David Sheppard his clerical career and declined to tour unless required as a captain. In 1956 he was recalled to play Australia and made 113 in the Fourth Test at Old Trafford, where Jim Laker famously took 19 wickets and England won by an innings. He refused to play against the touring South Africans in 1960, and was a vocal opponent of the proposed MCC tour in 1968–69 which was ultimately cancelled after the South African government refused to allow Basil D'Oliveira to play. Sheppard was willing to take a sabbatical from his church mission in the East End in order to
1951–52 South Africa rugby union tour of Europe 1951–52 South Africa rugby union tour of Europe The 1951–52 South Africa tour of Europe was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the South Africa national rugby union team against the four Home Nation teams and France. The tour also took in several matches against British, Irish and French club, county and invitational teams. This was the sixth South Africa tour and the fourth tour of the Northern Hemisphere. It was also the first time the South Africans played the invitational British Barbarian team. The tour was the most successful the South African team had undertaken; the