Howard Watt

{{short description|South African rugby union footballer and cricketer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Howard Watt | image = | birth_name = Howard Hugh Watt | birth_date = {{birth date|1911|3|1|df=y}} | birth_place = Rosebank, Cape Town, Cape Province | death_date = {{death date and age|2005|8|17|1911|3|1|df=y}} | death_place = Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | height = | weight = | school = Diocesan College, Rondebosch | position = Loose-forward | amatyears1 = | amatteam1 = Villagers FC | years1 = | apps1 = | points1 = | provinceyears1 = 1935–36 | province1 = {{rut|Western Province}} | provinceapps1 = | provincepoints1 = | provinceyears2 = 1938 | province2 = {{rut|Transvaal}} | provinceapps2 = | provincepoints2 = | repyears1 = 1937 | repteam1 = South Africa ''(tour)'' | repcaps1 = 7 | reppoints1 = 9 | module = {{Infobox cricketer| embed=yes | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right-arm fast-medium | columns = 1 | column1 = First-class | matches1 = 12 | runs1 = 115 | bat avg1 = 7.66 | 100s/50s1 = 0/0 | top score1 = 22 | deliveries1 = 2,681 | wickets1 = 44 | bowl avg1 = 24.54 | fivefor1 = 2 | tenfor1 = 0 | best bowling1 = 6/84 | catches/stumpings1= 3/– | club1 = Western Province | year1 = {{nowrap|1933/34–1934/35}} | club2 = North Eastern Transvaal | year2 = {{nowrap|1946/47}} | source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/14/14844/14844.html CricketArchive | date = 30 April | year = 2025 }} }}

'''Howard Hugh Watt''' (1 March 1911 – 17 August 2005) was the last surviving pre-war Springbok and part of the South African rugby team nicknamed "The Invincibles".<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last1=Heath|first1=Duane|last2=Grieb|first2=Eddie|last3=Smit|first3=Kobus |title=South African Rugby Annual 2020|date=2020|publisher=South African Rugby Union|isbn=9780620872041|location=Cape Town|pages=248}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=August 2005|title=Last of the 'Invincibles' dies|url=https://www.news24.com/News24/Last-of-the-Invincibles-dies-20050819|access-date=2021-07-31|website=News24|language=en-US}}</ref> Nicknamed ''Sparkle'', he was both a cricketer and rugby player.

==Early life== Watt was born in Rosebank, Cape Town and educated at Bishops. At school he did not play for the school's first rugby team and in 1928 he went to the United States where he joined a bank and then worked for the Quaker Oats Company in Chicago. While living in Chicago, he became involved in promoting rugby union and cricket in the area.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Colquhoun|first=Andy|title=South African Rugby Annual 2006|publisher=SA Rugby & MWP Media (Pty) Ltd|year=2006|isbn=0620357762|location=Cape Town|pages=424}}</ref>

==Cricket career== An Australian cricket team, with a young Don Bradman in the team, toured the US and Canada. Watt, playing for an Illinois XI, bowled Sir Donald Bradman twice in one match in Chicago in 1932 as a fast bowler. When Howard Watt met him again in 1937, Bradman remembered him as one of the few people to dismiss him so cheaply.<ref name=":0" />

In 1934 he returned to South Africa and started playing first-class cricket for Western Province, for whom he opened bowling. He played in six matches for Western Province with a best return of 6–84 for Western Province against Griqualand West in Kimberley in 1934/35.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Parker|first=A. C.|title=W.P. cricket 100 - not out|date=1990|publisher=WPCU|isbn=0-620-14738-5|location=Cape Town|pages=137, 199|oclc=122317315}}</ref> In 1938 he moved to the Transvaal area and played for North Eastern Transvaal. In 1928, Watt played against the England touring team and took 2–59, including the wickets of Len Hutton and Eddie Paynter.<ref>{{Cite web|title=North Eastern Transvaal v Marylebone Cricket Club at Pretoria, 10-13 Dec 1938|url=http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1930S/1938-39/ENG_IN_RSA/MCC_NETVL_10-13DEC1938.html|access-date=2021-08-01|website=static.espncricinfo.com}}</ref>

==Rugby union career== In 1934, Watt also joined Villagers and was chosen for {{Rut|Western Province}} in 1935 and was a member of the 1936 Currie Cup winning team.<ref name=":1" />

He was a member of the 1937 Springbok touring team to Australia and New Zealand and although he participated in seven tour games he did not play a test match.<ref name=":2" />

==See also== *List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. '''260'''

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{cricinfo|id=47941}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watt, Howard}} Category:1911 births Category:2005 deaths Category:South African rugby union players Category:South Africa international rugby union players Category:South African cricketers Category:Western Province cricketers Category:Northerns cricketers Category:Stormers players Category:Lions (United Rugby Championship) players Category:Rugby union players from Cape Town Category:Rugby union forwards Category:Alumni of Diocesan College, Cape Town Category:20th-century South African sportsmen