REAL RUGBY STATS

Springbok no. 363 · Full Back

Lionel Wilson

Lionel Geoffrey Wilson · WP

27Tests
0Tries
3Tours
27Age at debut

Test career

196019621965

First test

13 Aug 1960, age 27 · Full Back v New Zealand, Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein

Last test

18 Sep 1965, age 32 · Full Back v New Zealand, Eden Park, Auckland

Biography

Lionel Wilson was a reliable, courageous fullback who played 27 Tests between 1960 and 1965. Born in Cape Town on 25 May 1933 and educated at Wynberg Boys’ High, he played for Villagers and Western Province.

He was not a natural footballer but made himself into one of the country’s best fullbacks through hard work. He stood firm under the high balls of the 1960 All Blacks, toured Britain in 1960–61 and New Zealand in 1965, and dropped goals against Australia and Wales. He died on 17 September 2017.

Test history

27 tests · 6 points
DateOpponentVenuePositionResultProvince
13 Aug 1960New ZealandFree State Stadium, BloemfonteinFull BackD 11–11WP
27 Aug 1960New ZealandBoet Erasmus, Port ElizabethFull BackW 8–3WP
03 Dec 1960WalesMillennium Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), CardiffFull BackW 3–0WP
17 Dec 1960IrelandAviva Stadium (Lansdowne Road), DublinFull BackW 8–3WP
07 Jan 1961EnglandTwickenham, LondonFull BackW 5–0WP
18 Feb 1961FranceStade Olympique, Colombes, ParisFull BackD 0–0WP
13 May 1961IrelandNewlands, Cape TownFull BackW 24–8WP
05 Aug 1961AustraliaEllis Park, JohannesburgFull BackW 28–3WP
12 Aug 1961AustraliaBoet Erasmus, Port ElizabethFull BackW 23–11WP
23 Jun 1962BritainEllis Park, JohannesburgFull BackD 3–3WP
21 Jul 1962BritainKings Park, DurbanFull BackW 3–0WP
04 Aug 1962BritainNewlands, Cape TownFull BackW 8–3WP
25 Aug 1962BritainFree State Stadium, BloemfonteinFull BackW 34–14WP
13 Jul 1963AustraliaLoftus Versfeld, PretoriaFull BackW 14–3WP
10 Aug 1963AustraliaNewlands, Cape TownFull BackL 5–9WP
24 Aug 1963AustraliaEllis Park, JohannesburgFull BackL 9–11WP
07 Sep 1963AustraliaBoet Erasmus, Port ElizabethFull BackW 22–6WP
23 May 1964WalesKings Park, DurbanFull BackW 24–3WP
25 Jul 1964FranceP.A.M. Brink Stadium, SpringsFull BackL 6–8WP
10 Apr 1965IrelandAviva Stadium (Lansdowne Road), DublinFull BackL 6–9WP
17 Apr 1965ScotlandMurrayfield, EdinburghFull BackL 5–8WP
19 Jun 1965AustraliaSydney Cricket Ground, SydneyFull BackL 11–18WP
26 Jun 1965AustraliaBrisbane Stadium (Lang Park), BrisbaneFull BackL 8–12WP
31 Jul 1965New ZealandAthletic Park, WellingtonFull BackL 3–6WP
21 Aug 1965New ZealandCarisbrook, DunedinFull BackL 0–13WP
04 Sep 1965New ZealandLancaster Park (Jade stadium), ChristchurchFull BackW 19–16WP
18 Sep 1965New ZealandEden Park, AucklandFull BackL 3–20WP