Outstanding sportsman dies aged 91
MOHAMMED Agherdien, who died last week aged 91, was one of the finest sportsmen Nelson Mandela Bay has produced.
Outgoing Stormers coach Allister Coetzee, who is from Nelson Mandela Bay, dedicated the team’s Super Rugby match last weekend against the Brumbies to Agherdien.
“I will always be grateful for his influence on my rugby career,” Coetzee, who was coached by Agherdien when he was a young scrumhalf, said.
After he became a coach, Coetzee would often turn to his mentor for advice.
Born in South End, Agherdien matriculated at Paterson High before studying for a teaching diploma at Hewett and Zonneblom Training colleges in Cape Town.
He started playing rugby in Kimberley where he did his practical teaching. Because he did not have enough money to travel home for the school holidays, he bought a bicycle and cycled all the way to Port Elizabeth.
Agherdien taught at various schools in the city, including Hillcrest Primary, Bethelsdorp High, Kempston Road Muslim Institute and Dower Primary, where he was the principal.
As an eighth man, the young Agherdien rose to prominence and represented Eastern Province in the Rhodes Cup.
It was not long before he won national colours, representing the SA Coloured team.
As his sons, Baby and Dicky, grew up, Agherdien also took an interest in soccer.
Baby played professional soccer for PE United when he was only 16, while Dicky became a national lifesaving coach.
Swimming, lifesaving, baseball, softball, soccer, golf, cricket, rugby – Agherdien played them all.
He started his rugby coaching career with Lads RFC and travelled to London at his own expense to study at Loughbourough College, where he completed an advanced England RFU coaching course in 1975 under Jim Greenwood.
On his return, he coached both Eastern Province and Border, and also had a stint with Boland. He rose to become national coach of the former SA Rugby Union.
At club level, Agherdien coached Wallabies to five Top Eight titles in the 80s.
After the unification of rugby, he was the national director of coaching for two years.
Agherdien was awarded an honorary Springbok blazer in 1995. The blazer is on display at the Twickenham rugby museum in London.
As a firm believer in fitness, he started the Odyssey Muscle and Fitness Club in Gelvandale, a first for the northern areas.
Agherdien was a member of the Hustlers baseball team which was the first black side to play in a mixed baseball league.
Hustlers famously beat the all-white General Motors team 10-9 at Hume Park in the mid-70s.
Former SA lifesaving coach and manager Gavin Harvey described Agherdien as “the last of the true gentlemen”.
He is survived by his wife Iris, two sons, a daughter, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.