by Albert Grundlingh(Protea Book House)
Albert Grundlingh is Head of the History Department at Stellenbosch University and besides trying to explain the enduring obsession of the Afrikaner with rugby, he also provides perspectives on the demise of dog racing in Johannesburg in the 1940s, the attraction of the beach in Hartenbos in the 1930s and why it took such a long time for Afrikaners to make their presence felt in cricket.
In the first chapter, Grundlingh recalls the urbanisation of the Afrikaner and its link to dog racing.
We learn how dog racing started in Joburg and attracted the poorer working class Afrikaner, and how the middle class Afrikaner opposed it, which eventually led to its demise in 1949. After tracing the establishment of the Afrikaner holiday resort of Hartenbos, he then deals with rugby and its wider significance in Afrikaner society.
Grundlingh emphasises the role of the university in the historical connection between rugby and Afrikaner nationalism.
He recalls the importance of rugby legends such as Danie Craven, who helped turn Stellenbosch into the mecca of 20th century SA rugby.