Cape Town - A book documenting the life story of Cassiem Jabaar, the legendary WP and Saru scrumhalf from the 1970s, was launched at the District Six Museum on Sunday.
Penned by his younger sister, Suraya Jabaar-Esau, the 100-page book, titled KAT: The Cassiem Jabaar Rugby Story, zooms into Jabaar’s history as a rugby player during apartheid.
The launch was attended by close family and friends, including prominent former rugby players such as former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, who attested to Jabbar’s distinction.
Jabaar-Esau, who described the information-gathering and writing process as a joyous and emotional journey, said it took five years to finish the book after starting in 2017.
“Boeta journeyed us through all the rural places from the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and all around to interview people. During that time, we got all the different voices and interviewed him as well, and five years later, the book is written.
“We're a family of 12 and he's the oldest brother and I’m the youngest sibling. There’s a 20-year gap between him and me and the things he went through I would not have imagined, but there were some things that I witnessed as well,” she said.
Jabaar-Esau said the family decided to write the book as they believed that her brother’s story needed to be told. He was an icon and a prominent rugby player who reached the top structures during the apartheid era, adding that he said he could have easily represented the country but due to the colour of his skin he was denied the opportunity.
An emotional Jabaar thanked his sister and close friends for making the book possible, and criticised the lack of transformation in rugby.
“We have moved over to the new dispensation in rugby, and we are still where we were. We need to wake up to ensure that our children and their children have better deals than we had,” he said.
Sedick Crombie, a close friend of Jabaar, commended the author for delivering a sterling job in narrating his friend’s life story.
Crombie said Jabaar lived life to the fullest and despite being denied the opportunities to showcase his natural ability never shied away from giving his best.
