, Cape Town
Test history:
DateAgePositionOpponentVenueResultScoreProvince
29 Aug 1903 26Forward Britain Wanderers (Old Wanderers), Johannesburg Draw: 10-10  Tvl
05 Sep 1903 26Forward Britain Kimberley Athletic Club Ground, Kimberley Draw: 0-0  Tvl
12 Sep 1903 26Forward Britain Newlands, Cape Town Win: 8-0  Tvl

P.O. Nel: Doc Craven

He came from Greytown, Natal, and played for Stellenbosch and in the 1903 Springbok team against the British Isles.

Mr Markotter told me he should have been in the 1906/7 touring side as well and he could never understand how P. O. was ever overlooked for that team. If he had gone on that tour, he would have become one of South Africa's all-time rugby legends, Mr Mark assured me.

Nel was a Stellenbosch captain and from here went to the Transvaal. Unhappily, being a mining engineer, he developed miner's phthisis, a dreaded disease in those days.

A likeable person and it is important when one can say that of someone; that he is a likeable man. A man who was of the world but not part of the world. That was P. O. Nel, a stalwart if ever there was one.