Dr Daniël Hartman Craven (1910-1993), or as he is more famously known “Doc Craven”, is a former Matie, Western Province and Springbok rugby union player, coach and arguably the most influential and respected administrator the sport has ever seen. Doc Craven played 16 tests for the Springboks between 1931 and 1938 when the Springboks ruled world rugby and continued to coach them between 1949 and 1956. He became President of the South African Rugby Board in 1956 and stayed in the chair until 1992, when he became co-president of the newly formed SARFU (South African Rugby Football Union). He also became a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB) council in 1957 and chaired it in 1962, 1973 and 1979. In 2007 Doc Craven became the third inductee into the IRB Hall of Fame, only preceded by Rugby School and William Webb Ellis, the alleged birth place and inventor of rugby respectively.
Doc Craven’s life-long devotion to rugby was matched only by his dedication to Stellenbosch University. He continued coaching rugby at Maties until he was 80 years old, and the sight of Doc and his loyal dog Bliksem was for 17 years a fixture on the rugby fields and in the streets of this picturesque university town. He was appointed as the first professor in physical education (now sports science) at Stellenbosch University in 1949 and he obtained three doctorates (in ethnology, psychology and physical education) over the course of his academic career.
The nearby building (dating from 1856) is known as the Jannie Marais House. It is the original homestead of the Coetzenburg farm where Johannes Enoch Marais was born in 1851. He will be remembered as a philanthropist who donated generously to help many institutions in Stellenbosch after he amassed great wealth on the diamond fields. His legacy of £100,000 to the Victoria College helped to lay the foundation of Stellenbosch University in 1918. The buildings currently house the University’s Sport Bureau and the Craven/Markötter Rugby Museum.
Finding the cache: You don’t have to leave the paved area, scratch in the flower beds or upturn anything to retrieve the cache. You also don't have to pull out the whole hide - just open the magnetised lid. PLEASE replace it to look as inconspicuous as possible.
It can be a high-muggle area, so please be on the lookout – also for the security muggle stationed not too far away. Only a log sheet is supplied so please remember to bring your own pen.
Happy caching!
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FTF: 