THE CURRIE CUP

Reverend Ogilvie

The Currie Cup has been South Africa‘s premier domestic rugby union competition, featuring provincial / regional teams. The Currie Cup is one of the oldest rugby competitions in the world.

Reverend George “Gog” OGILVIE (born 1826 in Wiltshire, England) is credited with introducing rugby to South Africa, following his appointment as Headmaster of the Diocesan College at Rondebosch in 1861. This game was the Winchester football variety, which the Reverend had learnt during his school days at Hampshire School. The first games were often reported in the local newspapers and featured teams such as “Town versus Suburbs” and “Home versus Colonials”.

It was at a farewell reception for the British Isles rugby team, which was leaving for a tour of South Africa, that Sir Donald CURRIE (17 September 1825 – 13 April 1909), a British ship owner, handed over what was to become the Currie Cup. The reception was held at the Southampton Docks in June 1891. On the 7th July thanks to the sponsorship of Cecil RHODES, the first British Isles rugby team arrived in Cape Town aboard the Dunottar Castle. They were mainly Scottish and English players captained by the Scottish wing William Edward MACLAGAN (5 April 1858 – 10 October 1926). Their first match was against the club Hamiltons which they won 15-1. The only try by the home team was scored by Charles (Hasie) VERSVELD, brother of Loftus VERSVELD. The Cape Times carried reports.

Sir Donald Currie

The first international match in which a South African team played was against the British tourists on the 30th July in Port Elizabeth. The South Africans were captained by Herbert Hayton CASTENS. In 1894 he was also the captain of the South African touring cricket team to England. Herbert was born on the 23rd November 1864 in Pearston, Eastern Cape, and died on 18 October 1929 in Fulham, London. The British beat South Africa 4-0 in that first Test. The 1891 British team won all their matches.

Herbert H. Castens

The golden cup given to the British team was given to Griqualand West during the British team’s farewell reception in September aboard the Garth Castle, but there was no team representative present. Griqualand West were deemed the best opposition team by the tourists. In an early show of typical South African rugby rivalry, Western Province supporters were not happy that Griqualand West was awarded the trophy. They claimed that the hard and grass-less playing field in Kimberley gave them an unfair advantage.

Sir Donald wanted the cup to become a floating trophy for South African inter-provincial champions. Griqualand West later donated the trophy to the Rugby Board, who made it the prize for the Currie Cup competition. The cup was insured for £40 when it was put on display, shortly after its arrival, in a window shop in Adderley Street. The words “South African Football Challenge Cup” were engraved on the cup.

Undated Currie Cup

Although the cup bears Sir Donald’s name, the competition has its roots in an inter-town competition that started in 1884. By the time the South African Rugby Board was founded in 1889, it was decided to organise a national competition. The first tournament was held in Kimberley and was won by Western Province. The winning team received a silver cup donated by the South African Rugby Board. This cup is on display at the South African Rugby Museum in Cape Town. The cup donated by Sir Donald was competed for from 1892 onwards. The 1892 tournament was played in Kimberley from the 12th – 23rd September. It was won by Western Province. The other teams were Natal, Griqualand West, Border and Transvaal. Christiaan BEYERS, who later became a Boer General, was part of the Transvaal team.

In the early rugby years there were no Cup finals. The team that finished at the top of the log was declared the champion. In the early 1900s, the Currie Cup was not competed for annually. The first Currie Cup final was played in 1939 at Newlands where Transvaal beat Western Province. The format varied and finals were held intermittently up until 1968. In its early days and until 1920, the tournament lasted a week and was played in one town. The competition was also interrupted by the two World Wars. The first annual Currie Cup final was held in 1968 when Northern Transvaal, featuring Frik DU PREEZ, beat Transvaal.

Politics was already casting its shadow over South African rugby way back then. In 1895, the 15 British soldiers representing Natal in the Currie Cup tournament had to get permission from Paul KRUGER to enter the ZAR in their uniforms. At this tournament’s official dinner, officials and players made toasts to KRUGER and Queen Victoria. During the 1899 tournament, Western Province, Transvaal and the Free State stayed away because of the Anglo-Boer War. The 1908 Currie Cup tournament, held in Port Elizabeth, was the last one held in Sir Donald’s lifetime.

In the 1898 tournament, the Transvaal team faced tragedy when their fullback David Gill (Davey) COPE was killed in a train accident at Mosterthoek on 16 August 1898 while on his way to the tournament in Cape Town. A week later another Transvaal player, Boy TAIT, died of injuries sustained in the same accident.

