He was a wing at Stellenbosch initially, and was then selected to play against the combined New Zealand military team in 1919. They had so much respect for him that he became a marked man.

Their captain was heard to remark on this to his team as they took the field and they marked him so closely that he injured his knee during a tackle. After the injury he was obliged to switch to centre.

He later went to Guy's Hospital in London where they had a brilliant team. That was when the RFU (British) brought in the rule that only players of British descent could play for England. If they had'nt they would not have a native-born player in their team.

PK was a thinker, he always had a theory about everything. Mr Markotter had followed his career very closely while he was at Guy's and wanted PK to come home to play against the touring 1924 Lions.

PK had a problem because he had borrowed money from his uncle to study in England and did'nt feel he could take the leave. Mr Mark replied: "Don't you worry about that, I'll talk to your uncle - you just make sure you get here in time. I'll just go to your uncle and say: "Do you want the English to win the Boer War again in these tests?"

The uncle was horrified: "Never! let him come back."

PK was actually selected to play for South Africa before the preliminary trials - word has it that he was still on board ship when they were held.

When the final trials were held Mr Markotter roped him in, made him captain; and he remained captain in all four tests against Cove-Smith's 1924 Lions where he gave South Africa sterling service.

I once stayed over with PK in George where he practised as a dentist. PK was rather a talkative man but there was merit in every word he spoke.