Jan Hendrik Ellis (5 January 1942 – 8 February 2013) was a South African rugby union player who represented the Springboks in 38 tests, which at his retirement in 1976 was a record.
[2][18] Fellow Springbok Gert Brynard later recalled how during a pre-test fitness session of 14 circuits around two rugby fields Ellis outstripped the rest of the squad.
Although he was selected at lock again for South West's game against Northern Transvaal on 30 June, he was moved to flank for subsequent matches that year against Free State and Western Province.
[19][20][16] Afrikaans radio commentator Gerhard Viviers recalled that Ellis did not even want to visit Gobabis, but when he was forced to go to there to pick up a spare part for his brother's tractor one day, he was convinced to play for the town team that afternoon.
At the age of 22 Ellis made his test debut against the All Blacks in Wellington on 31 July 1965, replacing Frik du Preez who was moved to lock alongside Tiny Naudé.
When he recovered quicker than expected, the national selectors invited him to play for Durban Collegians in a curtain-raiser to the trials, and he performed well enough to be included in the Springbok squad.
[11][16] They played 25 tests together, and Ellis and Greyling's effective disruption of the breakdowns was a major contribution to South Africa's home victory over the touring 1970 All Blacks.
[10][18] For one try Ellis sprinted 40m, evading four defenders with sidesteps, a change of pace and a feinted pass that wrongfooted Ireland center Mike Gibson.
[23] As part of the Scottish Rugby Union's centenary celebrations in 1973 Ellis was invited to play in a SRU's presidents XV on 31 March 1973 against Scotland.
[19][16] Director Jamie Uys exploited Ellis' temper in his candid camera movie Funny People (1976) by getting him to respond aggressively to an unwitting motorist in a prank involving hidden car horns placed near a stop sign.
[28][21] During the 1969–70 Springbok tour of Britain Ellis disliked the way that coach Avril Malan treated him so much that he packed his bags and had to be persuaded by Frik du Preez and Gerhard Viviers not to board a train to the airport.
Former Springbok captain Wynand Claassen recalled how a cleated Ellis ran across the back of a prone Dirk de Vos in a match between Northern Transvaal and South West Africa.
[29] In the first test in Pretoria of the 1968 Lion's tour to South Africa Ellis broke Barry John's collar bone with a high tackle.
[25] But Ellis was also on the receiving end of foul play; for example, by All Black Colin Meads in 1970, who in turn found himself the target in a match against Eastern Transvaal in which 12 New Zealand players were injured.
[32][33] A contrasting side to his personality is demonstrated by Ellis' willingness to visit a hospital and talk to a club player during the 1969-70 Springbok tour of Britain.
[34] Ellis' international career coincided with a period in which South Africa was increasingly isolated through sanctions due to its apartheid policies, and outgoing rugby tours, like the Springboks' 1969–70 visit to the British Isles, were met with sustained demonstrations abroad.
[35][36] Ellis was asked to captain such a mixed South African Invitation XV team for a match on 10 July 1976 at Newlands that included eight future Springboks.
[15][38] After retiring from rugby Ellis, who had moved to South Africa to play for Transvaal, eventually settled on his Kaalfontein small-holding outside Rayton near Cullinan, where he developed several businesses bearing his name, including an auctioneering firm, a shopping centre, and a filling station.