Springbok Rugby Players
It was in 1918 that Kingswood first beat the St Andrew's 1st XV fair and square, without any masters playing in the sides and without any of the controversial older students who were accommodated at St Andrew's but were attending the newly established Rhodes University College.
In that triumphant Kingswood side were both Bennie Osler, who subsequently moved on to Rondebosch Boys' High School, and Jack Slater, later a teacher and eventually headmaster at Kingswood. Just four years later Bennie Osler was playing for Western Province; both he and Jack Slater went on to become Springbok rugby players. Rugby aficionados, including the late Dr Danie Craven, generally agree that Kingswood Old Boy Bennie Osler is one of the all-time rugby greats. They also agree that but for an injury - sustained while he was playing for Oxford against the Springboks led by his brother, Bennie - that put him out of the game, Stanley 'Sharkey' Osler, also an Old Kingswoodian Springbok, would have been even greater.
After Stanley Osler's retirement from rugby he became a teacher at Kingswood and coached the rugby team to a championship standard that included at least one unbeaten year (1936). Even without the brilliance of Bennie, Kingswood's 1924 rugby XV lost only one game and the 1925 side had an unbeaten record. Between 1922 and 1928 no fewer than five Kingswood Old Boys played for South Africa. In 1928 six Old Boys, including three Oslers, were invited to the final trials in Durban to select a Springbok XV to meet the New Zealand All Blacks.
This was the game that South Africa won 17-0 and Kingswood Old Boys scored every point. A newspaper report on the fifft test noted, 'Bennie Osler was responsible for two penalties and two dropped goals, J Slater scored a magnificent try in the last few minutes whilst SG Osler played brilliantly and proved himself the best centre on the field.' (School magazine.)
Apart from its Sporting Heroes
While Kingswood sportsmen and sportswomen continue to uphold their colours in sporting competition (EQ Davies, Denys Hobson, Meyrick Pringle and Brett Schultz in cricket; Trevor Fancutt in tennis; Murray Spiers in sailing), the school features with distinction in academic achievement.
Apart from its sporting heroes, the Old Kingswoodian roll contains names of prominent political, civic, business and professional men such as Dr Nico Malan, a former administrator of the Cape Province; Mr JW Shilling, a former chairman of the Chamber of Mines; Mr Donald B Sole, former South African United Nations representative and ambassador to West Germany and the United States; Reverend ES Pons, Moderator of the Methodist Church in 1969; Mr WHD Deacon, former member of parliament for Albany; Mr Ted Pavitt, ex chairman of Gencor; and Dr WJG Mears, a past secretary for Native Affairs.
In more recent times there have been mining magnate and race-horse breeder Graham Beck; Peter Wrighton, chief executive of the Premier Group; Theal Stewart, ex Chief Justice of Bophuthatswana; P de V Booysen, ex Principal of Natal University; and David Susman, better known as 'Mr Wooltru'.
By David Bristow