Pioneer rugby administrator Hentie Serfontein passed away
A veteran leader in rugby ranks who has made his mark at Loftus Versfeld not only as administrator but also as a mentor to many top players, died last week.
The man who had to lead the Blue Bulls in the mid-nineties during the transition to professional rugby died last week at the age of 79, less than three weeks before his 80th birthday.
Jan Hendrik Phillipus (Hentie) Serfontein served as BBRU deputy president from 1985 and took over from Professor Eloff as President in 1990, a position he held until 1997.
He was born on the 14th of May 1939 in Kroonstad and was a keen sportsman at Hoërskool Kroonstad where he represented the 1st team in rugby and cricket.
Serfontein studied BA Law at the University of Pretoria and worked at the SABC from 1962 until 1970. He worked in Bloemfontein and Johannesburg as a lawyer before continuing his career in Pretoria from 1973.
He played a key role within the club rugby structures in Pretoria as he coached Adelaars and served as an assistant secretary, deputy president and president of TuksRugby while he was appointed vice chairman of USSA rugby in 1980 (until 1982).
Serfontein’s dedication to rugby administration meant that it did not take long for higher honours to knock at his door which saw him serve as the manager of SA Rugby and represented SA Rugby on the then International Rugby Board (now World Rugby).
He will be remembered for his love of rugby in Pretoria, from grassroots to provincial level. As president of the union he played a leading role during the time rugby turned professional and he helped the Northern Transvaal Rugby Union with the transition into the Blue Bulls Rugby Union.
It is also known that Serfontein acted as mentor and legal representative for many high-profile rugby players, including the Blue Bulls and Springbok legend, Naas Botha.
A memorial service for Serfontein will be held on 10 May at 10:00 at the “Ooskerk” in Kirkness Street opposite Loftus Versfeld and right next to the Afrikaans Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram.
