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03 June 2019 | Story Ruan Bruwer | Photo Charl Devenish
Student Games
Four students from the University of the Free State were chosen for the South African Student team to the World Student Games in July 2019. They are from the left: Heinrich Willemse (tennis), Yolandi Stander (athletics), Ruben Kruger (tennis) and Tyler Beling (athletics).

Exactly half of the South African student tennis team to the World Student Games (3 to 14 July 2019 in Italy), together with one of the coaches and the team manager, hails from the University of the Free State (UFS).

Tennis players off to the games

The Kovsie tennis club has been richly rewarded for their dominance at student level when the national student team was chosen. They have won the University Sport South Africa (USSA) championship every year since 2010.

Ruben Kruger and Heinrich Willemse are two of the four team members, and UFS coach Marnus Kleinhans is one of the two coaches of the student team. Janine de Kock, team manager of the UFS, will also fulfil this role in the student team. 

Willemse and Kruger are currently the university’s number one and two players respectively and were members of the UFS team at last year’s USSA competition.

Two athletes also made the team. Tyler Beling will compete in the half-marathon and Yolandi Stander in the discus. They both won gold medals at the USSA championships in April 2019. Emmarie Fouché from KovsieSport is one of the athletics coaches. 

Tenoff to couch SA men’s team

Godfrey Tenoff, a sports manager at KovsieSport and head coach of the UFS men’s and female soccer teams, will coach the SA Students men’s team.

Two members of the swimming team are part of Kovsie Aquatics. Eben Vorster, who is studying overseas, swims for the UFS club when he is in South Africa. Marco Markgraaff, coach of the club, will act as the head coach of the SA student swimmers.

News Archive

Shimlas shock Tuks by staying calm
2016-02-19

Description: KL News 2016 02 19  Varsitycup Tags: KL News 2016 02 19  Varsitycup
Prop Ox Nche was one of the substitutes who had a huge impact against Tuks in Pretoria on 15 February 2016. Nche and other Shimlas substitutes helped their team wipe out a massive deficit. Photo: Johan Roux.

He has never been involved in a match like this in his rugby career.
This is what Neil Claassen had to say about his team’s performance on 15 February 2016, when the Shimlas came up with one of the biggest fight-backs in the history of the Varsity Cup in Pretoria. According to the Shimlas Captain, his bench had a great impact, and this helped in shocking Tuks with 47-46 towards the end. This came after Tuks had been leading 43-15 in the 44th minute.

Great fighting spirit
The Shimlas' fighting spirit, and a new Varsity Cup points system in which converted tries may count up to 11 points, enabled them to wipe out this deficit.
“It was a tough match, especially after being so far behind,” Neil said.
“Coach (Hendro Scholtz) told us during half-time (when we were 15-36 behind) that we should stay calm."
“We weren't completely out of the game. We knew that if we eliminated unnecessary mistakes, we could make it.”

Impact from bench
This is the second consecutive match - the other was against Ikeys in Cape Town - where the Shimlas’ substitutes swayed the match. “The bench made a big difference,” Neil said. “We also scored an 11-point try, which helped a lot.”
The Shimlas’ fullback, Marco Mason, was named Player of the Match. He succeeded with a tricky conversion to gain victory for his team.

Injuries
The eighth man, Nardus Erasmus (knee) and flanker, Fiffy Rampeta (eye socket), sustained injuries, but should be able to play in the first home game against the Madibaz on 22 February 2016. The injured scrumhalf, Zee Mkhabela (concussion), could return for this match.
Shimlas are second on the log, with nine league points after two away matches. Maties has ten league points.

Young Guns get stuck
The University of the Free State (UFS') Young Guns got stuck 8-14 against Tuks in Pretoria on 15 February 2016.
Vishuis, the UFS's residence team, will start their onslaught in the residence league against Dagbreek in Stellenbosch on 22 February 2016.

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