The Blue Bulls Rugby Union is very pleased to honour Lourens (LM) Smit, who celebrated his 100th birthday on Monday.
Smit is the oldest living player that has represented the union and played in their very first match ever, in 1938.
Back then the Northern Transvaal Rugby Union broke away from the Transvaal Rugby Union to form their own union.
Smit played prop for the 1938 side, which had Doctor Danie Craven at scrumhalf.
Current BBRU president, Louis Nel, expressed his delight in congratulating Smit.
“It is a fantastic achievement to celebrate and in particular very apt for us, as the BBRU will be celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2013,” Nel said.
“This celebration is a wonderful way for the BBRU to start off our own celebrations.”
Former BBRU president, prof. Fritz Eloff, congratulated Smit ‘on behalf of the older generation’.
“The older ones amongst us can recall the feats of those heroes who played from 1938 onwards and it is a rare privilege to share this fantastic milestone with LM Smit. The fact that he was a member of the very first Northern Transvaal team makes this even more of an honour to congratulate him.”
Smit, who celebrated his birthday with his four sons in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, played for Transvaal first and then joined Northern Transvaal in 1938, one of his sons, Gert, said on behalf of his father.
He went on to play for Northern Transvaal in nine matches.
Five years ago Smit was honoured as the oldest living player when he was introduced to the crowd at Loftus Versfeld.
Smit’s sons also donated his first match jersey, jacket and team photos to the Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd, in honour of their father.