Cecil Moss (12 February 1925 – 27 October 2017) was a South African rugby union player, coach and a professional physician. He was also a qualified medical doctor (anaesthetist) and was part of the medical team who removed the heart from the first heart transplant donor, Denise Darvall. Moss was Jewish and had two children.
He had 4 caps for South Africa in 1949.Cecil Moss on scrum.com, retrieved 3 June 2010 Educated at the South African College Schools, he developed close involvement with the University of Cape Town. Moss was vice-captain of the Springboks in 1949, when they beat 4–0, and played four winning tests for South Africa, debuting on 16 July 1949.
He was head coach of South Africa from 1982 to 1989 and achieved 10 wins and only 2 losses during his time in office. He missed the 1987 Rugby World Cup due to the international sports boycott against his country's apartheid policies.
Honours In 2024, at the South African Jewish Board of Deputies' 120th anniversary gala dinner, he was honoured among 100 remarkable Jewish South Africans who have contributed to South Africa.(28 November 2024) 100 Jews who have contributed to South Africa SABJD. Retrieved on 1 February 2026. The ceremony included speeches from Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, and Smollan was honoured among other rugby union players such as Joel Stransky, Fred Smollan and Alan Menter.Story of tenacity: Board honours great South Africans South African Jewish Report. Retrieved on 1 February 2026.
See also List of select Jewish rugby union players
References
External links
Letter from Cape Town in The Jewish Chronicle The Glory of the Game about the Ten Jewish Springboks.