Graeme looks back and forward
What started as a special project to celebrate Graeme College’s 125th anniversary in 1998 has developed into an Eastern Cape rugby spectacular which looks sure to remain a permanent date on the schools calendar.
This is the view of Graeme master in charge of rugby Nico van der Meulen who has been involved since the outset and says the Graeme Rugby Day will not be disappearing any time soon.
He said: “It has been going for 17 years and we will be keeping it going for another 100 years as long as the schools support it!
Starting last year, the day, which takes place on 28 March 2015, has been given added impetus with the support of Grahamstown firm Pam Golding Properties.
And Van der Meulen’s view that the Graeme Rugby Day will continue to happen each year was backed by Daphne Timm, of the sponsors.
She said: “This [the sponsorship] is most definitely not on annual review, long term is where I see it.
“We always align ourselves with each of the schools in Grahamstown for a function a year – and this is something we chose to rather manage than just sponsor the event.
“Our involvement came about from a longstanding relationship not only with the schools, but also with [former headmaster] Peter Reed and Nico van der Meulen.”
A feature of the Graeme Rugby Day is that it is possibly the only event of such a stature which comes at no cost to the players.
Van der Meulen said: “It is the only rugby day where the teams come in, play a match against strong opposition, and can go home again without paying a cent. There is no charge for any player and the first XVs get a T-shirt to take home as well.
“This is where the Grahamstown community get together and sponsor the day. Pam Golding have got on board since last year and they run the day, organising the sponsors, while Graeme organise the schools.”
Reflecting on the day, Van der Meulen said it had grown over the years, with a long list of schools wanting to compete in the day each year. “We started the Graeme Rugby Day to have something special to mark Graeme’s 125th reunion in 1998. So we invited the school first XVs, and then they asked us if they could bring their Under-14 and Under-15 teams as well.
“This was a good idea because it filled up all the fields, so that we had lots of supporters for all the first XVs.
“An important change has come about this year in that we stopped the Under-15 teams but rather invited the Under-16s of each school, along with their Under-14 and first teams, so now a player can come every second year and play.”
Van der Meulen paid tribute to the schools who supported them each year. “We are very grateful to the schools who do support the day. Our main focus is on the Eastern Cape schools. However, we will continue inviting another top rugby school to be part of the day.
“We have had here in the past Glenwood, Westville (twice), Grey College (twice) and a school team from Argentina.”
This year Bishops of Cape Town will add the “foreign” flavour, taking on Grey High in the final match of the day.
From Neale Emslie