The Currie Cup is such a big part of South African rugby, that it is not well-known that there were other Currie Cups involving other sports. All the cups were donated by Sir Donald.

On the 5th January 1808, a cricket match between two teams of English officers took place in Cape Town. In 1862, an annual fixture “Mother Country versus Colonial Born” was staged in Cape Town. In March 1889, the English cricket team played in a Test match against South Africa at Port Elizabeth. Sir Donald sponsored the English team’s tour of South Africa. When the team left England, he gave them a cup to be presented to the best South African team that they faced. As with his request for the rugby cup, the trophy was then to be used in domestic competition. The cup was inscribed with “To the Cricket Clubs of South Africa, 1889?. In 1890 the Kimberley cricket team became the first team to be awarded cricket’s Currie Cup. Cricket’s Currie Cup tournament was later renamed the Castle Cup. When the Wanderers Clubhouse caught fire in 2004, the silver Currie Cup was lost in the fire.

In 1899 he donated a cup for water-polo tournaments. A year later, Western Province won the first water-polo Currie Cup at the first inter-provincial swimming and water-polo tournament.

Another Currie Cup was given by Sir Donald to the Cape Town Highlanders.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY MUSEUM

The South African Rugby Museum in Cape Town showcases South Africa’s rugby heritage. The museum is on the ground floor of the Sport Science Institute. Exhibits include a replica of the Webb Ellis Cup, first won by the Springboks at Ellis Park in 1995 and again in October 2007 in Paris. Visitors can hear radio commentary from the 1950s to 1970s by Gerhard VIVIERS and Charles FORTUNE.

The origins and subsequent changes to the Springbok emblem are also on display. You can sit on old wooden Newlands rugby benches and watch videos. The rugby boots of some of South Africa’s goal kickers such as Naas BOTHA, Joel STRANSKY and Frik DU PREEZ are on display, along with a depiction of how rugby boots are made. The careers of Springbok stars from schoolboy, to club level, to provincial team and eventually to the Springboks makes for fascinating reading. 

Address: Ground Level, Sports Science Institute, Newlands, Cape Town

Telephone: +27 (0)21 659-6768

Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10h00 to 16h00

GREEN AND GOLD - OUR RUGBY COLOURS

How did our rugby colours become green and gold? It was mostly thanks to the first international rugby Test and the South African captain, Barry Heatlie HEATLIE (yes, his middle name was the same as his surname).

In those early days of international matches, each country’s team captain chose a kit. The kit was either all-white or that of the captain’s club. There wasn’t a national selection committee back then, the union where the Test was played put a team together.

Barry was born in the Worcester district on the 25 April 1872, one of 13 children (11 boys and two girls). Seven of his brothers became sportsmen of note. Charles and Sydney also played rugby for South Africa, Charles in 1891 and Sydney in 1903. Barry’s Test career was from 1891 to 1903. In 1889 Barry became a pupil at Diocesan College (aka Bishops) in Rondebosch. At that time, he had never played rugby, but a year later he made the school’s first team and debuted for the Western Province provincial side. Four months after his 19th birthday, he was selected as a forward for South Africa in the second Test against the British touring team on the 29 Aug 1891. Barry was 1.9 metres tall, had broad shoulders and weighted 94 kg. He was one of the biggest players at the time. His nicknames were Fairy and Ox.

In 1896 he was selected as South Africa’s captain for the fourth Test match against the British side led by John HAMMOND. Barry, as captain, decided to use the Old Diocesans’ dark green jerseys. The club had been disbanded by then. The Cape Argus, dated Saturday 5 Sept 1896, reported that the South Africans would be kitted in “green jerseys, blue knickers and red stockings”. It was the first rugby Test that South Africa won.

When the next British team visited in 1903, led by Mark MORRISON, for the third and final Test, played at Newlands on the 12th Sept, Barry as captain, again found green jerseys for the team. South Africa won the Test and its first rugby series. The Cape Argus reported that the team wore dark green jerseys. The green jerseys were considered lucky and the players decided that in future they would only wear green. When opposition teams’ colours clashed with the green, South Africa wore white jerseys. Maybe the green did bring luck — it took a British touring team another 71 years to win a Test series in South Africa.

