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23 June 2021 | Story Ruan Bruwer | Photo Johan Roux
Ox Nche during his playing days for the Shimlas in 2015. He might make a return to the Springbok team after three years.

It will be a small reunion for a couple of ex-Shimlas when almost the full Springbok squad gathers at Shimla Park this week.

This will then be the third week of training, but for the first time with the majority of the 46 squad members, as most players have finished their provincial and club commitments. They are preparing in Bloemfontein for the upcoming test season, which includes a test series against the British and Irish Lions.

Ox Nche (Shimlas 2015 and 2016) and Coenie Oosthuizen (2008) are members of the squad from which a Springbok and a South African A team will be chosen.

Both have represented the Springboks before – Nche in a single test in 2018, and Oosthuizen in 30 tests between 2012 and 2017.

Apart from the two players, there are three former University of the Free State students in the coaching staff. Rugby World Cup winning coach, Rassie Erasmus, is now the director of rugby at the South African Rugby Union, while former Bok defence coach (in 2018 and 2019), Jacques Nienaber, was promoted to head coach last year. The Springboks have not played a test under him yet.

The two first worked together in the Shimlas U20 team, where Erasmus was the captain and Nienaber the physio. Erasmus wore the famous blue jersey between 1993 and 1995. Daan Human, a former Shimla (1999-2000) and Shimla assistant coach, was appointed as the scrum coach of the national team last year.

Nche, a double Varsity Cup winner with the Young Guns in 2014 and the Shimlas in 2015, is strongly in the race for a place in the Springbok team.

Deon Davids, assistant coach of the Boks, recently had high praise for Nche.
“It is well-known that Ox is a quality player. Ox has been a consistent performer. His presence in the camp is an asset,” Davids said.

News Archive

Prof Laura Mulvey – intellectual path-breaker in international film industry
2014-07-10

Prof Laura Mulvey – currently a professor at Film and Media Studies at Birkbeck, University of London, recently visited the Bloemfontein Campus. As a tribute to her achievements, the UFS bestowed an Honorary Doctorate on her during our 2014 Winter Graduation Ceremony. In addition, two events were scheduled during which the public could get to know Prof Mulvey and her films better.

Prof Mulvey is a hugely influential figure in the international arena of film and visual media. She is globally recognised as an eminent feminist film scholar and worked at the British Film Institute for many years. During the 1970s and ‘80s she exploded onto the scene as a prominent avant-garde filmmaker.

During her visit, she joined Prof Annie van den Oever (University of Groningen) in two discussions of films – which included some of her most renowned film material.

Under the Skin of the City (Iran, 2001), directed by Rakhshan Bani-E'temad, was screened in full on Thursday 3 July 2014. The film centres on the trials and tribulations faced by an Iranian family. This award-winning film resonated with the South Africans present because of the social issues it addresses. A thought-provoking discussion followed between Profs Mulvey, Van den Oever and the audience – delving deeper into the mechanisms of the film.

On Saturday 5 July 2014, Prof Van den Oever and Prof Mulvey had another discussion – this time round the audience was treated to snippets from Prof Mulvey’s prominent films.

Her work has impacted the cultural and social sciences and not only does her critical analysis scrutinise issues of gender, but also that of race and ethnicity.

Described as ‘a key intellectual path-breaker’, Prof Mulvey’s visit left a trail of inspiration throughout our Kovsie community.

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