If rugby enthusiast and collector extraordinaire Theo Geustyn has anything to do with it, his vast collection of rugby memorabilia at De Zalze in Stellenbosch will move to Nooitgedacht Village sooner rather than later. He would like to see it turned into a sports bar, restaurant and conference facility, where people can get together to watch sports on TV, have a drink and a meal and enjoy the item
s he has been collecting for most of his life. And what a collection it is, consisting of more than 600 rugby jerseys, jackets, balls, team photos and ties from all across the rugby-playing world.
“All these pieces are special,” says Theo, “but if I had to single out one it would be the Springbok jersey and tog bag of Sias de K**k from the 1921 Springbok tour to New Zealand.”
Other jerseys in the collection include those of Jack van der Schyff from the 1949 Springbok and All Blacks series, and Poens Prinsloo’s from the 1963 clash between the Springboks and the Wallabies.
“That jersey still has the ‘Pronkbokkie’ badge and I think there are only six of them left in the country. Then there’s the jersey of Gareth Edwards from the 1974 British Lions tour to South Africa, the French captain Jean Pierre Rives’ from the 1980 test series between France and South Africa and Andrew Mehrtens’ fly-half jersey from the 1996 clash between the All Black and the Springboks,” he says
But the collection is big and each jersey or collectible has a story to tell of how he came to be in possession of it. One of the more entertaining anecdotes is how Theo got hold of prop Ollie le Roux’s 1994 jersey while the Springboks were on tour in New Zealand.
“One night, after a game against Bay of Plenty, Gysie Pienaar, the fullback, casually strolled into our hotel room with what appeared to be a bag of mud, saying he had a gift for me. Digging through all that mud, I found shreds of Ollie’s torn jersey. That’s how hard he was mauled during the game. Luckily, after an all-night soak in a tub of water and detergent, you could once again make out that it was Ollie’s jersey.” Theo reminisces. Bloemfontein-born Theo began collecting rugby memorabilia at the tender age of 10. At first he collected newspaper clippings and used the Afrikaans family magazine, Huisgenoot, to collect photos of his local and international rugby heroes. The first rugby jersey to find its way into his hands was one belonging to the then Free State prop, Martiens le Roux, who went on to play for the Springboks later. With the help of Le Roux, Gysie Pienaar and flank Theuns Stofberg, who went on to captain the Boks later, he gained access to many jerseys.
“I got to own so many jerseys that I decided to put them on display. This grew so big that we had to set up a dedicated place where people could come and visit to look at the collection,” he says. Many rugby luminaries have visited Theo’s Rugby Museum in Stellenbosch, including players, coaches and referees.
“It’s become so popular that we have been visited by many schools and teams through the years, from provincial, Super 10, Super 12 and Super 14 teams—even Nick Mallet’s Springbok team and many other famous international sports stars.”
If all goes to plan, this businessman would like to move the collection to the Nooitgedacht Square in the first half of 2015, but he wants to rebrand it as something other than ‘museum’.
“Instead of the ‘Theo Geustyn Rugby Museum’, I’d rather change the identity of the collection to the ‘Theo Geustyn Rugby and Sports Experience’, and possibly make it interactive and get people involved. This will be an incredible opportunity for people to enjoy these historic pieces while socialising informally,” he says. Where it is currently located, the collection already receives many visitors, but Theo expects the numbers to increase dramatically if it moves to Nooitgedacht in the format he envisages. Despite having lived in the Western Cape since 1997, Western Province is only third on his list when it comes to provincial rugby teams. But it should come as no surprise that Theo is a firm Cheetahs supporter, remaining loyal to his roots in Grey College and the University of the Free State.
“But I also like the Sharks. I suppose that’s because so many former Grey College guys play for both these teams,” he says. Theo’s knowledge of rugby is encyclopaedic. Asked about whom he would rate as best players ever, not only among the Springboks, but also internationally, he is hesitant to commit himself.
“When I was young, I’d probably rate HO de Villiers with his then new running technique from his position as fullback. Then of course there was British fly-half Phil Bennett, fullback JPR Williams, scrum-half Gareth Edwards and lock forward Willie John McBride,” he says. “They all played for that unforgettable 1974 British Lions team.”
“Singling out the best Springboks is very difficult, because each era had its own bests, like Danie Craven of the 1930s, Hennie Windhond Muller of the 1950s, Mannetjies Roux and Frik du Preez of the 1960s and 1970s. But, based purely on incredible talent, I’d have to single out Danie Ge**er, Gysie Pienaar, Theuns Stofberg, Naas Botha and Carel du Plessis. Of course I’m leaving out some, but these players stand out above the others,” he says. Talking about the 1974 British Lions tour of South Africa, he remembers a secret code the visitors had—it was the word ‘ninety-nine’.
“Whenever there was a scuffle and Willie John McBride called out the word, the whole lot of them, from fullback to ho**er, would climb in,” he laughs. “They had an incredible camaraderie.
“After the last test at Ellis Park, which was drawn at 13 all, the guys naturally went all out to celebrate, to such an extent that Gareth Edwards had to stay over at the hotel where the party took place. The father of a good friend of mine offered him a place to sleep in his room. When he left the next day, as a token of his appreciation, he gave his host the number nine Lions jersey that he had worn during the match. That’s how the jersey landed up in my collection,” Theo says. The move of this rugby expert’s unique collection to the Nooitgedacht Square will most certainly be a valuable—and undoubtedly popular—addition to the development.
