Part 2: Basil Bey – The Essence of Varsity Rugby

That, of course, was only the beginning. Over the next two years the University of Cape Town played exhilarating rugby, ending up on top of the log in both years.

Glorious Times

Talk about the Varsity spirit! We were invited by Pretoria University to play them at Loftus (they were having a wonderful season; we were flown up and accommodated by them, no expense spared). They wanted to play us. They wanted to beat us, because now we had a reputation again. The game was a thrilling one; it moved from one side of the field to another throughout. We were down with minutes to go inside our own 25. Given a penalty after an injury, we took a tap kick and ran. John Benn, flyhalf, fed Maxie Marr on the left wing. He scuttled away beating player after player, passing back to Benn and receiving the ball again from him to score after a run of 80 to 90 metres. Charles Fortune was the commentator; he could not contain himself. “Best game this summer!”, he gasped as he came into our dressing room. It was glorious, but it happened because we believed and we played with trust, the way we knew best. We took what most other teams would have called chances, but to us they were not chances, they were opportunities and we were skilful enough to use them.

Of course, we all still talk of that game at Stellenbosch in the old Matie Stadium (most of us are still alive) in the 1961 Intervarsity. Just before half time we were even, one penalty each; then, as Maties wheeled their scrum in front of their posts, UCT scrumhalf Dave Barrow sniped in on their ball, whipping it out to Gillies who transferred to Olivier thence to Holmes who drew and passed to Olivier, who had gone round on Holmes’s outside to accept the pass and score a brilliant try. We missed the kick and led six to three at halftime. The second half was played at a frenetic pace; the defences were fearsome. John Benn dropped for goal: the ball wobbled, bounced on the crossbar and slunk over. Nine to three, but we were under pressure. I have never known determination like that shown by Varsity on that day. They would not relent despite attack after attack. Eventually one of our East African Maties, Johan Fechter, a fine wing, raced over for a Matie try in the corner and the kick was missed. We won nine to six.

I could go on forever about my glorious times at UCT. One more story. On the way to winning the Grand Challenge in 1960, we were top of the log and played Somerset West, bottom of the log, at Somerset West. We played badly, they played well. We were three points down with time up when we were given a penalty almost in front of their posts. The easy penalty would give us a draw and one point, but we chose to tap and run. We were tackled inches short of the line. The whistle went, we lost. We shared the Grand Challenge Cup in that year instead of winning it outright, probably because of that decision. I say probably, but how many other games had we won through that same approach? Many. You live by the sword you die by the sword and have no complaints. Tom Hugo-Hamman’s words resonated in our souls. We played for the thrill of it, for the excitement of it, for the adventure and so we succeeded. That is the Varsity spirit, the Varsity ethos.

Varsity Ethos

The country teams in those days were strong, physical and aggressive. We were always beaten for size and physical strength. It did not pay us to mix it so we played with skill and brain; we moved the ball wide, loose forwards were brilliant rangers and our tight forwards could handle and run like backs. We were punched, thumped, bullied and verbally abused but we never surrendered. There was a fierce pride and an absolute belief in our style of rugby and in our fellows. It was not only the First XV that played this way; this Varsity ethos ran through the club – the Varsity Spirit. Since the birth of the UCT Rugby Club, we have seen the same thing again and again.

I have seen it, this ethos, embodied in those who played for UCT in the recent universities’ tournament; it has warmed the heart of all of us who have had anything to do with the UCT Rugby Club.