In Loving Memory: Mally Richards (1933–2026)

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Mally Richards, who passed away peacefully on Saturday at the age of 93.

A respected former Eastern Province water polo player, Mally was a beloved figure and a true legend within the South African water polo community. His passion, spirit, and longevity in the pool were unmatched—reflected in his proud traditions at the annual SA Masters Water Polo Tournament, where he was honored for many years as the recipient of the walking stick for being the oldest active player at the event.

Mally’s warmth, competitive spirit, and dedication to the sport will be dearly missed both in and out of the water.

We extend our most sincere condolences to Mally’s family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time. May his legacy continue to inspire generations of players to come.

“Rest in peace, Mally.”

It is with deep sadness that the Masters community announces the passing of two of our esteemed stalwarts, Murray de Jager (OFS) and Robbie Prince (Easterns).

Both men were pillars of their respective provinces, leaving behind a lasting legacy through their dedication and passion for Masters sports. Their contributions on and off the field will not be forgotten.

Our thoughts are with their families and friends during this difficult time. Rest in peace, gentlemen. You will be dearly remembered.

It is will sadness that we were informed of the passing of another Gauteng Masters player – Faan Baantjies.

May his dear soul rest in peace.

Over the last three weeks, SA Masters has lost some true gentlemen of the game.

Tommy Osborne
Abie Spies (Coelacanths)
Neville Davies (Neville’s Knights)

Condolences to family, fiends and colleagues.

May their dear souls rest in peace.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Alfred Volchansky this morning at the age of 90.

A proud KES Old Boy from the class of 1951, he was a dedicated figure in Gauteng water polo and participated in 25 Masters tournaments.

He was honoured several times with the Paul Semple Walking Stick, awarded to the oldest player at Masters.

May he rest in peace.

It is with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Mike Renwick on Sunday 2 March 2025.

Mike was a stalwart of Gauteng and Old Eds waterpolo where he left his indelible mark on many of the youngsters and team mates. His pep talks and encouragement to all helped many a player in their sporting career. He was a formidable centre forward at club, provincial and national level where he was a handful for the defenders. He won many a medal at the SA Masters Waterpolo tournaments over the years having played over 20 tournaments and being awarded his Yellow costume before retiring from the game.

His spirit and camaraderie around the pool will be missed by all who knew him.

May his dear soul rest in peace.

Border Barracudas lost a stalwart of their Masters side in a tragic vehicle accident on Saturday 8 February 2025. He was a tough player and his fellow Masters colleagues are truely saddened by his passing.

On behalf of all the Masters community, we express our deepest condolences to Ray’s family, colleagues and team mates.

May his dear soul rest in peace.

Until we meet again. Cheers

RIP Paul Martin.

Geriatric’s no 7

We will miss you, your character, your humour and laugh, whilst our opponents won’t miss your goal scoring ability.

Deepest condolences to Paul’s family and his Geriatrics team mates.

Roelof passed away after battling lymphoma for some time.

He was a stalwart of waterpolo up in Gateng and would always make an effort to play a game over the weekend. He will be missed.

RIV ou maat.