TABLE OF CONTENTS President’s Message Mark Maestrone 1 The 75th Anniversary of the South African Ronald Klimley 3 Rugby Board An Olympic Gathering in Gothenburg Mark Maestrone 8 The First Special Olympic Post Offices: 1906 Manfred Bergman 12 Intercalated Olympic Games (Part 6) Cross-Lingual Search Primer Ilya Ronin 16 Diving at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games Bruce Tomkins 18 SPI: Big & Bold at NY2016 Mark Maestrone 22 USA Baseball: Making “Friends” Norman Rushefsky 27 Around the World New Stamp Issues John LaPorta 33 Commemorative Sports Cancels Mark Maestrone 36 www.sportstamps.org On the cover: 2007 Rugby World Cup, finals England vs South Africa, South Africa player holding the official ball. (Paolo Bona /Shutterstock.com) SPORTS PHILATELISTS INTERNATIONAL RUGBY President: Mark C. Maestrone, 2824 Curie Place, San Diego, CA 92122 3 Vice-President: Norman F. Jacobs, Jr. – email only: [email protected] Secretary-Treasurer: Andrew Urushima, 1510 Los Altos Dr., Burlingame, CA 94010 Directors: Charles V. Covell, Jr., 207 NE 9th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601 John La Porta, 17612 Sean Dr., Orland Park, IL 60467 Patricia Ann Loehr, 2603 Wauwatosa Ave., Apt 2, Wauwatosa, WI 53213 Joseph O. Lopreiato, 1105 Bettstrail Way, Potomac MD 20854 Norman Rushefsky, 9215 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Robert J. Wilcock, 24 Hamilton Cres., Brentwood, Essex, CM14 5ES, England Store Front Manager: (Vacant) 1906 ATHENS Membership: Jerome Wachholz, 1320 Bridget Lane, Twinsburg, OH 44087 Sales Department: John La Porta, 17612 Sean Dr., Orland Park, IL 60467 OLYMPIC GAMES Webmaster: Mark C. Maestrone, 2824 Curie Place, San Diego, CA 92122 12 Sports Philatelists International is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and collecting of postage stamps and related collateral material dealing with sports (including Olympics) and recreation and to the promotion of international understanding and goodwill through mutual interest in philately and sports. Its activities are planned and carried on entirely by the unpaid, volunteer services of its members. Annual dues: $31.00 U.S./Canada (first class mail), $43.00 overseas (airmail). Internet-Only Member: $15.00 (worldwide) DIVING JOURNAL OF SPORTS PHILATELY 18 Publisher: John La Porta,17612 Sean Dr., Orland Park, IL 60467 Editor: Mark C. Maestrone, 2824 Curie Place, San Diego, CA 92122 Columnists: John La Porta,17612 Sean Dr., Orland Park, IL 60467 Ad Manager: Norman F. Jacobs, Jr. – email only: [email protected] Circulation: Jerome Wachholz, 1320 Bridget Lane, Twinsburg, OH 44087 The Journal of Sports Philately is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December. Advertising Rates: Covers $50.00; Full Page $45.00; Half Page $25.00; Quarter Page $15.00. Advance payment required. Camera ready copy must be supplied by the advertiser. Publishing deadlines: January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15 for the following issue. Single copy price (postpaid): $5.00 BASEBALL (US/Canada), $10.00 (overseas). 27 The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and they do not necessarily represent those of the editor, the officers of SPI or the position of SPI itself. All catalogue numbers quoted in this publication are from Scott's Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue unless specifically stated otherwise. SPI and JSP do not guarantee advertisements, but accept copy in good faith, reserving the right to reject objectionable material. American Philatelic Society (APS), Affiliate Member #39 Vol. 54, No. 4 Association Internationale des Collectionneurs Olympiques (AICO), Charter Member American Topical Association (ATA), Study Unit Member Summer 2016 ISSN 0447-953X PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE by Mark Maestrone SPI 2016 Election For those who weren’t able to make it to New York, you missed a terrific event! The SPI Booth It’s time to elect your SPI Officers and Board was buzzing with Olympics and sports stamp Members for the 2016-2018 term. Ballots are en- collectors of all ages throughout the exhibition. Our closed with this issue which you may complete and society dinner on Sunday night at a funky little return via regular mail to our Secretary/Treasurer, tavern in Greenwich Village was great fun. The SPI Andrew Urushima – or, save yourself a stamp and meeting the following day was well-attended with vote online by pointing your browser to: visitors enjoying our two speakers, Nancy Clark and https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LZ2YWR8 John Everett. And last, but most importantly, SPI not Please do take a few moments to vote – the only made back all the costs associated with our candidates will appreciate it! Thanks also to Glenn booth, but we also signed up TWELVE new mem- Estus for serving as our Nominations Chairman. bers! A great success due in large measure to all the SPI volunteers who gave so generously of their It’s Membership Renewal Time