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15 June 2018 Photo Sonia Small
Go Bokke says rector to wealth of Kovsies in Bok management team
Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, paid a special visit to the Springboks on Friday 15 June 2018 to wish the four former Kovsies good luck for the test match against England on Saturday (16 June 2018). From the left are: Jacques Nienaber, Oupa Mohoje, Prof Petersen, Rassie Erasmus, and Swys de Bruin.

 Listen to Prof Petersen's message to the Springboks here.

Former Kovsies are in abundance in the management team to face England in the second test in Bloemfontein on Saturday (16 June 2018).  

No less than four of the management team, including three of the five coaches, are Kovsies, having studied at the University of the Free State (UFS) previously. They are Rassie Erasmus (head coach), Jacques Nienaber (defence coach), Swys de Bruin (consultant for attacking play), and Vivian Verwant (physiotherapist). Nienaber is also a qualified physio who started his career in this role at Shimlas before advancing to coaching later on. Erasmus and De Bruin both donned the blue jersey.

Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, paid a special visit to the Springboks’ hotel in Bloemfontein on Friday morning (15 June 2018) to wish Erasmus and company good luck for the test. “I just want to wish you all the best. The entire Kovsie community is behind you and the Springboks, and we only want one result tomorrow,” Prof Petersen said.

Erasmus, who studied at the UFS in the early 1990s, said it was a joyful week in Bloemfontein. “It is good to be here. We really enjoyed the facilities, having trained at Shimla Park with all its good memories. Hopefully the result will be good tomorrow. We are proud former Kovsies, with quite a few of us here,” Erasmus said.

Although he won’t play on Saturday, loose forward Oupa Mohoje is still part of the training squad. Ox Nche, who was released from the squad on Sunday (10 June 2018), became the 76th Kovsie Springbok in the match against Wales on 2 June 2018.

News Archive

School of Medicine accredited
2005-05-18

The School of Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (USF) is now one of only a handful of similar South African schools with a five year curriculum which received accreditation from the Health Profession Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

Prof. Gert van Zyl, Head of the school, said the school is very proud of this achievement. It means that the hard work of students and staff over the past few years are now being rewarded.

“This curriculum is similar to those of the world’s best medical schools. Most other South African medical schools are still following the six year curriculum. The UFS accreditation is applicable for the next five years.

“A special committee of the HPCSA requires a number of documents and a presentation on the quality and standard of teaching at the school.”

As a result of the five year curriculum students of the UFS medical school start working one year earlier than students of other universities. This lightens the burden of a year’s class fees.

“This accreditation is not voluntarily. If the school did not receive accreditation now, we would have to start the process again,” said Van Zyl. 

Michelé O'Connor, Volksblad, 13 May 2005

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