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31 March 2022 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo ASEM Engage, C&C Photo Agency
Shimlas
The replacement Kwezi Dlamini scored one of the five tries for the Shimlas against the University of Johannesburg on Monday (28 March 2022). His wing Asanda Kunene (left) also crossed the line earlier.
The University of the Free State (UFS) Shimlas started working harder for each other.

According to Thabang Mahlasi, the Shimla captain, this is one of the reasons why his team managed to pull itself together to get back to Varsity Cup winning ways.

The UFS is back at the top of the log after two consecutive wins against the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of Johannesburg (UJ). And it remains on course for semi-final spot.

The Shimlas are in first place with 27 log points, followed by UCT (26), the University of Pretoria (UP) (25), and Stellenbosch University (SU) (24), making up the top four.

Although the UFS is sitting pretty after two rounds, with games against UP at Shimla Park and the Madibaz (Nelson Mandela University) in Gqeberha ahead, it wasn’t just smooth sailing.

The Shimlas defeated the University of the Western Cape (56-16), SU (50-28), and the Central University of Technology (48-27) in their first three encounters, but then lost their way by losing to Wits University (31-53) and the North-West University (22-32).

Mahlasi and his troops had to dig deep and came back with wins over UCT (58-7) and UJ (35-26) on Monday (28 March 2022) .

Lessons learnt

The Shimla leader says his side is happy with its current log position and has been rewarded for its effort so far.
But the UFS has learnt some valuable lessons along the way.

“I think in the two matches we lost, we went into those matches with a bit of comfort,” says Mahlasi.

“We now know that there is no room in this competition for being comfortable. You need to graft week in, week out, because every team is competitive. We started working harder for each other.”

Showing true character 

In Johannesburg, the Shimlas had to fight back to beat UJ 35-26 this week, after trailing 16-23 at half-time.

Mahlasi says the match was a bit scrappy and his team decided to go ‘back to their systems’.

“We had to show massive character, because the crowd wasn’t making our job out there very easy.”

We had to show massive character, because the crowd wasn’t making our job out there very easy. – Thabang Mahlasi (Shimla captain)
The UFS next play the University of Pretoria, the defending Varsity Cup champions, in Bloemfontein on Monday (4 April 2022).

According to Mahlasi, it is tough for any team coming to Shimla Park.

“The first 20 minutes will be very important. We will have to make a massive statement and play our brand of high-intensity running rugby.”

 


News Archive

Vice-Chancellor honoured with major awards
2013-05-02

02 May 2013

The University of the Free State (UFS) is proud to announce that Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, has been awarded a number of major awards recently.

The University of California in the United States awarded him the Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy and Tolerance. The award is made in recognition of persons who exemplify in their work the delivery of social justice, diplomacy and tolerance in the diverse local and global society.

“The committee was very impressed with the commitment that Prof Jansen has had to reconciliation and forgiveness as a way to build bridges and to find common ground. Prof Jansen is following in the steps of many of our greatest peace-time leaders and we support his efforts to bring understanding to all cultures,” said Mark Aldenderfer, chair of the awards committee and Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Art at the University of California.

Prof Jansen also received the 2013 Academia Award at the Sixth Annual Ubuntu Lecture and Dialogue Awards Ceremony of the Turquoise Harmony Institute on 4 April 2013 in Johannesburg. The Institute aims to foster relations among different faith and cultural traditions to contribute to the well-being of humanity.

According to the organisers, “outstanding individuals who made noteworthy contributions to dialogue, peace and harmony in the society,” are given recognition during the ceremony. The awards are made in a number of different categories. Prof Jansen was among the recipients who included Graca Machel and the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF). Previous winners of Turquoise Awards include Ahmed Kathrada, Chester Williams, Dr Frene Ginwala and Prof Russel Botman.

On 10 May 2013, Prof Jansen was also honoured by Kappa Delta Pi International Honour Society in Education. He was awarded membership of the Laureate Chapter of the society founded in 1911 which “is comprised of men and women who have made distinguished contributions to education, and is limited to 60 living persons”. Prof Jansen joins an exclusive membership of 293 which includes such luminaries as Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jean Piaget and George Washington Carver.

Also in the United States, Prof Jansen has been invited to be Messenger Lecturer for Fall 2013 at Cornell University. He will give three lectures and interact with the students and staff of Cornell at various functions.

“This is a significant honour and it will really allow members from across the university to get a deeper appreciation of the work you are doing at UFS and in South Africa more broadly,” said Prof Judith Byfield of Cornell’s Department of History and Director of Graduate Studies at the department’s Africana Studies and Research Centre.

On the local front, City Press published its inaugural 100 World Class South Africans on 28 April 2013. During a rigorous selection process, 100 of our country’s most extraordinary citizens who have achieved world-class status were chosen. Prof Jansen’s achievements procured him a place on this prestigious list in the category: Heroes and Mavericks.

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