At a meeting of the South African Rugby Board on the 6th May 1903 in the Royal Hotel in Cape Town, the minutes show that “it was proposed by Mr. H.C. WOOD (Eastern Province) and seconded by Mr. C. ANDERSON (Natal), and agreed to that the SA colours be: green jersey with white collar and springbok in natural colours on left breast, black knickers and blue stockings with two white stripes at the top.” From 1937 onwards, the collar was gold in colour.

At another meeting in February 1904, it was decided that caps would be given to all the players who had represented South Africa since 1891. The caps were to be “green with gold trimmings, and a springbok with the letters S and A on either side of it, and the date underneath, in front”. The granting of caps and the springbok emblem were Barry’s suggestions. Paul ROOS’ cap is at his school’s archives in Stellenbosch. It has the springbok head and the date 1903 (his first Test), but the letters SA are not on there. Paul, along with Japie KRIGE and Bob LOUBSER, were the first three players to receive caps. 

The cover of a British music composition that was specially composed for the 1906 Springbok tour. It depicts Paul Roos dancing with Britannia

The 1906-07 rugby tour kit included black shorts and dark blue socks with two white stripes. The jersey had a leaping springbok. The Daily Mail in London reported that the jerseys were myrtle green. The team wore dark blue shorts and dark blue socks. This was the tour where the rugby players first became known as the Springboks or Springbokken. The name was chosen by Paul ROOS, Paddy CAROLIN and the team manager J.C. CARDEN. A British newspaper was the first to use the name, in a headline “South African Springboks play the British Lion.” A book was published afterwards by C.V. BECKER and was titled “With the Springboks in England - 1906-7”. It sold for a shilling, and had a lion and a springbok on the cover.

Barry was a popular and knowledgeable captain, having captained all the teams that he played for at school, club and provincial level. As a national captain, he was unbeaten, and he never lost a Currie Cup match. Off the field, he was secretary of the Western Province Rugby Football Union from 1895 to 1898.

In 1905 he was the favourite to captain South Africa on its first overseas tour to the British Isles in 1906-07, but personal problems dashed this. Barry was also a stock broker. Petrus Johannes (Piet) MARAIS was his biggest client. Piet lived in Pretoria and owned large parts of Brooklyn, where Charles, Rupert and Stella Streets were named after his family. He would send Barry telegrams with orders to buy or sell stock. The profits were used to buy more shares. In 1903 a depression affected the stock markets. Piet sent Barry a telegram to sell all his shares and send him the money. Barry was not able to do so and Piet laid a charge of fraud against Barry. Barry hurriedly left the country by being rowed out to a ship in Table Bay. He sailed to Argentina where he spent 20 years living near Buenos Aires and working on a sugar estate. Warrants for his arrest were sent out to the British colonies, including Victoria, Australia, where he is listed in the 1906 Victoria Police correspondence records: Barry Heatlie HEATLIE, Criminal Investigation Department, Cape Town, South Africa — Wanted on warrant for embezzlement.

In Argentina, he carried on playing rugby and helped develop the game there. He first played for the Lomas club, before becoming captain and coach of Gymnasia y Esgrima. In 1910 he played for an Argentinean team against a touring British team. In 1911 and 1912, he led his club to become the Argentinean rugby champions. Barry stopped playing in 1915, at the age of 43, when he broke three ribs during a match. He then concentrated on coaching.

In 1925 he was allowed to return to South Africa. It was the same year that his close friend and fellow player, Biddy ANDERSON died. Barry settled near Newlands and became involved in rugby again, as a selector for universities in the 1930s and writing for the book “The History of South African Rugby Football”. Barry was not as fortunate in business, as he was in rugby. After returning to South Africa, two businesses failed — a car agency and a flour mill. He passed away on the 19th Aug 1951 from serious injuries he sustained when he was knocked over whilst getting into his car on the way to an Old Boys dinner.

THE HEATLIE FAMILY

Thomas HEATLIE born in Berwick, Scotland, on 17 Sept 1787. Son of William HEATLIE and Ann HENDERSON. He arrived at the Cape aboard the Laurel on the 1st Jun 1809 with his brother George. In April 1814, Thomas went to Mauritius but was back at the Cape by the end of October 1814.

In the 1818 opgaaf (tax roll) he is listed as being on the farm Alexanderfontein and had “5 knegts, 2 Hottentots, 1 prize negro, 3 slaves, 32 horses, 29 oxen, 4 pigs, 25 sheep and 1 goat”. In the 1820 opgaaf he is listed at Klipheuvelfontein and had “1 knegt, 1 free black, 1 Hottentot, 8 prize negroes, 1 slave and 30 horses”.

