Douglas John Hopwood (3 June 1934 – 10 January 2002) was a South African
rugby union international.
Hopwood was born in
Cape Town and attended
Wynberg Boys' High School. A back injury suffered while lifting weights as a schoolboy would hamper him through his career and he would regularly have to take painkillers before a match.
A back-row forward, Hopwood represented the
Springboks in 22 Test matches from 1960 to 1965. He received plaudits for his role in South Africa's
1960–61 European tour, where the Springboks achieved the grand slam by beating the four home nations, in particular for his performance in torrential conditions against Wales.
Hopwood had the distinction of captaining Western Province late in his career and would have been captain of the Springboks for the
1965 tour of New Zealand, only for the selector's choice to be vetoed by the board.
Following his career, Hopwood worked for South African Breweries. He was married with three children.
References
See also
*
List of South Africa national rugby union players
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hopwood, Doug
1934 births
2002 deaths
South African rugby union players
South Africa international rugby union players
Western Province (rugby union) players
Rugby union number eights
Rugby union players from Cape Town
Alumni of Wynberg Boys' High School