A History of Retreat Rugby Football Club

The Retreat Rugby Football Club was established in 1898. There is no available record indicating the specific month or date of its formation. According to available information, most members initially resided in the Lakeside, Frogmore Estate, and Raapkraal areas, leading to the amalgamation of the Lakeside and United Clubs. The club adopted maroon and white as its colours, with an emblem featuring an oak leaf and two acorns.

From 1898 to 1921, Retreat Rugby Football Club functioned as a social rugby club, arranging friendly matches when possible. Founding families included the Coller, Asia, Kirsten (owner of the Pollsmoor Bottle Store), Louw, and Thornton families. Johannes Thornton is recognised as a founding member, with his brothers Peter, Abel, Edward ("Bokkie"), and Isaac also playing for the club in Mowbray.

In 1922, the club affiliated with the City and Suburban Rugby Football Union (also known as Cities), headquartered in Mowbray. The club qualified for admission into the First Division after a match against Primrose and won its first major trophy, the Commando Cup, in 1924. In the late 1920s, purple and white became the new official colours. After World War I, the club’s emblem transitioned to a cannon, referencing the British occupation of the Cape in 1795 and the retreat of Dutch forces, with the official colours becoming purple and white alongside the cannon emblem.

In 1936, several Kalk Bay-based players left the club to join Thistle Rugby Football Club. Between 1938 and 1951, the club achieved significant competitive success, winning every major trophy at least once under the leadership of Sam Apollis. During this period, the club's membership grew due to an influx of student teachers from Battswood Training College, schoolteachers, and returned soldiers. Most players continued to come from Retreat and surrounding areas, with the club remaining regionally based.

By 1958, the club had expanded considerably, fielding two Third Teams with many talented young players. Notable among these were Kosie Prince, Rodney van Diemen, Martin Manasse, and Eric Hector, who contributed to the team that won the Commando Cup in 1963. The club faced some administrative and financial challenges, especially during times when key figures such as Mr Page left to work abroad but managed to continue operations.

During subsequent years, the club continued its activities while City and Suburban Rugby Football Union relocated its headquarters to City Park in Athlone. While awaiting the readiness of this new venue, fixtures were played behind Kenilworth Racecourse and on Industria land Crescent in Lansdowne. There was a period when the club’s First Team was relegated to the First Reserve Division. In 1968, while playing at City Park, the club won the First Reserve Division and earned promotion back to the First Division. This era marked the participation of several brother pairs, including members of the Carlson, Manasse, Lategan, Phillips, and Muller families.

After some less successful years in the early 1970s, the club experienced renewed competitive achievement in the 1980s and 1990s. During this time, it secured major trophies in the Third, Second, and First Divisions multiple times, including the Thorne (Third), Sedgewick (Second), Commando and Diamond Cups (First), as well as league trophies across all three divisions. Additional family groups, such as the Moses, Jacobs, Lentoor, and Hartzenberg brothers, joined the club during this period.