A Day in the Life of the University of Pretoria. 10 October 1980

On this "Day in the life of the University of Pretoria" UP’s student newspaper , Perdeby , included an article on the history of rugby at the University.

Rugby was one of the first team sports, (along with soccer) that was introduced at the Transvaal University College (TUC) in 1909. When it was first introduced at the College (as pictured above) there were barely enough students to make up one team and by 1912 the student newspaper noted with concern the lack of interest in the sport. Of the 17 students that were part of the 1912 club, only 12 had a decent knowledge of the game. This changed however when Dr L.C. de Villiers, a keen sportsman, became the first president of the club. Under his guidance the club grew from strength to strength. In 1951, Tukkies produced it first national rugby Springbok player, Ernst Dinkelman, and by 1980 Tukkies had over 64 rugby teams. 

The University of Pretoria Archives (UPA) preserves the history of the University of Pretoria. The UPA has an extensive photo collection and clipping collection. Please contact us on [email protected] to share your memories of Tukkies or to access our collection.