The Harlequins Club’s hall of fame provides very impressive historical evidence of this sports club’s success and especially of the national stars who has emerged through the club’s ranks over many decades.

From rugby ranks, some of South Africa and the Blue Bulls’ biggest stars, who over many decades have made a name for themselves on the rugby field, are honoured by the club in this special hallway in the clubhouse.

Recently, however, it was discovered that Harlequins’ last official Springbok has not yet been included in this hall of fame.

The club’s management decided there and then to rectify the matter, and a few weeks ago during a special function at the club, former Bulls and Springbok prop, Richard Bands, was officially inaugurated as part of Harlequins’ hall of fame.

This inauguration was once again presented as only Harlequins can do – with the necessary grandeur, but also with a solid dash of traditional ceremonial pride. For example, Bands and the rest of the function’s guests of honour entered the venue under the guidance of a traditional Scottish bagpipe player.

Ben Eybers, chairman of the Quins-Bobbies Rugby Club introduced guests to Richard Bands by telling more about the course of his unique career as a rugby player. Eybers concluded his speech by showing a video of Bands’ famous try for the Springboks against the All Blacks in Duneden in 2003.

Of course, that was the try where Bands, during a 40-meter bullocking run, stormed over All Black flyhalf Carlos Spencer. The try was also named 2003’s SuperSport Try of the Year.

During his acceptance speech, Bands told guests how as a young player, after a few seasons at the former Stellaland province, he decided to leave rugby to become a full-time farmer on the family farm near Lichtenburg.

In his mid-twenties, the rugby-bug bit again and he decided to try to make a breakthrough into the professional rugby ranks.

After a year in Bloemfontein, during which the Cheetahs management told him that he was not good enough for professional rugby, he was given a chance at the Blue Bulls by Heyneke Meyer.

The rest is history. He eventually became a legend with the Bulls and later also played in 11 Tests for South Africa, which included participation in the 2003 World Cup.

In appreciation of the honour of becoming part of the club’s hall of fame, after his speech, Bands took off his Springbok tie and donated it to the club. It will be exhibited by the club with other memorabilia.

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