Remember the Pakistani, one of the smallest centres to ever roam the Green Mile – but who put in bone jaring hits! Some of those happened to be on the field as well!
Name / Nickname: Dallen ‘Paki’ Stanford
Played at varsity when, what positions and for what teams:
1999 u21 A1, 2000 u21 A1 Captain
2000-2002 First XV
2003 UCT UK Tour against Oxford & Cambridge Universities
2004 MC Marais Legends
Played number 13 center.
Where are you now and what are you doing:
After UCT, I spent 5 years in Southern California (Marina del Rey), 3 years in Texas (Austin) and will be moving to New York in 2011!
I work for the Tackling Cancer Foundation (www.tacklingcancer.org) – which was founded by rugby players – and combines promoting active lifestyles through sport as well as giving back to the community via non-profit cancer organizations.
I also write for several rugby websites: RugbyZone (www.rugbyzone.com), UR7s (www.UR7s.com), EaglesXV (www.EaglesXV.com) and own PakisCorner (www.PakisCorner.com) which actually was founded while at UCT. It was named by Neil ‘the Boomslang’ Barnard – back when he had hair on his head!
Fortunately in 2005 a stunning girl from Boston agreed to marry me! It must have been the foreign accent! Either way, life has worked out brilliantly, and then played USA 7s from 2006 to 2009 on the IRB World Sevens Series. Over the 13 IRB tournaments and 2009 Rugby Sevens World Cup I played against UCT and SA 7s legends Gcobani Bobo, Mpho Mbiyozo, Kyle Brown, Matt Turner and Paul Delport!
Currently I still play 7s for the Belmont Shore Tigers – winning the 2009 National Championships in San Francisco and the 2010 Championship Cup 7s tournament in Las Vegas – taking home $10,000!
Best varsity rugby memory:
The 2000 u21A unbeaten season with coaches Brendan Fogarty & Jeremy de Kock.
The 54-14 destruction of the Stellenbosch Victorians at Coetzenburg with coach Gus Enderstein.
The 2000 First XV 8-8 Intervarsity draw at Coetzenberg, and the 34-24 return win at the Green Mile under coaches Barry O’Mahony, Jeremy de Kock & Ian ‘Mango’ Healy (Assistant to the Regional Manager).
I was renowned for:
Massive tackles (after 1am) which included taking down Springbok coach Nic Mallet at a UCT rugby function; captaining the Cape to Rio Cane Train with Grant Kolesky; ending the UCT Sports Awards Dinner in 2001 thanks to a fire hydrant; taking the 2nd bum funnel from Wella and Dr Hartford (after Danny Palm).
Best thing about UCT rugby:
The friends and characters that played this wonderful game, and of course the spirit that is Varsity rugby.
Any guys you are still in touch with:
Plenty of the Tigers! Boots ‘Teddy’ Crossley (Boston) visits often, and I run into some of the gentleman in London and Cape Town during December holidays.
James ‘the Great Gatsby’ Endersby, Grant ‘Slug’ McEvoy, Chris ‘Bongo’ Malherbe, Dave ‘Lurker’ Cumming, Nic ‘Frank the Tank’ Misplon and so many more boycheees.
Do you follow the UCT Ikey Tigers and the Club:
Absolutely! Once an Ikey always a Tiger. It is brilliant to see UCT return to the fame of the early 1990s with packed stadiums at the Green Mile, supporters going mental, and of course the club producing unbelievable results on a consistent basis! John Dobson and the entire club have taken Varsity rugby to the highest level – and as an Old Boy we can’t be prouder!
I would love to make it back to SA for a UCT Rugby Reunion of some sorts – and perhaps send Nic Mallet an invite…
