Newlands stays!

There was a splendid banquet on the Molenvliet Wine Estate outside Stellenbosch on Friday. The banquet was to celebrate the 125th birthday of Newlands.

And there was news about Newlands that was particularly well received.

Newlands stays forever.

That was the message that drew great applause.

The 'grand old lady' would stay the headquarters of Western Province Rugby.

The main speaker of the evening was Jean de Villiers, the Springbok, Stormers and Western Province captain, who told of his experience of growing up with Newlands, playing his first match as an Under-13 Western Province player to leading his team out to the roar of 45 000 people.

Mark Alexander, the deputy president of SARU sketched the  history of Newlands, opened officially on 31 May 1890, and its significance in South Africa's rugby history, and referred to the ground as the home of South African rugby.

Thelo Wakefield, the President of the Western Province Rugby Football Union spoke and he brought the good tidings that 'Newlands would stay forever.

He welcomed the guests including former presidents Ronnie Masson and Toby Titus, several great players of the past – Corné Krige, Marius Joubert, Bolla Conradie, Egon Seconds, Hendrik Gerber, Wilfred Cupido, Hottie Louw, Gert Smal and  Braam van Straaten.

He was amusing as reminisced about each of the players and then got down to the serious business, announcing the continuance of Newlands which plays a top role amongst the great grounds of the rugby world, and in thanking the sponsors he announced that Western Province would have a new patron – Ockie Oosthuizen, the Springbok prop of the 1980s and the owner of the grand estate of Molenvliet on the Helshoogte Pass.

The excellent master of ceremonies was the Union's CEO, Rob Wagner who is reaching the end of his term. He, amongst other things, praised the president for his steadfastness in insisting that Newlands stayed.

It was a good birthday party.