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INTERNATIONALS - RHODESIA

Rhodesia v South Africa

1953	05.09 : Bulawayo Showgrounds,	Rhodesia	34	South Africa	37
UNOFFICIAL	Southern Rhodesia.	Bob Raw (S A) ©		Doug Serrurier (S A) ©	9
		Johnny Bekker (S R)		Bob Serrurier (S A)	8
Royal Show Handicap: Naude, James, Clark Rhodesian Golden Helmet Match Race: Bob Raw beat Doug Serrurier		Dave Naude (S A)	10	Sonny James (S A)
		Joe Blankfield (S A)	9	Harry du Toit (S A)	6
		Toby Boshoff (S A)	8	Doe Luyendyk (S A)	6
		Bert Clark (N R)		Stan Paulsen (N R)
This match, the very first speedway meeting in Southern Rhodesia, was held at the conclusion of the Royal Agricultural Show, and the teams were a mixture of riders from South Africa (S A), Southern Rhodesia (S R), and Northern Rhodesia (N R).The above details have been researched by Ken MacLeod from the Herald (Salisbury) and the Chronicle (Bulawayo). The track was 470 yards long, and the 3-lap track record of 70.1 secs was set in the final heat of the match. The attendance was 12,000 - a record for a sporting event in Bulawayo, and a quarter of the town's population. The track appears to have had four distinct corners. The first meeting in Northern Rhodesia was the Northern Rhodesia Open Championship at the Kitana Stadium, Kitwe, on 16.07.53. It was won by South African Bob Serrurier, who was resident in the country at the time, and who was a prime mover in these early efforts to establish the sport in Rhodesia. Bert Clark, of Northern Rhodesia, became the first Rhodesian to ride in the UK when he rode for the ill-fated Edinburgh team in 1954.

1971	This series, for the "Southern African Team Championship" was between the Rhodesian Stars
UNOFFICIAL	and a touring South African Select. The Rhodesian team had to be strengthened by the inclusion of
	foreign riders.
	Rhodesian Stars won series 3-0
	06.02 : Bulawayo (Showgrounds)	Rhodesian Stars	49	South African Select	28
	07.02 : Gwelo (Newmarket Stadium)	Rhodesian Stars	55	South African Select	35
	10.02 : Salisbury (Glamis Stadium)	Rhodesian Stars	42	South African Select	28

Rhodesian Stars				Total	South African Select				Total
Bob Young (Aus)	9	-	11	20	Dennis Newton	8	11	8	27
Zak "Abe" Koekemoer	10	2	4	16	Vic Pretorius	7	3	4	14
Barry Duke (Eng)	15	-	-	15	Bob Young (Aus)	-	13	-	13
Dave Jessup (Eng)	-	15	-	15	Oyvind Berg (Nor)	-	-	11	11
Oyvind Berg (Nor)	-	14	-	14	Dave Jessup (Eng)	9	-	-	9
Bill McMillan (Scot)	-	14	-	14	Ettienne Olivier	2	5	-	7
Peter Prinsloo	4	5	5	14	Tommy Viljoen	0	3	3	6
Geoff Curtis (Aus)	-	-	11	11	Danie Fourie	2	0	0	2
Laurie Etheridge (Eng)	9	-	-	9	Tony Jongvisser	-	-	2	2
Alan Harris	2	5	-	7
Bobby Beaton (Scot)	-	-	6	6
Jim Gallacher (Scot)	-	-	5	5

1974	*Rhodesia won series 2-0*
	20.09 : Salisbury	Rhodesia	27	South Africa	21
	21.09 : Bulawayo	Rhodesia	36	South Africa	12

Note : The Rhodesia Herald named the teams for these matches as:

Rhodesia : Peter Prinsloo, Mike Ferreira, Pip Harris, & Ray Barclay. South Africa : Dennis Newton, Louis Fourie, Danie Fourie, & Vic Pretorious (who may have been replaced by Jantjie Stevens?)
At Bulawayo, Mike Ferreira lowered the track record to 53.9 in heat 8 (all races at Bulawayo were over 3 laps)

Some photos of the Rhodesian tracks of the 1970's can be found here

Contributors : Christian Weber, Ken MacLeod, David Austin