The Old Diocesan Issue 12 - Magazine - Page 105
SPORT
Reg Bamford lifts the World
Croquet Championship trophy
at the National Croquet Center
in West Palm Beach, Florida,
26 October 2025.
SPORTS NEWS
We have two world champions in our midst
– and an array of hockey and rugby stars
W
e start with news
of a multiple world
champion OD;
indeed, possibly
our most successful individual
sportsman ever. Last October,
at the age of 58, Reg Bamford
(1985G) won his sixth World
Croquet Championship. Coming 32
years after he won his first major
croquet title – the British AC Open
Championship in 1993 – this brings
his tally of majors to an astonishing
24. Congrats to Reg.
Staying on less-travelled sports
circuits, Andrew Rackstraw
(2019G) took the chequered flag
at the 2025 Porsche Carrera Cup
Great Britain in October, capping
off a standout season on the British
circuit. In just his second season
racing abroad, Andrew delivered a
championship-winning campaign
in the Pro category, showcasing
consistency and composure
behind the wheel for Century
Motorsport under the Rosland
Gold Racing banner.
Back in South Africa, another
speed demon also had a good year.
Racing in his 1979 March 79A Formula
Atlantic single-seater, Charles Arton
(1978W) won both the Classic
Conqueror category at the Simola
Hillclimb in Knysna last May, and
the Classic Champion title at the
inaugural Speed Classic Cape Town
in October. Full throttle to our racers!
Getting wet, the World Aquatics
Championships, held in July in
Singapore, saw the Sneddon brothers,
Brett (2016M), Ryan (2019M) and
Dean (2022M), once again proudly
representing South Africa. Also in
the pool, Michael Houlie (2018B),
who is studying in the US, competed
at the 2025 SA National Aquatic
Championships in April, earning
silver. On the US circuit, Michael
claimed gold in the 50m breaststroke
at the TYR Pro Series in March 2025,
and again at the Toyota American
Championships in December.
The 2025 Malindi International
Deep Sea Fishing Competition took
place in February off the Kenyan
coast, attracting anglers to one of
East Africa’s top big game fishing
destinations. Stuart MacSymon
(1978F) and Dave Stewart (1978O)
delivered outstanding performances
and were crowned overall winners,
securing the trophy in a highly
competitive tournament.
Following his profile on the
previous page, it seems appropriate
to start hockey news with an update
from Ryan Julius (2013K). Besides
announcing his retirement from
the South African outdoor hockey
team, Ryan was part of the Western
Province squad, together with Idrees
Abdulla (2018O), at the Indoor
Hockey IPT in Gauteng in February
2025. WP finished the tournament
as runners-up. Meanwhile, Dayaan
(2017W) and Mustapha Cassiem
(2020W) continue to collect
accolades from hockey leagues
around the world. Also in February
last year, South Africa produced
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