On the 24th Jan 1824 he married Anna Catharina VAN NIEKERK in Worcester. She was the daughter of Cornelis VAN NIEKERK and Jacomina MOSTERT. A will signed by Anna in March 1840 lists her as living behind the Castle. Thomas died on the 21st Jan 1846 at Selkirk Street in Cape Town (death notice MOOC 6/9/39 ref. 8289). Anna died on the 4th Mar 1840. The couple’s children and grandchildren included:

b1) Henry born 19 Sept 1824, baptised in Tulbagh on 08 Oct 1824, died unmarried on 03 Sept 1846 (death notice MOOC 6/9/40 ref. 8587).

b2) Annie born 02 Oct 1825, married Michael UPTON on 14 Mar 1857, died in Worcester on 24 Apr 1900 (death notice MOOC 6/9/401 ref. 1663). Michael died 16 Nov 1862 (death notice MOOC 6/9/102 ref. 15).

b3) Jacomina born in Tulbagh on 21 May 1827, married Arthur James BARKER on 21 Oct 1851, died 21 Dec 1888 (death notice MOOC 6/9/264 ref. 84) and buried at Worcester. Arthur died in 1863 (death notice MOOC 6/9/102 ref. 142).

b4) Thomas Tennant born in Tulbagh on 04 Mar 1829, married Eliza Ann BEETON on 18 Jan 1853, died 15 Nov 1895 (death notice MOOC 6/9/346 ref. 2563), buried at Worcester. Eliza was born 14 Jun 1834, died 25 Dec 1911 (death notice MOOC 6/9/682 ref. 92). He bought Beck House in 1854 and in 1878 was living at Hasekraal in the Worcester district. By 1865 he was one of the more progressive farmers. Circa 1868-70 he bartered slaughter sheep for four Blackhead Persian sheep that were aboard a storm-damaged ship at Port Beaufort. These were the first Blackhead Persian sheep in South Africa. Thomas was a Member of the Legislative Council and founder of the Worcester Agricultural Society.

c1) Eliza Ann born 27 Dec 1853, died 22 Jun 1901 (death notice MOOC 6/9/430 ref. 2287) and buried at Worcester.

c2) Anna Catharina born 10 Oct 1855, married Jacobus Johannes le Seuer GLAESER on 21st Jun 1877, died in Tulbagh on 21 Feb 1882. Jacobus was born 12 Sept 1854 and died 7th Sept 1890 (death notice MOOC 6/9/284 ref. 1743).

c3) Henry Thomas born 06 Oct 1857, married Catharina Johanna (Kato) ROSSOUW, died 22 Jul 1938 (death notice MOOC 6/9/5056 ref. 58621). Catharina died in 1925 (death notice MOOC 6/9/2761 ref. 7259).

c4) William Stenhouse born 05 Sept 1859, married Jane CAMPION, died 10 Mar 1933. Jane was born 15 Oct 1861, died 13 Oct 1950 (estate papers MOOC 6/9/18924 ref. 6412/51).

c5) Arthur born 23 Jul 1861 at Glen Heatlie. Attended St Saviour’s Grammar School in Claremont. He married Lucy Anne MANN on 08 Sept 1894, daughter of William MANN and grand-daughter of Sir Thomas MACLEAR. In 1922 they lived at Meloustan in Ceres. Arthur died 10 Mar 1930 and was buried at Caledon (estate papers MOOC 6/9/3681 ref. 25746). Lucy died in 1931 (estate papers MOOC 6/9/3924 ref. 30565).

c6) Charles Beeton born 29 Oct 1863 at Glen Heatlie in Worcester district. He married Johanna Maria HUGO on 19 Apr 1899, died 01 Jan 1937. Johanna was born 29 Oct 1862, died 08 Jun 1952. Charles was a Member of the Legislative Assembly, representing Worcester. In 1922 he lived at Orange Grove in De Wet.

c7) Percy born 14 Feb 1866, died 15 Nov 1877

c8) Edwin born 29 May 1868, died 08 Jul 1877

c9) Noble Robertson born 15 Mar 1870, married 1st wife Irene Hawthorn AIexandria GRAHAM on 04 May 1898, married 2nd wife Justine Mary Bertie THOMAS on 26 Apr 1908. He died 09 Aug 1956 (estate papers MHG 5852/53). Irene was born 28 May 1874, died 07 Mar 1906 (death notice MOOC 6/9/544 ref. 1065). Justine was born 06 May 1888, died 03 Oct 1974 (estate papers MHG 11263/74).

