▁However ▁the ▁match ▁turned ▁out ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁t ough ▁encounter ▁and ▁surprising ly ▁saw ▁the ▁team ▁gain ▁its ▁first ▁international ▁victory ▁ 4 - 3 ▁The ▁South ▁African ▁side ▁was ▁supp lement ed ▁by ▁several ▁Austral ians ▁for ▁this ▁match ▁and ▁so ▁the ▁fi xture ▁was ▁not ▁granted ▁test ▁match ▁status . ▁ ▁After ▁this ▁first ▁string ▁of ▁international ▁fi xt ures ▁the ▁South ▁Afr icans ▁became ▁dis heart ened ▁after ▁only ▁winning ▁four ▁of ▁the ▁th ir teen ▁tour ▁matches ▁and ▁rugby ▁league ▁again ▁lay ▁d orm ant ▁for ▁dec ades . ▁In iti ative ▁taken ▁to ▁develop ▁the ▁game ▁in ▁South ▁Africa , ▁were ▁continu ously ▁hit ▁by ▁well ▁organ ised ▁efforts ▁to ▁with hold ▁playing ▁fields ▁from ▁the ▁league ▁clubs . ▁This ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁reasons ▁why ▁the ▁league ▁game ▁could ▁not ▁sett le . ▁Municipal ▁officials ▁and ▁rugby ▁union ▁played ▁a ▁major ▁role ▁to ▁cri pp le ▁all ▁efforts . ▁The ▁league ▁players ▁who ▁could ▁not ▁carry ▁on ▁while ▁their ▁friends ▁were ▁over se as ▁threw ▁in ▁the ▁to wel ▁and ▁that ▁was ▁the ▁main ▁reason ▁for ▁the ▁league ▁dry ▁up . ▁( Ex - player : ▁" I ▁know ▁what ▁happened " ▁- ▁Jan ▁Pr ins lo o ) ▁ ▁The ▁Rugby ▁League ▁World ▁Cup ▁tournament ▁had ▁been ▁scheduled ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁in ▁France ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁this ▁time ▁with ▁the ▁inclusion ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁team . ▁However ▁the ▁tournament ▁was ▁abandoned . ▁ ▁First ▁World ▁Cup ▁The ▁early