Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
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 hosts celebration ceremony for Wayde and Rynardt
2016-09-13

“I really appreciate each and every one of you.
It is something I will always cherish.”

Video clip
Photo Gallery

“I will continue to try and make you guys proud and represent Kovsies in a positive light.” With these words Wayde van Niekerk thanked his University of the Free State (UFS) family and emphasised the importance of this community in his life.

After returning from the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the 400 m Olympic champion made his first appearance on the Bloemfontein Campus at Mooimeisiesfontein on 9 September 2016. This formed part of a hero’s welcome on an open-top bus, arranged by the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation. The bus also stopped at Hoffman Square, Grey College, the Mangaung Outdoor Sports Centre, and Twin City Mall in Bloemfontein.

Description: Wayde parade Tags: Wayde parade

Wayde van Niekerk thanked his fellow Kovsies for
their support.
Photo: Johan Roux

However, UFS students and staff will have their own opportunity to honour this achievement in true Kovsie spirit with a celebration ceremony on 15 September 2016 on the Bloemfontein Campus. Van Niekerk and fellow Olympian Rynardt van Rensburg, who reached the semi-finals in Rio and ran a personal best of 1:45.33 in the 800 m, will be welcomed back with this special event.

A humble Van Niekerk isn’t known for many words and his brief visit at Mooimeisiesfontein was no exception.

“Thank you to everyone who came out to support me,” he said from the open-top bus to a festive crowd close to the Main Entrance of the UFS.

“I really appreciate each and every one of you. It is something I will always cherish.”

 



Event:
Celebration ceremony for Wayde van Niekerk and Rynardt van Rensburg
Date: 15 September 2016
Time: 17:30
Place: Callie Human Centre (Bloemfontein Campus)

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