c10) Barry Heatlie born 25 Apr 1872, married Helen (Jessie) DUNCAN on 25 Apr 1900, died 19 Aug 1951 (estate papers MOOC 6/9/18636 ref. 5008/51). Helen was born 19 Nov 1872, died 17 Aug 1944 (estate papers MOOC  6/9/11187 ref. 94396). In 1900 Barry was listed as a broker and estate agent at Colonial Mutual Chambers, 86 Adderley Street. A son, Lesley Arthur, was born on the 5th Mar 1901. Another son, Ralph Wilfred Heatlie, was born on the 31st Aug 1903. In 1939 the family was living at Roslin in Balfour Road, Rondebosch.

c11) Bertram de Vos born 15 Jun 1874, married Gladys Irene TILNEY on 24 Jan 1914, died 1945 (estate papers MHG 3325/45). Gladys was born in 1884, died 1975 (estate papers MHG 8801/75). Their son, Bertram Sydney Deane, was a lieutenant in the Transvaal Scottish when he died overseas on the 27th Nov 1941 (death notice MHG 3/42). His parents were then living in Potchefstroom.

c12) Sydney Glaeser born 03 Jul 1876, married Ruby Constance Hannah ELLIS on 16 Nov 1909, died 23 Mar 1963. Sydney attended South African College from 1895-99). In 1939 he was living at 14 Rouwkoop Mansions in Rondebosch. Ruby died in 1966.

c13) Thomas James Michael born 25 Jul 1878, married Irene St Clair MEIRING on 02 Oct 1913, died 06 Jul 1949 (estate papers MOOC 6/9/16221 ref. 3573/49). Irene was born 14 Aug 1886. In 1929 Thomas was living on the Glen Heatlie.

b5) Catherine born 17 Aug 1831, died unmarried on 29 Aug 1898

b6) William born 14 Feb 1833, died unmarried on 06 Jan 1848

SOURCES

30 Super Springboks; Paul Dobson; Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 1995

Rugby in South Africa 1861 - 1988; Paul Dobson; South African Rugby Board, Cape Town, 1989

Bishops Rugby: A history; Paul Dobson; Don Nelson, Cape Town, 1990

The history of South African rugby football: 1875-1932; Ivor Difford; Specialty Press, Wynberg, 1933

The Legends of South African Rugby; Keith Clayton; KC Publications, Pinelands, 1989

W.P. Rugby Centenary 1883-1983; A.C. Parker; WPRFU, Newlands, 1983

Springbok annals: international tours to and from South Africa, 1891-1958; D.H. Craven; Mimosa, Johannesburg, 1961

Springbok rugby: an illustrated history: the proud story of South African rugby from 1891 to the 1995 World Cup; Chris Greyvenstein; Sable Media, Cape Town, 1995

100 years of rugby: the story of the Villager Football Club; R.K. Stent; VFC, Cape Town, 1976

112 years of Springbok rugby: tests and heroes, 1891 to 2003; Bokkie Gerber et al; Highbury Monarch Communications, Johannesburg, 2003

1899-1999: 100 años Unión Argentina de Rugby

The first three generations of Heatlies in South Africa; Charles Hugo Heatlie; Photo-Prints Pty Ltd, Worcester, 1981

British Residents at the Cape: 1795-1819; Peter Philip; David Philip, Cape Town, 1981

LARGEST RUGBY MEMORABILIA COLLECTION IN SOUTH AFRICA

Barry NAUDE has built up a rugby museum on his farm, Driekoppen, in Hanover, Free State. It is South Africa's largest collection of rugby memorabilia, including books, jerseys, ties, photographs and badges. In 1974, at the age of 10 years, he started collecting rugby memorabilia and making scrapbooks from articles in newspapers and magazines. He has more than 1000 rugby books. More than 200 rugby jerseys, 200 ties and 30 jackets are also on display. In 1995 the North-Eastern Cape Rugby Union closed down and Barry became the keeper of its memorabilia. Most of the items on display have been donated. Barry and a friend, Hannes KOTZE, are working on making the Test Programmes from 1891 to 2009 available in book form. They also want photos and/or signatures of all the 814 Springbok players for the book. Visitors are welcomed by appointment (this is a working farm). The farm is just off the N1 south of Hanover. Contact details: Mobile No. 0823177655 / 0832348779 or barrynaude@webmail.co.za or jmk@intekom.co.za