3 minute read
HISTORIC VIP ROOM ENHANCED BY UPGRADE
BY LYNDON JULIUS
GLEN BENTLEY
THE NEWLY UPGRADED UWC STADIUM, aka the ‘Operation Room’, has hosted many prestigious sports events for more than three decades. As importantly, it had a unique association with non-racial sport and the anti-apartheid struggle.
After initially rejecting sport at ‘bush colleges’ in principle, SACOS (South African Council on Sport), the organisation that led the struggle against apartheid in sport, was persuaded by sportspeople themselves that UWC’s involvement in sport in black communities and its students’ consistent activism placed the institution clearly on the side of non-racialism.
Many UWC athletes, administrators and teams were also active in the organisation of non-racial sport, including Brian O’Connell, an extremely talented Western Cape cricketer who later became Vice-Chancellor, and the stadium became a base for several sports codes after apartheid.
The VIP section was built when the stadium was completed in the mid-1980s and it was never upgraded apart from minor touch-ups.
Glen Bentley, UWC Sport Administration Support Services Manager, is well pleased with the newly renovated and upgraded VIP and entertainment area.
“This has been something that we are all very proud of,” notes Bentley.
“We upgraded the playing surface, and we now have a VIP section that matches our world-class playing field. This will allow the administrators and UWC sports clubs to continue to excel, not only on the field but also when they need to host their counterparts and esteemed sporting leaders.”
AMONG THE IMPROVEMENTS to the VIP section are three high-definition bigscreen televisions with a connected sound system that were installed to allow away games and events to be watched in style and comfort. A new outside staircase allows guests direct access rather than using the potentially confusing older staircase that leads to both the Venue Operation Centre (VOC) and VIP/media section.
ANDREW WRANKMORE has been a UWC sports administrator since 1987 and witnessed the growth of UWC Sports along with the physical expansion of sports facilities and amenities over the last thirty years. He says the newly upgraded section has its own interesting history that had nothing to do with VIPs.
Wrankmore says, “The facility has often been used for our staff meetings, and at times other departments used it for functions, workshops and important presentations.” Wrankmore added proudly, “At one stage, the room was used to house student athletes who had accommodation issues.”
BOTH BENTLEY AND WRANKMORE NOTED that one person who would have been very proud of the developments and upgrade to the VIP section at the UWC Stadium was their mentor and sports administrator, Edwin Wyngaard, who unfortunately passed on in 2021. Wrankmore and Bentley worked with Wyngaard for many years and say his personality and organising ability particularly suited him to hosting VIPs in the room.
“Mr Wyngaard was perfect as the gentleman host of VIPs for Varsity Sport and Varsity Cup events. He loved socialising, was an amazing people person, and he conducted himself as a VIP. He set the required high standards for the treatment of important guests for the rest of the administrators,” says Wrankmore, describing Wyngaard as a “perfect administrator”.
“IT WAS MR WYNGAARD’S THING,” agrees Bentley, “to host people and important guests. There were many events and functions where he would be the one to take the lead. He would no doubt have been proud of this beautiful facility.” B+G
