Robert Loftus Owen Versfeld
| Full name | Robert Loftus Owen Versfeld | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 December 1862 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Constantia, Western Cape, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 4 May 1932 (aged 69) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Johanna Catharina Elizebeth ("Jossie") Versfeld (née Botha) (1865-1962) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | Thelma Cook, Winifred Page, Wilfred Versfeld | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Solicitor, Administrator | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position(s) | Three-quarter | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Amateur team(s) | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| 1880–85? 1888 1889–97? |
Hamilton RFC, Cape Town Union RFC, Uitenhage Pretoria RFC, Pretoria |
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| Provincial / State sides | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| 1885 1889 1891 |
Cape Town XV Transvaal Transvaal Country XV |
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Robert Loftus Owen Versfeld (7 December 1862 – 5 May 1932) was a South African rugby union player and administrator who was a founding member of the Eastern Province Rugby Union and of the Pretoria Rugby Subunion (1908) which in 1938 became Northern Transvaal. He founded Pretoria Rugby Club in 1888, and established Pretoria rugby headquarters at Eastern Sports Grounds. He introduced grass playing fields to the Transvaal.
Versfeld is the only South African player to have won a Grand Challenge Cup in three different provinces with three different teams: the inaugural Western Province Grand Challenge Cup with Hamilton Rugby Football Club in 1883; the Eastern Province Grand Challenge Cup with Union RFC in 1888; and the Transvaal Grand Challenge Cup with Pretoria RFC in 1889. He also played for a Transvaal Country XV against Bill MacLagan's touring British Isles side in 1891.
Loftus Versfeld was born at Constantia, South Africa as the third child to Marthinus Versveld (sic, 8 November 1815 - 5 January 1870) and Johanna Hillegonda Carolina Owen. The Versfelds (spelled 'Versfelt' or 'Versveld' prior to 1870) came from ancient Dutch stock which can probably be traced back to a Gerald Versfeld who in 1200 lived near Zevenaar in the Netherlands. The progenitor of the South African Versfelds was William Ferdinand Versfelt (1745–87), who came to the Cape in 1773 as secretary to his nephew, Peter Baron Van Rheede, Lord of Oudshoorn, designated governor. Baron van Rheede died on the journey to the Cape of Good Hope.
Loftus had an older sister, Helen Elizabeth (b.1861), and was the second of five brothers; Marthinus (b.1860), Jan Hendrik (b. 1864), Charles (b. 1866), and Willem (1870).
Loftus and three of his five brothers, John, Marthinus (Oupa), and Charles (Hasie) all played rugby for Hamilton RFC. In 1885 all four were in the Hamilton side that won the inaugural WP Grand Challenge Cup. In the same year they were on the Combined Cape Town team that competed in the first interprovincial competition at Grahamstown. Loftus was later named as a life-member of Hamiltons.
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