All set for big rugby reunion

PRELIMINARY indications suggest that there might be as many as 400 people at the reunion of rugby players of yesteryear, planned for tomorrow at the Queenstown Bowling Club.

According to Mike Strydom, former president of the Swifts Rugby Union, the organising committee which also includes Peet van der Walt and Tavy Taylor, had tried to contact as many former Swifts, Pirates, Villagers, Park, Tarka, Dordrecht, Cathcart, Sterkstroom, Molteno, Elliot and other players as they have been able to trace and the concept has been enthusiastically received.

Although some of these former players may now be regarded as being a bit long in the tooth, with some in their seventies and even eighties, positive responses have been received from as far afield as Johannesburg, Humansdorp, Plettenburg Bay, Jeffrey’s Bay, Humansdorp, East London and Ralph Cullinan is doing his best to get here from Langebaan.

“This is the first time players from all the clubs have got together and it might be the last. I know of more than one family which will have three generations represented,” Van der Walt told The Rep.

Many old team photos have been unearthed, cleaned up and hung in the bowling club, some dating back as far as 1904. The display of photos will remain at the club afterwards.

The plan is for those attending to meet at noon to reminisce and enjoy a finger lunch while looking at all those photos of days gone by. It is hoped that there will be a guest speaker.

In the evening there will be a braai and a big television screen to watch the final of the Rugby World Cup.

For further information contact Strydom on 082-490 9369, Taylor on 083-974 9755 or Van der Walt on 079-231 1907.