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UFS alumnus and Blitzboks claim another Commonwealth gold

04 August 2022 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Supplied

Hard work does not necessarily guarantee success, but it is part of success.

According to Neil Powell, the Blitzboks head coach, this is what his players showed by turning the team’s recent misfortunes into Commonwealth Games gold.

The South African sevens side rewarded the University of the Free State (UFS) alumnus – who will be parting ways with the team next month – by claiming another Games top spot.

The decorated coach steered his troops to a gold medal in Birmingham, England, after defeating Fiji by an impressive 31-7 in the final late on Sunday evening.

Powell and the Blitzboks also won Commonwealth gold in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2014.

After nine successful years with the Blitzboks, the former Kovsie will become the new Director of Rugby at the Sharks in September 2022. His last sevens tournament will be the World Cup from 9 to 11 September 2022 in Cape Town.

Reset and rewarded

The Blitzboks, however, did not go into the Commonwealth Games as favourites, as they struggled in the last four HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series tournaments.

After winning the first four tournaments of the season, they failed to reach the semi-finals in Singapore, Vancouver, Toulouse, and London.

“After the World Series tournament in London, we had to reset and re-evaluate our goals for the rest of the season and the last three tournaments, the Commonwealth Games, the Los Angeles Sevens, and finally the Rugby World Cup Sevens,” Powell said in a SA Rugby media release.

“The guys really worked hard in the build-up to this tournament, and I’m glad they got rewarded for it.”

Memories from Glasgow Games

In 2016, Powell received a Cum Laude Award at the UFS Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumni Awards when the Blitzboks won Olympic bronze in Rio de Janeiro.

Powell represented the Cheetahs, Sharks, Griquas, Blue Bulls, and Blitzboks in his playing days and is one of 28 national sevens players produced by the UFS.

“It’s amazing to have won the gold medal again, like we did eight years ago in Glasgow, and especially after we finished fourth and didn’t win a medal at the previous Commonwealth Games in Australia, so there is a lot of emotion and the victory brought back memories of what happened in Glasgow in 2014.”

He said it was important for the team’s confidence to deliver in Birmingham in order to get momentum and belief back.

Powell hopes his side can take this into the last World Series tournament in Los Angeles on 27 and 28 August 2022, and the World Cup.

South Africa are on top of the World Series log and can take the overall honours with a good LA performance.

News Archive

New residences open on Bloemfontein Campus

2013-01-21

Photo: Johan Roux
21 January 2013

Beginning 2013, the Bloemfontein Campus is seeing the opening of two new residences where male and female students will be housed under one roof but in separate units. Each residence will house 250 students.

House ConLaurês and House Outeniqua were opened for their first-years and Residence Committee (RC) on Friday 18 January 2013. The two newly Residence Heads, Mr Frank Makhabane (ConLaurês) and Mrs Leani Wimble (Outeniqua) welcomed the new residents.

The uniqueness of these residences is that they will be the first co-ed residences on campus. These residences are wheel chair friendly with fully equipped disabled rooms available. All signage has also been done in Braille. Each floor of the new residences has two lounges, as well as a fully fitted kitchen.

The Prime of House ConLaurês, Sherilyn Roelofse, says, “We aim to create a living space that is holistic and welcoming and will allow our residence members to be able to excel in a number of things”. Sherilyn says ConLaurês comes from the word “Condo Laurus”, which means dreams of victory. The House’s slogan is “The Symphony of Dreams”. Students came up with the name for the residence.

Tsatsi Mokoena, RC member responsible for RAG at House ConLaurês says RC members have been working hard for the past few months, trying to imagine how to do things without a physical structure. ConLaurês will be a residence with an inspirational living space where each student feels welcome, respected for who they are and at home, so that they will have the confidence to follow their dreams.”

The Prime of Outeniqua, Vusumzi Mesatywa says, “Change is always welcome and that is the mindset that we will be embracing as the new residences. When a student graduates, we need them to graduate not only as academics, but also as humans, holistic beings”.

Marla Stanier, RC First-Year Mentor at Outeniqua, says that new experiences await every student that walks through the doors of the residence. “As excited as we are, this new experience will test us in many ways.However, if we stand together as one, we will succeed.”

Mr Quintin Koetaan, Director of Housing and Residence Affairs, says, “The opening of ConLaurês and Outeniqua is a dream come true, providing accommodation for a new generation of students in the 21st Century”.

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