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30 January 2019 | Story Ruan Bruwer | Photo Varsity Cup
Varsity Cup
Shimlas scrumhalf, Rewan Kruger, played for the Junior Springboks last year and he was also jointly named Junior Player of the Year for the Shimlas alongside Lubabalo Dobela.

A fresh and inexperienced Shimla team, branded as the youngest squad ever, came two log points short of reaching the semi-finals of the Varsity Cup in last season's tournament. Ten of the players in the squad were still U19 last year. The 2018 rugby year proved to be a reconstructive one for the Shimlas after they parted ways with several members of their team in 2017.

After winning three of their first four encounters, including two away fixtures, the Shimlas were set for a spot in the semi-finals, which could possibly have been a home game. The three victories were against the defending champions Tuks by 19-17, 44-24 against Wits, and a 32-27 win over Ikeys.

The Shimlas played a total of 17 matches in 2018, claiming victory in 12. They finished fourth at the University Sport South Africa (USSA) tournament and won the Mangaung Metro league.

Johan Kotze, Shimla captain and prop, was titled ‘Senior Player of the Year’.

In the same breath, Lubabalo Dobela and Rewan Kruger, who both played for the Junior Springboks, were jointly selected as the ‘Junior Players of the Year’.

Vishuis was named the country’s best hostel rugby team for the third consecutive year. They defeated Patria of the North-West University in the finals by 55-29.

The UFS U20 team won all four of their matches in the group stage of the Young Guns competition before they lost to Tuks in the semi-final.

The Kovsie Sevens team won the bowl competition at the USSA tournament and at the Varsity Sevens they ended in 6th position.

News Archive

German institute invites UFS academic to research on algae to replace fossil fuels
2015-05-08

Prof Johan Grobbelaar
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

Professor Johan Grobbelaar, from the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State, has been invited by the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences - IBG-2 at Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH - to do research in Germany from 8 June 2015 to 4 September 2015.

During his research, Prof Grobbelaar will work on the institute’s large-scale outdoor cultivation of green micro-algae with the aim of finding alternate fuels for the aviation industry. This work includes the cultivation of algae in the laboratory, outdoors, and in the greenhouse; the mentoring of local scientists as well as assistance in, and planning of experiments for, green algae cultivation.

Prof Grobbelaar’s research focus is on Algal biotechnology, Limnology, and Photosynthesis. He has authored more than 80 articles in scientific journals, 18 chapters in scientific books, delivered more than 120 papers at scientific meetings, 41 of them at international congresses.  Among others, he was honoured with the highest award bestowed on a person by the International Association of Applied Phycologists with the title ‘Distinguished Applied Phycologist’.

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