On this day, 30 years ago, the South African Rugby League was launched with Trevor Lake (President) and Dave Southern as full-time Administrator. This came after 25 years of inactivity and following the repression of the sport under Rugby League South Africa. The launch was the result of an initiative of rugby league expatriates and fans, Tony Barker and Dave Southern, who met by chance at an Irish pub in Johannesburg in December 1988. Ignorant of the code’s eventful past and lacking any outside assistance, but determined to ‘have access to their game from home’, the two agreed to ‘start’ rugby league locally. The ambitious Barker-Southern project entered life at the same time that the larger South African society started its political transition from being a racist, to an open, equal and democratic society. This had all manner of implications for the rugby league project.
Determined to realise their objectives Southern and Barker with the assistance of journalist Rodney Hartman advertised a series of meetings to gauge local interest in the project. Amongst those that attended the first meetings were a few former league players, administrators and match officials such as Trevor Lake (Wigan), Ray Mordt (Wigan), Tony Lane (Lock Lane) and former referee Barry Haslam. Their presence and insights into the game were critical for the launch of the next phase of the project, namely the election of office-bearers and the launch of the new body on 26 August 1991. Among the pioneers driving this process were Trevor Lake, Dave Southern, John Callaghan, Peter Cook, Tony Barker, Jacey Strauss.
By Hendrik Snyders
Determined to realise their objectives Southern and Barker with the assistance of journalist Rodney Hartman advertised a series of meetings to gauge local interest in the project. Amongst those that attended the first meetings were a few former league players, administrators and match officials such as Trevor Lake (Wigan), Ray Mordt (Wigan), Tony Lane (Lock Lane) and former referee Barry Haslam. Their presence and insights into the game were critical for the launch of the next phase of the project, namely the election of office-bearers and the launch of the new body on 26 August 1991. Among the pioneers driving this process were Trevor Lake, Dave Southern, John Callaghan, Peter Cook, Tony Barker, Jacey Strauss.
By Hendrik Snyders