WANDERERS Sports Club reaches a historic milestone on Thursday when it celebrates its 100th anniversary, and to commemorate the event a host of activities have been planned for the next few days.
Wanderers Rugby Football Club was formed on 20 February 1920, and since then it has stood the test of time, overcoming many hardships and travails, to develop into the leading private sports club in the country.
Through the years several other sport codes joined Wanderers and today its sub codes include cricket, hockey, netball and squash, while table tennis also joined last year.
But it is as a rugby club that Wanderers has forged a rich history and an enduring rivalry with United Rugby Club, which is even older, having celebrated its centenary in 2016.
Over the past 100 years Wanderers have become the most successful rugby club in Namibia, having won the Premier League title on 36 occasions, well ahead of United who have won the title 26 times.
The club has also produced some great players over the years including the brilliant flanker Jan Ellis, who won 38 caps for the Springboks; Adri Basson, who played for the Junior Springboks; Namibia’s most successful post-independence captain, Gerhard Mans; and Jacques Burger, who was rated as one of the world’s best players after the 2011 World Cup.
Cricket luminaries include Ivor and John Powell, Brian Forbes, Trevor Hattingh, Lennie Louw and Gavin Murgatroyd, while Malie Snyman was the country’s top netball player during the Seventies, when she was also selected for the Springboks.
The general manager of Wanderers Sports Club, Sybrand de Beer, said they will start their festivities with a gala dinner on Thursday evening, which will be attended by some honorary guests, former committee members and players.
“We will show a video about the history of the club and to show how we developed to where we are now. There will also be some surprises and we will also be handing over some presents to honour former members. Then we will conclude the evening with a dinner and dance,” he said.
On Friday there will be another dance which is open to all club members, while numerous sporting activities have been planned for Saturday and Sunday.
They include a rugby Sevens tournament, and hockey, netball and table tennis tournaments, while Wanderers’ cricket team will also host united in a league match.
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