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27 October 2023 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Jóhann Thormählen
Shimlas celebrate Ox Nche with chocolate cake
At the University of the Free State Rugby Club’s Annual General Meeting and prize-giving on Monday, Shimla props celebrated Ox Nche’s World Cup semi-final performance against England and wished him good luck for the final. They ate chocolate cake – something Nche has become renowned for – like he used to do when he played for the Shimlas. Here, from the left, front, are Loyiso Peteni, Frankie dos Reis, Johan Schutte, and Henty Beukes. At the back from the left, are Conley Pieterse and Musa Knosi.

The University of the Free State (UFS), the UFS Rugby Club, and the Shimlas are backing the Boks all the way in the World Cup final and are immensely proud of all the former Kovsies involved.

The UFS community pledged its unwavering support to the Springboks before the World Cup and wishes the team all the best to claim a record fourth title against New Zealand this weekend.

The Kovsies have had either team or management members as part of each previous South African World Cup winning side (1995, 2007 and 2019) and believe the Boks can do it again.

They face New Zealand in the final on Saturday (28 October 2023) at 21:00 in Paris, France.

Five former Kovsies will be involved in the epic encounter against South Africa’s rivals.

Four of them – Jacques Nienaber (head coach), Rassie Erasmus (South Africa’s Director of Rugby), Daan Human (scrum coach), and Bongani Tim Qumbu (strength and conditioning coach) – form part of the Springbok team management.

The former Shimla Ox Nche, who became a national hero after his superb scrum performance in the semi-final against England last weekend, will once again make an impact from the bench against the All Blacks.

“The Springboks are the pride of South Africa, and we are particularly proud of our UFS alumni who are part of the team – both players and coaches. The weekend ahead looks promising for the Boks, and we wish the team only the best,” says Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS. 

Proud Kovsies

“We wish the Springboks all the best for the final,” said Marius van Rensburg, UFS Rugby Club Chairman.

“We would love to see the Boks, and some of our former Shimlas and Kovsies, hold up the World Cup trophy again.”  

Jaco Swanepoel, Head of Rugby at KovsieSport, said it is truly remarkable to have so many former Kovsies part of the Springboks.

According to him, it also shows that the UFS played a successful role in their development.

“We are incredibly proud that they have already gone so far in their careers and that they are flying the UFS flag at this high level in the World Cup.”

Ox example to others

Nche, who was crowned Varsity Cup Young Guns champion in 2014 and Varsity Cup champion with the Shimlas in 2015, played a massive role in South Africa’s 16-15 victory over England.

Van Rensburg and Swanepoel points out Nche’s humbleness as one of his greatest characteristics.

Nche was still staying in House Abraham Fischer on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus when he was playing for the Cheetahs.

“He finished his degree while playing professional rugby,” Swanepoel said.

“It says a lot about his determination, despite his busy programme, to finish his degree.”

“He is an example for every player who puts on the blue jersey.”

According to Van Rensburg, Nche is also very loyal to the UFS rugby club.

“He makes no secret of the fact that he found his feet at the Shimlas. He was a good player at school too, but at the Shimlas he was outstanding.”

“To this day, he acknowledges how good the Shimlas were to him.”

Swanepoel believes South Africa can claim another World Cup title.

“The Springboks just need to believe in themselves and stand together. We wish them all the best for the World Cup final.”

News Archive

SA must appoint competent judges
2009-05-08

 
At the inaugural lecture are, from the left: Prof. Teuns Verschoor, Acting Rector of the UFS, Judge Farlam and Prof. Johan Henning, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the UFS.

Supreme Court of Appeal Judge Ian Farlam has called on the South African government to appoint and continue to appoint competent, fair and experienced judicial officers to sit in the country’s courts.

He also emphasised the need to have an efficient and highly respected appellate division, which rightly enjoys the confidence of all.

Judge Farlam was speaking at the University of the Free State (UFS) where he delivered his inaugural lecture as Extraordinary Professor in Roman Law, Legal History and Comparative Law in the Faculty of Law.

He said there were important lessons that emanated from the study of legal history in the Free State, particularly including the lesson that there were courageous jurists who spoke up for what they believed to be right, and a legislature who listened and did the right thing when required.

“This is part of our South African heritage which is largely forgotten – even by those whose predecessors were directly responsible for it. It is something which they and the rest of us can remember with pride,” Judge Farlam said.

Addressing the topic, Cox and Constitutionalism: Aspects of Free State Legal History, Judge Farlam used the murder trial of Charles Cox, who was accused of killing his wife and both daughters, to illustrate several key points of legal history.

Cox was eventually found guilty and executed, however, the trial caused a deep rift between the Afrikaans and English speaking communities in the Free State.

Judge Farlam also emphasised that the Free State Constitution embodied the principle of constitutionalism, with the result that the Free State was a state where the Constitution and not the legislature was sovereign. He said it was unfortunate that this valuable principle was eliminated in the Free State after the Boer War and said that it took 94 years before it was reinstated.

Judge Farlam added, “Who knows what suffering and tragedy might not have been avoided if, instead of the Westminster system, which was patently unsuited to South African conditions, we had gone into Union in 1910 with what one can describe as the better Trekker tradition, the tradition of constitutionalism that the wise burghers of the Free State chose in 1854 to take over into their Constitution from what we would call today the constitutional best practice of their time?”

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison 
Tel: 051 401 2584 
Cell: 083 645 2454 
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
8 May 2009
             

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