Celebrating a Brakpan legend
Brakpan Rugby Club hosted a reunion for all the rugby players from 1960 to 1980, who played with John Pace.
Pace, who played prop, is one of the stalwarts of Brakpan rugby and also donned the red jersey of the Eastern Transvaal team.
He was one of the players who participated in the famous match between the All Blacks and Eastern Transvaal, in Springs, in 1970.
The match ended at 24-3 in favour of the All Blacks on that day,and is remembered for the physical battle that it was,and particularly the incident where the world renowned New Zealand lock forward, Colin Meads, broke his arm and played for 74 minutes with the injury.
Pace turned 70 years old on September 6 and Brakpan Rugby Club helped him to celebrate by bringing together some of the players with whom he played during his career.
Harry Nieuwenhuis, chairman of the club, said that the day was enjoyable and a number of stories and memories were shared.
The club will have an open reunion with all former players at the end of November.
“Thank you to all the former players and their wives who attended on the day,” he added.
“We trust that we will see them all again in November.”
