Time may have worn away their athletic primes but the legacies of these three exceptional sportsmen endure. Meet these three remarkable competitors now in their golden years.
CLIVE RICHARDSON
The Springbok who led from the front
Clive was born in Bloemfontein and educated at St Andrews where he matriculated in 1949. In 1952 he began working at the SA Perm. During the early years with them he studied and obtained his CIS. When he retired many years later it was as General Manager, Human Resources. Clive has always been a great sportsman. While at school he played for the 1st cricket, hockey, athletic and tennis teams – where he played with Gordon and Jack Forbes. Upon leaving school Clive played cricket and hockey for St Andrews Old Boys. He was chosen to play for the Free State Cricket Team at the end of his first year out of school. He went on to captain the Free State team, playing in the Springbok trials, and also played for the SA Colts and the SA11 team. Clive was the Opening Bat for the SA11 when he played with Graeme Pollock.
In 1961 he was named as one of the five South African Cricketers of the Year. They were an illustrious group: Clive Richardson, Ali Bacher, John Cole, Buster Farrer and Graeme Pollock. Hockey was Clive’s other love. He was chosen for the Free State Team in 1952 and played for them until 1966. During that time, he was Captain of the Free State Team for 10 years. He was chosen as a Springbok in 1956 to tour Britain and Europe. In 1957 this hockey team was the first to leave SA’s shores. Clive also captained SA against Kenya at a Tournament in Rhodesia and then captained SA against Rhodesia in 1961. In 1964 he was again chosen to tour Britain and Europe becoming the first player to represent South Africa in two overseas Tours. Whilst he and Marion were living in Cape Town he played for Western Province for a year. When he gave up active sport, Clive played a great deal of golf. He was elected to the honorary position of President of the Seniors Golfers’ Society of South Africa for the 2010/2011 year. He captained the Seniors Golf Tour to France in 1999 and was also a member of the team that toured Australia in 2005. When Marion and Clive moved to San Sereno, Clive continued playing golf. He also however became a feared opponent on the bowling green. What an amazing legacy. We are fortunate indeed to have this superb sportsman as one of us at San Sereno.
TONY MARTIN
Squash champion, international referee… and still competitive on the green
Tony grew up in Hampshire. His Mother was a tennis coach and at the age of seven he started playing tennis at the Alverstone Lawn Tennis Club. At nine, he was the runner up in the under 10 singles Championships and won 2s & 6p (half a crown). He and his partner won the doubles, and he won another 2s & 6p! At 13 he played in the under 14 competitions at Wimbledon and reached the last 32. At 13 he was sent off to Sherborne School in Dorset. The first time he stepped into a squash court – a new experience to him – he just knew this was for him. At 15 he was playing for the school and at 17 was the No. 1. He worked in London for 10 years playing squash every weekend. He needed a change and decided to move to Johannesburg. Tony found a flat in Hillbrow with reciprocity with the Summit Club next door and after proving that he was a quality player, was allowed to become a member. Squash was very vibrant at that time. He became the club champion in both 1972/1973. He wanted to play 1st League and having met Owen Leibbrandt who was then a Wanderers player, Owen invited Tony to join his club. This resulted in him playing not only league but also to play in the Inter Provincial Jarvis Cup for 10 years. At 45, he played Veterans Inter-Provincial for 25 years. In 1994 South Africa was readmitted to international squash and he was selected at 49 years of age to play for South Africa in the over 45 age group, receiving his Springbok Colours. Over the next 20 years he represented South Africa on numerous occasions. The highlight of Tony’s years in squash was when he was 65 and won the silver medal in the World Master’s Games in Sydney (the Senior’s Olympics equivalent). Later that year he was again runner-up in the World Master’s Squash Tournament in Cologne. Incredible Achievements! In order to put something back into squash, he became a referee. He refereed four South African Open finals. He is also a member of the Jester Club which is an international club of top squash players. At the age of 70, due to deteriorating eyesight, Tony had to give up both squash and tennis. Since then, he has become an active and excellent bowler at San Sereno.
LES BOWRING
Johannesburg Open champion with a global winning streak
Les and his brother attended Hilton College, inspired by their father, who was a passionate Hiltonian. Their father often remarked that they were “fed on bread and bulldog porridge,” reflecting both the nurturing and disciplined environment at the school. Les distinguished himself early on, becoming the No. 1 player for the Pietermaritzburg district schools’ team, where he competed against the Durban schools. His talents extended beyond tennis; he also finished as runner up in the interschools 3m diving competition held in Pietermaritzburg. While pursuing a degree in mining engineering, Les continued to excel in tennis. He won the Wits University Singles Championship and was chosen as the No. 1 singles player for the Combined Universities team, competing against Southern Transvaal. After graduation, Les joined the Wanderers Tennis Club, where he quickly secured the position of No. 1 singles player for the First Team in the premier league. His dedication and skill led him to win the Johannesburg Open Singles Championship. During this period, he also claimed victories in the Northern Rhodesian and Botswana Single tennis championships. Les spent four years in the United States, continuing his involvement in tennis at a competitive level. He achieved notable success by winning both the singles and doubles titles in the veterans’ division at the Washington State championships. Upon returning to South Africa, Les maintained his high standard of play, earning the No. 1 singles position for South Africa in the biennial international veteran’s event. In 2000, he and teammates Gordon Forbes and Abe Segal triumphed at Sun City by winning the tournament. Two years later, Les once again represented South Africa in India to defend the title, sadly the team was not successful in their defence. Between them, Clive, Tony and Les have worn Springbok colours, broken records and competed on world stages across cricket, hockey, squash, tennis and golf. All three ended up on the same bowling green at San Sereno and we love that they did!
By Dot Willis San Sereno
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