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Shimlas starts Varsity Cup with experienced team

03 February 2020 | Story Ruan Bruwer | Photo Varsity Cup

William Eybers read more — Centre William Eybers is the new captain of the Shimlas.

With an experienced squad at its disposal, the Shimla team is approaching the 2020 Varsity Cup with confidence – despite a very difficult first assignment.

The 13th version of the student rugby competition starts on Monday (3 February), with the University of the Free State team travelling to Stellenbosch to face the champions of the previous two years, Maties.

The Shimlas retained 19 players from last year’s team. This is compared to the previous two campaigns where they had little experience and a bunch of very young players. Head coach Hendro Scholtz can call upon ten players who have played in this competition before and who know what it is all about.
Even more important is that the ten senior men are playing in key positions, such as the hooker (Hanno Snyman), eighth man (Mihlali Peter and Bertie de Bod), scrumhalf (Rewan Kruger), and fullback (Ruan Henning). Snyman will participate in his fourth Varsity Cup.

The Shimlas have a new leader in centre William Eybers in 2020. He was named joint best backline player for 2019 at last year’s Shimla Rugby Club prize-giving ceremony.
The Shimlas won four of their eight matches in 2019 to book in spot in the semi-finals against Maties.

Monday’s encounter starts at 19:15 in the Danie Craven Stadium. The match will be broadcast live on SuperSport. The remaining Shimla fixtures are: 10 February against UWC (home), 17 February against NWU (away), 24 February against Tuks (away), 2 March against Ixias (home), 9 March against UJ (home), 16 March against Ikeys (away), 30 March against Wits (home).

News Archive

New research informs improved treatment of brain inflammation

2017-10-13

Dr Adepemi Ogundeji, researcher in the Department of Microbial,
Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the
University of the Free State,and Dr Olihile Sebolai,
her study leader from the same department.
Photo: Charl Devenish

Microbiologist Dr Adepemi Ogundeji has uncovered a new use for an old medicine that can potentially save lives and money. Under the guidance of her study leader, Dr Olihile Sebolai, Dr Ogundeji set out to fight a fungal disease caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. Drs Ogundeji and Sebolai are from the University of the Free State Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology.

Dr Ogundeji is passionate about education. “My aim will always be to transfer knowledge and skills in the microbiology field,” she said. “Dr Ogundeji’s study is celebrated in that it found a new purpose for existing medicines. An advantage of repositioning old medicines is by-passing clinical trials, which sometimes take 20 years, and the safety of such medicines is already known,” Dr Sebolai, explained.

Cryptococcus infections are difficult to control and often lead to brain inflammation. In layman’s terms: “Your brain is on fire”. People with HIV/Aids are especially vulnerable, surviving only about three months without treatment. Such patients may present with a Cryptococcus-emergent psychosis, and some with an out-of-control inflammatory condition when initiated on ARVs.

Dr Ogundeji found that the clinically recommended dosage of aspirin (anti-inflammatory medicine), and quetiapine (anti-psychotic medicine) is sufficient to control the infection. Her exceptional work was readily published in some of the foremost journals in her field, namely, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy and Frontiers in Microbiology

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