time to help staff the SPI Booth. Special thanks to our SPI Vice President, Norm Jacobs, for sharing Yes, members, it’s once again time to renew the workload in arranging this event. Couldn’t have your membership in SPI. Dues rates remain the done it without him! same for another year. We’ve enclosed a handy renewal envelope Special World Olympic Collectors Fair with this issue to make it easy for you to send in Postcards and Pins Available your payment. If you DID NOT receive a renewal envelope, you are current for another year. The very attractive logo of the Payment must be received by August 15, 2016 22nd World Olympic Collectors Fair in order to receive the Fall (September) issue (right) was featured on both a lim- without delay. You can easily pay with a check or ited edition pin (350 made) and money order mailed to our membership chairman, postcard created by the Gothen- Jerome Wachholz, 1320 Bridget Lane, Twinsburg, burg Sports Museum. These are still OH 44087. We can also accept payment through available (while supplies last) for our PayPal account: [email protected] purchase until the end of 2016. The price for one pin is €5 plus €1.50 2016 World Olympic Collectors Fair shipping. The mint postcard may be purchased NY2016 World Stamp Show for €2 plus €1.50 shipping. Payment may be made by using PayPal Elsewhere in this issue you will find reports on ([email protected]) or by mail: the 2016 World Olympic Collectors Fair, held Gothenburg Sports Museum concurrently with the AICO General Assembly in (Idrottsmuseet) Gothenburg, Sweden, and the enormous decennial Övre Kaserngården 12 NY2016 World Stamp Show in New York City. 415 28 Göteborg, SWEDEN The SPI web site is located at: http://www.sportstamps.org Mark Maestrone: [email protected] Patricia Ann Loehr: (none at this time) Norman Jacobs: [email protected] Joseph Lopreiato: [email protected] Andrew Urushima: [email protected] Norman Rushefsky: [email protected] Charles Covell: [email protected] Robert Wilcock: [email protected] John La Porta: [email protected] Jerome Wachholz: [email protected] Journal of Sports Philately Summer 2016 1 The 75th Anniversary of the South African Rugby Board by Ronald Klimley Stamps n August 23, 1862 the first rugby match The two stamps issued to commemorate the was played in South Africa featuring Anniversary were placed on sale on the 8th of May teams comprised of civilians and military in 1964. The 2½¢ stamp, issued to meet the local O residents of Cape Town. The members of rate, depicts the official badge of the Rugby Board. the military had learned the game while at school The 12½¢ stamp, issued to in England and introduced the game to South Africa. meet the United Kingdom In 1875 the first organized rugby club was formed, airmail rate, depicts an Hamilton Club, and a year later a second club anonymous player diving emerged called the Village Club. By 1889 the game across the goal line. As of rugby had spread throughout South Africa and in shown in Figure 1 the an effort to bring some uniformity to the rules and stamps are printed on Figure 1. “RSA” consistency to these clubs the South Africa Rugby “RSA” watermarked paper. watermark. Board was established. As a result of the multiple As part of the anniversary celebration a set of colors used for each stamp there were two color two stamps commemorating the 75th Anniversary cylinders used on each, as noted in the margins. In of the Rugby Board was issued on the 8th of May addition there were two panes printed which were 1964. In addition to the commemorative stamps a then separated resulting in the final sheet. These are series of games were played in South Africa involv- designated as either pane A or pane B, also noted ing the national team. The South African National in the margins. team, also known as the Springboks because of the badge on their national team jersey, played against 2½¢ value England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Cylinder Numbers : S11 (brown); S7 (green) and Australia in these games or test matches as they Panes: A and B are referred to. Sheet Layout: cylinder numbers lower left; red It was during a tour of England in 1906 that the sheet numbers on pane B; marginal arrow panes A Springbok became a part of the official team and B emblem. The South African team captains were concerned that during the tour the London newspa- 12½¢ value pers would likely give the South African team an Cylinder Numbers: S12 (yellow-olive-green); S14 unflattering nickname if they didn't come up with (blue-black) one on their own. The team captains settled on the Panes: A and B Springbok, a small common gazelle of South Africa, Sheet Layout: cylinder numbers lower left; red for the emblem and the nickname that followed sheet numbers on pane B; marginal arrow panes A was simply the “Boks.” and B Journal of Sports Philately Summer 2016 3 Commemorative Cancellations The stamps were first released for sale in Johannesburg and Cape Town and in each city a commemorative cancel was used.