UCT old boy to captain Cambridge
Former UCT fullback James Richards has been elected as the new captain of Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club.
According to cambridge-news.co.uk, the 26-year-old ex-Ikeys ace will take over the leadership at the club with Jamie Gilbert serving as Cambridge’s club secretary.
Richards, of course, scored a crucial try in Cambridge’s 31-27 Varsity match win over Oxford in December and was also named as the sponsors’ Man of the Match for his performance in the 128th such encounter between the two universities.
Cambridge were captained by Wallaby veteran Dan Vickerman, a former UCT student, but both Oxford and Cambridge have enjoyed a fruitful association with the two Western Cape-based Varsity Cup teams – the Ikey Tigers and the Maties over the years.
Of course, Cambridge and Oxford have been the rugby home of various UCT rugby folks; among them UCTRFC President Dougald MacDonald, ex-Springbok coach Nick Mallett, former Ikeys first team coach Barry O’Mahony and, more recently, flanker Danny Palm and speedster Anthony Knox.
Maties have also produced their fair share of Oxbridge players over the years, with Anton van Zyl (Oxford) and Rudolf Bosch (Cambridge) two of their more recent representatives.
