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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

UFS steps up measures to keep staff and students safe
2013-09-17

Badenhorst gate
Photo: Hannes Pieterse
18 September 2013

The University of the Free (UFS) has extended measures to ensure the safety of its staff and students on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Part of this initiative includes the closure of the gate at Badenhorst Street in Universitas near Roosmaryn residence for traffic as from 1 October 2013. Pedestrians who can present a valid student or staff card or any form of official identification will still be allowed to access this gate. No vehicles will be allowed to pass through the Badenhorst gate after this date, though.

In addition, the pedestrian gate at the sports grounds on the western campus will also be closed from 1 October 2013.

The gate at the Agriculture Building in DF Malherbe Avenue will now be closed at 22:00 every night and over weekends, instead of being open 24 hours a day.

Closing these gates forms part of the university’s strategy to increase safety measures on the Bloemfontein Campus. Further efforts will follow to restrict access to the campus – such as the installation of an integrated electronic security systems. An intensive safety awareness campaign aimed at staff and students has also been launched and tips on how to stay safe are extensively being communicated.

Furthermore, the university will have a caravan present at major events to attract attention to security and implement a strategy to make the areas around the Bloemfontein Campus safer for students.



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