A Tribute to Dr. George Dommisse

Dr. George Dommisse was a great rugby doctor and man. The abiding memory of George was of the inter-varsity win of 2004 when that team, under John Le Roux and to a lesser degree myself, became the first  Varsity team to win an inter varsity in Stellenbosch since Basil Bey’s team of 1961. It’s fair to say celebrations weren’t mooted and George was at the forefront. Not always a position you find a Doctor but I remember him being outside a pub in his MG sports, of which the was very fond, trying desperately to get it into gear and all we could hear was this grating sound. There were many comments from the Maties laden verandah.  George soon was able to point out to them that we ‘buggers’ had just won Intervarsity. He was the players ‘doctor – the players loved George and he loved the players. Not being euphemistic, but he was very pragmatic, In that he would get players to play to if they possibly could. At no stage could George be accused of being conservative. George was old school in all the possible best definitions of that term. Decent, polite engaging, always interested in others well–being, with deep passion and care and the excellent sense of humor.

One of my favorite memories waist one VC we were playing Pukke away in Potch in an Important game. George arranged as soon as we landed in Johannesburg a bowls game against the local champion. George went off to his match in the morning and came back to the team lunch, storming in with a broad smile and a few fist pumps yelling “We have got them, we have got them”. George had beaten the local champ and he regarded that as a very, very good omen. I had the privilege of working with George over quite a few years at UCT and then at Western province and he never changed, He was always the same enthusiastic cheerful brilliant doctor. In 13 years working with him, he never mentioned, let alone complained about his illness. I have lots of George stories all of them to his credit and all of them remembered with a smile.  I have only ever heard good things about Doc  – we’re going to miss you ‘bugger’.