Benjamin Duff

{{Short description|South Africa cricketer and rugby union player}}

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Ben Duff

| image = BenDuff.jpg

| caption =

| birth_name = Benjamin Robert Duff

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1867|10|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Swellendam, Cape Colony

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1943|6|25|1867|10|16|df=yes}}

| death_place = Pretoria, South Africa

| height =

| weight =

| ru_position = Fullback

| amatteam1 = Hamilton RFC

| ru_amupdate =

| repteam1 = South Africa

| repyears1 = 1891

| repcaps1 = 3

| reppoints1 = 0

| ru_ntupdate = 19 July 2010

| ru_province1 = Western Province

| ru_provinceyears1 = 1888–1892

| ru_provinceapps1 =

| ru_provincepoints1 = 0

| ru_provinceupdate =

| relatives = Colin Duff (brother)

| school = South African College High School{{cite web|url=https://nextgenrugga.com/teams-list/south-africa-regions/south-african-western-schools/sacs/sacs-springboks/|title=List of SACS Springboks | publisher=NextGenRugga|accessdate=6 February 2020}}

| university =

}}

Benjamin Robert Duff (16 October 1867 – 25 June 1943) was a South African rugby union international.{{Cite web|title=Benjamin Robert Duff|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/southafrica/rugby/player/987.html|website=ESPN scrum|access-date=2020-05-14}} He also played a first-class cricket match with Western Province.

Personal

Duff, born in Swellendam, had a brother Colin who represented Rhodesia at cricket and rugby. He married Isabel Watkinson.

Cricket career

Duff's cricket match was against Natal during the 1889/90 South African cricket season. Although he batted with the tail, at number 10 in both innings, Duff wasn't called on to bowl once in the match. He scored one and eight not out, dismissed by Test player Gus Kempis in the first dig. Western Province's wicket-keeper for this game, Alfred Richards, was also a rugby union international and the duo appeared together in a Test with the South African national rugby union team.{{cite web |url-access=subscription |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/3/3523.html|title=Western Province v Natal 1889/90| publisher=CricketArchive}}

Rugby union career

In 1891, Duff played three rugby union Test matches in a home series against the British Isles. These were the first ever official Tests that South Africa played and due to the order in which players' names were listed on team sheets for a match at the time, Duff has the distinction of being the first Springbok.{{cite web|url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/profiles.asp?id=46395&Search=Duff|title=Profile: Benjamin Robert Duff|publisher=SA Rugby}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He played his games as a full-back and represented Western Province at provincial rugby.{{Cite book|last=Parker|first=A. C.|title=W.P. Rugby : centenary, 1883-1983|publisher=WPRFU|others=Western Province Rugby Football Union (South Africa)|year=1983|isbn=0-620-06555-9|edition=1st|location=Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa|pages=303|oclc=54188953}}

= Test history =

No.	Opponents	Results(SA 1st)	Position	Date	Venue
class="wikitable"
1.	{{flagicon\|UK}} British Isles	align="center"\|0–4	Fullback	30 Jul 1891	Crusaders Ground, Port Elizabeth
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 2.	{{flagicon\|UK}} British Isles	align="center"\|0–3	Fullback	29 Aug 1891	Eclectic Cricket Ground, Kimberley
3.	{{flagicon\|UK}} British Isles	align="center"\|0–4	Fullback	5 Sep 1891	Newlands, Cape Town