Diggers Rugby Club celebrates its 125th birthday with a day of matches
PRAEGVILLE – It's all rugby as Diggers Rugby Club celebrates its 125th birthday.
What better way for a rugby club to celebrate its 125th birthday than to host a day jam-packed full of rugby matches.
Food stalls and jumping castles lined the side of the field on 30 June as fans were kept fed and entertained while watching Diggers Rugby Club host Johannesburg Police Rugby Club (Bobbies) for 10 junior matches and four senior games.
It has been an exciting century and a quarter for Diggers, and yet there is more to come, said coach Keith Baillie.
“We are one of the oldest rugby clubs in Joburg and our junior section is currently one of the largest in Gauteng,” he said.
“We thought a day of rugby would showcase our skills and abilities. What a better day can you have, with good rugby and good food?”
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Baillie said while the senior section had been up and down (more recently up) in recent years, the junior section keeps growing and now boasts 120 players.
The club has also seen an upgrade to its field lights this year.
“Diggers has always been a popular club and over the years we have produced many Springbok and Lions players.”
In fact, since 1893 Diggers has produced 30 Springboks, including the current president of the Golden Lions Rugby Union Kevin de Klerk, three Springbok captains, two vice-captains and 200 players capped for Transvaal.
The club was based at Springfield until it moved to Randburg Sports Complex in 1992, and merged with the Randburg Rugby Club.
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