As South Africa counts down to the Springboks’ Test against the All Blacks on 22 August, attention is returning to a nearly century‑old footnote in the rivalry: the first try scored against a touring All Blacks side on African soil. The scorer was a 19‑year‑old Albertus Viljoen “Oupa Alvi” van der Merwe, representing Western Province Country in the opening match of the 1928 tour at Newlands.
A moment tucked into history
Although the All Blacks went on to win the match 11–3, Oupa Alvi’s try has taken on lasting significance. He later earned a Springbok cap and is recorded as Springbok number 221. That single act — a young local crossing the whitewash against a team already celebrated around the rugby world — became an early chapter in what has grown into one of the sport’s great international rivalries.
The story’s resonance is part historical sporting feat and part family memory. After his playing days, van der Merwe helped lay the foundations for what is now the Alvi’s Drift estate in the Breede River Valley. The estate maintains the connection between sport and place: the family’s premium wine range is named 221 in tribute to his Springbok number.
From tryline to terroir
The present generation of the Van der Merwe family have built the 221 range as a celebration of both heritage and contemporary South African winemaking. The collection, as reported, comprises a Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage and a Special Cuvée Red, each intended to reflect the estate’s commitment to quality and provenance.
“You don’t make good wine alone. It’s a team effort.”
The line, attributed to Oupa Alvi and used by the estate, neatly ties together two team‑based pursuits: rugby and winemaking. It is a reminder that the legacies of sporting figures can feed into civic and cultural endeavours beyond the field.
- 1928 — All Blacks tour South Africa; Oupa Alvi scores first try against the tourists on African soil.
- 19 years old — van der Merwe’s age when he scored at Newlands for Western Province Country.
- Springbok No. 221 — his later registered Springbok cap number; commemorated by the Alvi’s Drift 221 wine range.
What it means now
History like this performs a particular kind of work as modern Tests approach. It supplies an origin story for rivalry — not merely a record of wins and losses, but a human anecdote that links past and present. For the Springboks and their supporters, small episodes such as a teenage try at Newlands become part of a broader national narrative about resilience, craftsmanship and community.
For rugby followers who delight in the sport’s lore, Oupa Alvi’s try is a tidy emblem: a young provincial player briefly upsetting the script written by a touring powerhouse. For the Van der Merwe family and patrons of Alvi’s Drift, it is also a branding touchstone that anchors a commercial product to an authentic local history.
| 221 Wine Range | Variety |
|---|---|
| 221 Chenin Blanc | Chenin Blanc |
| 221 Sauvignon Blanc | Sauvignon Blanc |
| 221 Pinotage | Pinotage |
| 221 Special Cuvée | Red blend |
As the Boks and the All Blacks prepare to renew their contest on 22 August, remembering the sport’s quieter milestones adds texture to the fixture. It reminds supporters that the rivalry is not only about the latest scoreboard but also about the many small stories — of a 19‑year‑old’s try, of a family’s farm, of a bottle that carries a number and a memory — that stitch South African rugby into the country’s cultural fabric.
Sport is, after all, a social craft. The try at Newlands in 1928 and the rows of vines in the Breede River Valley are different kinds of teamwork, and both endure because people keep telling the tale.
