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15 September 2021 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Charl Devenish
The University of the Free State (UFS) netball team was honoured by UFS management at a special celebration. The side won a fourth Varsity Netball title and the UFS has now been champion in 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2021.

Set goals for yourself, commit to it, and give everything to achieve them.

According to Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS), this is what the UFS netball team did and why it is an example for the Kovsie community.

He celebrated the team’s achievement of winning Varsity Netball for a record fourth time and extending the run of the UFS as the most successful team in the tournament.

The Kovsies convincingly beat Maties 55-39 in the final to be crowned champions. It was the biggest victory margin in a final, and they did it after losing to Maties (46-54) in the first round.

Prof Petersen and his management group honoured Burta de Kock, the UFS Head Coach, and her team during a special celebration on 13 September 2021.

Working as an outfit

He said the side’s determination is a lesson to others.

“Once you have decided that these are my objectives and you commit yourself to achieving them, that is all you focus on.”

“It will always be possible if you put everything in and you showed it. Thank you for doing this.”

He praised the team for building the UFS brand. 

“You really work as an outfit. What I saw of the players was a right attitude when they play the game.”

Everything made easy

Sikholiwe (Sne) Mdletshe, the UFS captain, thanked her team’s management, the UFS, and its lecturers.

“We really want to thank the university for putting so much into us. It gives us a lot of resources.

“Some tests had to be written while we were in the bubble and our lecturers made that easy for us.”

She said the players never take the effort for granted. “The UFS makes everything easy to go out there and play netball – the sport we have been playing since we were little kids.”

DB Prinsloo, Director of KovsieSport, is immensely proud of the team.

“We even lost one of our best players in the first match, Chanel Vrey, due to injury. We have to take off our hats to the Kovsie netball team.”


News Archive

Kovsie Alumnus wins SARU rugby player of the year award
2010-11-08

 
Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Photo: Gallo Images

Gurthrö Steenkamp received the prestigious honour to be named the 2010 South African rugby player of the year during the South African Rugby Union (SARU) Awards that were held in Midrand, Gauteng.

Gurthrö, an alumnus of the University of the Free State (UFS), is a former Shimla and Vodacom Cheetahs loose head prop that has represented the Springbok Rugby team in 31 test matches since 2004. Along with fellow Free Stater and former team mate Os du Randt, Gurthrö became only the second front row player in history to win the player of the year award.

Receiving the award this year was no easy task, since Gurthrö had to beat some tough opponents in fellow nominees Gio Aplon, Juan de Jongh, Francois Hougaard and Schalk Burger.

The award comes on the heels of a remarkable season for Gurthrö in which he helped the Vodacom Blue Bulls to lift the Super 14 Trophy for the second consecutive occasion as well as turning in some stellar performances for the Springboks.

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