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27 September 2019 | Story Ruan Bruwer | Photo Tania Allen
Netball
The Kovsies will face the Maties in the semi-finals of Varsity Netball in search of their fourth appearance in a final.
On Monday (30 September), the University of the Free State (UFS) netball team will have an ideal opportunity for revenge for what happened in this year’s Varsity Cup. In the semi-finals of the Varsity Cup back in April, the Shimla rugby team received a decent hiding from the Maties.

Now the UFS and Maties will face each other in another semi-final, this time in the netball version of the Varsity Cup, called Varsity Netball. The teams square off in the Callie Human Centre at 17:00.

Since losing to Tuks in the opening round, Kovsies have built up good momentum and confidence with six consecutive victories, including one over the Stellenbosch students on Monday (23 September). The score was 65-61.

The other wins were against UJ (69-35), TUT (64-20), NWU (59-55), Madibaz (70-41), and UWC (99-18), earning them the second spot on the log behind Tuks. The 99 goals against UWC were their best ever in the competition.The Free State women also won their encounter against Maties at this year’s USSA tournament by 38-31.

A victory would earn the team a shot at another Varsity Netball title. They have never lost a final, having appeared in three previous finals (2013, 2014, and 2018). Kovsies have won three of their previous five Varsity Netball semi-finals. They had met Maties only once before in a semi-final. This was last year in Bloemfontein when Kovsies prevailed by 56-45.
Khomotso Mamburu, goal defence of Maties, and Adéle Niemand, their assistant coach, both represented the Kovsies for many years.

News Archive

Miss South Africa is a Kovsie
2014-03-31


Rolene Strauss
Images: www.facebook.com/#!/MsSouthAfrica

“Rolene Strauss is an example of physical beauty, academic excellence and public duty coming together in one person,” said Prof Jansen.

Twenty-one-year-old Rolene Strauss, a third-year medical student at the University of the Free State (UFS), was crowned as Miss South Africa at a gala event at Sun City the weekend. Rolene was also the favourite on Twitter.

In her acceptance speech, Rolene said that she dearly loves South Africa. “This is where I can live, speak, learn and love freely. This is where my dreams come true. I am very proud of our country and shall always have a purpose here. It is such a privilege to represent our wonderful country. Our future is bright and I can’t wait to represent South Africa nationally and internationally,” Rolene said.

“My passion for health will definitely form a big part of my year, together with the initiatives of the sponsors,” she said.

Rolene said that Prof Jonathan Jansen, the Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, is an inspiration to her. “He stands up for what he believes in and enjoys what he is doing. He wants the best for his students and supports them in everything they do,” she said.

“Thanks to the support of the UFS and Prof Jansen, I am able to stop my studies for a year and continue after my Miss South Africa year. I am who I am today because of the people around me – and that definitely includes Kovsies. I see the university as a garden in which I can flower,” she said.

The university community is very proud of Rolene, and it is confirmed by Prof Jansen. “I am extremely proud of Rolene Strauss, for she has proved that physical beauty, academic excellence and public duty can come together in one person, and offer a powerful platform for transforming communities in need that would otherwise remain invisible, were it not for such a wonderful young role model,” he said.

On the year which lies ahead, Rolene said: “It will be a year during which I shall give back, say thank you and be a good example of the potential that especially women and South Africans may have in our country.”

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