Ruggerite Jeffrey de Jong was a legend

Frank Hubert

I First Met My Hero Jeff in 1969 when Playing Under-15 for St Peter’s. He was a magnificent athlete with a awesome personality.

Having lived in England from the Age of five. We came back to Sri Lanka in 1968 when I was 13 years old and most of my heroes were footballers in London.

I remember when I was in the Eighth Grade English medium. Archie was our English and Maths teacher and he called out the class to look out at the Quadrangle and said “Boys look at St Peter’s Rugby Captain kneeling at the opposite side of the Quadrangle which was the 10th Grade at that time.”

Jeffrey had used the teacher’s bag as a rugby ball and been punished accordingly. We all laughed and laughed and even Archie laughed.

This was the essence of Jeffrey, magnificence of a free spirit with that love for fun and mischief.

In 1972 Jeff captained college and I was linesman for the whole season and had a great view of this free spirit who was an excellent leader as well.

Under his captaincy St. Peter’s played some stunning rugby only losing to Trinity at Nittawela by a narrow margin - what a game.

I followed closely his progress and made notes as to how he managed to get the maximum respect of his team and have fun as well.

If you were there in this era of great rugby only great players managed to shine as outstanding - stars and here is how I would like to explain Jeff’s greatness and free spirit.

The only wing forward I know who could actually intercept a pass from the scrum half to the fly half from a line out which is normally impossible.

Yes, it was possible only if you were Jeff de Jong.

All players must bind in a scrum but Jeff used to kneel so low that the referee could not see him and as the ball was out he would uncoil like a spring and give the fly half a bone crushing tackle and often score a try.

I believe he was one of the few rugby players of that time to be able to have a few drinks. Have fun with his free spirit and still be the fittest and best player on the field.

For me Jeff was the first superstar of college rugby and he followed this representing both club and country with distinction.

I am sure many of you have your own heroes and your own opinions as to whom was the best rugby player of your time for which there are many but in my opinion no one player matched this wonderful free spirit in the way to play the game than Jeff de Jong.

Amongst Jeff’s achievement which were many he was a lovely person who was generous in giving to others without expecting anything back, I took my family to Melbourne in 1990 and Jeffrey and Len de Silva picked us up from the Airport.

We went back to Jeff’s house. He then asked me if I had been to the MSG and I said no immediately he told my wife Jennet that he was taking me to the MSG and in a matter of minutes we were on our way to the MCG and had a great time together that was again the free spirit of the man.

I have been fortunate to have been coached by Archiebald Perera and have a hero in Jeffrey de Jong.

Legends never die, legends with free spirits live for ever - Jeffrey de Jong was that free spirit and legend.