Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
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

Vishuis’s fourth Varsity Cup victory about more than rugby
2016-04-15

Description: Vishuis Tags: Vishuis

House Abraham Fischer, a residence from the University of the Free State, is the most successful team in the history of the Varsity Cup. Vishuis beat Patria (Pukke) in the 2016 final of the tournament.
Photo: SASPA 

For Vishuis, it is about more than just rugby.

This is what Henco Posthumus, captain of House Abraham Fischer’s rugby team, had to say after his team was crowned the national Varsity Cup champions for an incredible fourth time. According to the flyhalf, the title of the leading residence team in the country is “special for the guys”.

Vishuis is the most successful residence team in the history of the tournament. Apart from their four titles, they have played in a total of five Varsity Cup finals.

On 11 April 2016, the residence from the University of the Free State (UFS) launched a great comeback in Stellenbosch to beat Patria (Pukke) by 37-29. This victory ensured that Vishuis was unbeaten in 2016.

Great fighting spirit

The Kovsies started off well against Patria, but were behind 16-29 shortly after break, and had to “delve deep”, according to Posthumus. “To be behind in this way is not what one would prefer. For some reason, we have been in similar situations before, and we know how to make a comeback,” he said.

“We looked one another in the eye and decided that we are not going to lose again in the final.” In last year’s final in Bloemfontein, when Posthumus played at fullback, Vishuis got stuck against Mopanie (Tuks) at the end of the match, and they wanted to prevent this from happening again.

Heymans a hero

According to the Vishuis captain, one of his team’s assistant coaches, Franco (Vaatjie) van der Merwe, spoke harshly to the players when they were behind. The victory was clinched in the dying moments, with the second try of scrumhalf, Ruben Heymans, when the score was 29 points each. Heymans was a star, and the well-deserved Man of the Match.

Posthumus said it is a great privilege to carry the title of Varsity Cup champions. His team has worked hard to reach the top.

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept