Campbell McCraw, director of Rugby: Atlantic Rugby Academy
This is by way of a humble request to print this letter, to enable me to fill in some gaps on local rugby in the 1970s.
In 1972 there was a totally new committee voted in at Hamilton, with myself as the chairman and four of my teammates from the previous year’s first team also voted in. One of the first requests was from the old Leeuwendales RFC, who wanted to use our facilities to practise, as they could not practise without floodlights.
Our previous first team captain, Tiny Naude, had spearheaded a move to forge closer links with clubs in our area from the old WP Rugby Union, whose president was Noor Khan.
This had led him and several of our club members to assist the Silvertree club, who were then based in close proximity to the present day Zonnebloem Nest School. The request from Leeuwendales was therefore in line with our thinking and Leeuwendales practised at our ground for two years.
In the first year, they won the league known as the Grand Challenge and the cup was handed over to the club at a dinner dance at the then new Kensington civic centre.
All the Hamilton committee members and their wives attended the presentation and the trophy was presented to Leeuwendales by Mr Khan.
After the second year, Leeuwendales amalgamated with Walmer, who in turn amalgamated with Schotsche Kloof to form the present SK Walmer. I am looking for anybody with knowledge of the above to assist me with more specific dates and any more in-depth information.
I can be contacted at atlanticrugbyacademy@gmail.com or 083 480 4648.
