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SAU - South African Universities

Inter-varsity sports have been a feature of student life for 100 years

Universities and University Colleges in South Africa evolved from 1829, when the University of Cape Town was established as the South African College for Boys (SACS). It became a fully-fledged university in 1918

The timeline of South African Universities officially begins in 1929, when the first inter-varsity tournament was hosted by the Transvaal University College (TUC) at the  Central Municipal Swimming Pool in Pretoria. The TUC was renamed the University of Pretoria in 1930.

1935 April 20 SAU

 

University of Natal (Durban) Aquatics Team ~ 1985 ~ SA Universities Champs ~ Cape Town — with Shaun Callaghan, Derek Ethelstone, Rory Mapstone, Rob Lumb, Tracey Wannenburg, Udo Jurressen, Pierre Venter, Haden Mottram, Robbie Portsmith, Allan Tenant, Allison Gittings, Peter Mommogos, Herman Chalupsky, Tracy Cockheadand Keith Armstrong in Cape Town, South Africa.

Click here to see the results from SAU in 2008.

1956 SAU at Rhodes

First South African Universities Tournament - 1929 - where they competed for the Roberts Shield

Much of this material is from the private archive of former SAASU president Harry Getz, who was the driving force behind the annual inter-varsity swimming, diving and water polo tournament for many years. In 1961 and 1963 he arranged the participation of South Africa in the Universiades (World Student Games) held in Bulgaria and Brazil.

Intervarsity was not part of the SAASU programme, although the same competitors and officials participated, and new national records were recognized. The host universities were initially UCT, Rhodes and Wits, where students stayed in university dorms during the holidays and swam in the university pool.

13 March 1939 - SAU at Rhodes University in Grahamstown

 

South African Universities Swimming badge

Stellenbosch c.1985 - Thys Lombard, Ellen Lombard Mason, Herman Nienaber,Libby Burrell, Harald Ruck and Monique Dokter.

With Monique Dokter, Ellen Lombard Mason, Harald Ruck and Libby Burrell, Anton Loubscher, Thys Lombard, Claire Taylor, Marilise Lucouw, Eureka Barnard 
 
University of Natal (Durban) Aquatics Team ~ 1985 ~ SA Universities Champs ~ Cape Town — with Shaun Callaghan, Derek Ethelstone, Rory Mapstone, Rob Lumb, Tracey Wannenburg, Udo Jurressen, Pierre Venter, Haden Mottram, Robbie Portsmith, Allan Tenant, Allison Gittings, Peter Mommogos, Herman Chalupsky, Tracy Cockhead and Keith Armstrong in Cape Town, Western Cape.