The Old Diocesan Issue 10 - Magazine - Page 65
IMAD KHAN PHOTOGRAPH GALLO IMAGES
SPORT
for his fourth consecutive World
Cup, going on to call his second
World Cup final for SuperSport.
As he put it so memorably, “The
Springboks go back to back, they
go Bok to Bok! They are the first
to four.” In the background, Hilton
Houghton (1992F), the agent who
has represented a number of the
World Cup winners, would have
been pleased. And there was, in
fact, one Bishops family member
on the field: Rene Naylor, the Boks’
long-term physiotherapist, has
a boy in Grade 5.
In May, Dillyn Leyds (2010S)
won his second Champions Cup
final with La Rochelle, when they
squeaked home against Leinster
in Dublin by a single point. Having
turned out more than 80 times
for the French club, the 10-cap
Springbok has extended his
contract until 2026. Also in
Europe, Ross Vintcent (2020F)
made his test debut for Italy,
coming off the bench against
Ireland. Ross plays club rugby
for the Exeter Chiefs, and is
studying business economics
at Exeter University. Further
north, Calum Wehmeyer (2017B)
is also at university, continuing his
medical training at St Andrews in
Scotland, where he is also forging
a promising career as a rugby
referee. He referees in the Scottish
Premiership and on the global
Sevens circuit, including “an
unbelievable experience” at
the Dubai Sevens in December.
Closer to home, Cornel Smit
(2015W) has joined Nizaam
Carr (2009M) at the Bulls. And
then there are the Stormers,
who continue to play wonderful
running rugby under coach John
Dobson (1985K). Having topped
the South African pool, they lost
narrowly in the 2023 URC Final,
but Connor Evans (2020W), Sacha
Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2020F) and
Suleiman Hartzenberg (2021S) are
back in the 2023/24 squad to
give it another go. In April 2024,
they were due to face Dillyn’s La
Rochelle in the Round of 16 of the
European Rugby Champions Cup
(either way, Bishops wins!). Imad
Khan (2021S), who remains in
the broader Western Province
setup, represented the Junior
Springboks at the World Rugby
U20 Championship played at
Athlone Stadium in June/July
2023. The Boks finished third
overall, losing to Ireland in the
semis, despite a try from Imad.
On the cricket field, Adrian
Holdstock (1988O) continues to
umpire high-profile international
matches around the world. In
March 2023 he was promoted
to the ICC’s elite panel, filling the
spot vacated by the retiring Aleem
Dar. With Marais Erasmus, Adrian
is one of only two South Africans
on the 12-man panel. In the UK,
Chris Cooke’s (2004M) long and
illustrious batsman-keeper career
at Glamorgan is nearing its end.
Into his 14th season at the Welsh
club, Chris has amassed more than
10,500 runs and taken nearly 400
dismissals behind the stumps. He
has captained the side and boasts
a number of records, including
hitting a 38-ball century in a T20
match against Middlesex. 2024
is his well-deserved Testimonial
year. Elsewhere, Nikolai Smith
(2011O) was selected to play for
Italy in the Cricket World Cup
Challenge League in Malaysia,
with an eye on qualifying for
the 2027 World Cup, and Jono
Bird (2019G) is still turning out
for WP.
In hockey, James Flint (2023K)
was top goal-scorer at the Junior
Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in
March 2023, helping the SA U21
team to tournament victory. Along
with Caleb Oliphant (2021W) and
Daniel Neuhoff (2023K), he was
then selected to represent the
team at the FIH Junior World
Cup in Malaysia in December.
At senior level, Dayaan (2017W)
and Mustapha Cassiem (2020W)
and Ryan Julius (2013K) again
received national call-ups in the
past year, and they were joined by
new cap Idrees Abdulla (2018M).
Finally, just in time for
Christmas, Andrew Rackstraw
(2019G) was awarded Proteas
colours for Motor Sports in
December. Congratulations to
him and all the ODs – including
those we’ve overlooked – earning
accolades and competing in the
spirit of the game across the world.
Imad Khan scores a wonderful try against Ireland in the semifinals of the World
Rugby U20 Championship, played at Athlone Stadium, July 2023.
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