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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

CTL experiments with mobile technology in teaching and learning
2016-05-23

Description: CTL experiments with mobile technology Tags: CTL experiments with mobile technology

On the left is Nokukhanya Nkosi, Researcher and Project manager at the Centre for Teaching and Learning presenting Annah Nggoepe her brand new laptop as part of the project which assesses the impact of personal mobile devices on teaching and learning.
Photo: Supplied

Video clip

Same curriculum. Add technology. Wait and see what happens. This research project which is funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) seeks to understand the impact of personal mobile devices (PMD) in teaching and learning.

The University of the Free State (UFS), in conjunction with the University of Cape Town, the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of Johannesburg, and Sol Plaatje University, was approached by the DHET to spearhead this national collaborative project. Investigating whether the financial investment of a PMD on either the part of a university or of students adds value to the teaching and learning experience is the overall objective of the project.

Contemporary education
The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at the UFS have been taking an active part in the project since 2015, focusing specifically on the use of personal mobile devices in teaching and learning by both staff and students.

At the student level, the study will focus specifically on not just the obstacles that first-generation students face in terms of using technology in teaching and learning, but how institutions can support these students through access to these devices.  “In 2015, the CTL conducted the Digital Identity Study of students which highlighted the view that students at the UFS deemed laptops to be the most important PMD in their studies,” said Nokukhanya Nkosi, Researcher and Project manager at the CTL.   

In April 2016, thirty students were presented with laptops funded by the project grant. For the next two years, the CTL will assess whether these laptops enable greater flexibility and effectiveness of teaching and learning, both inside and out of the classroom for these students.  

Rise of the digital classroom
Annah Ngoepe, a second-year Geography and Environmental Management student taking part in this study, commends the shift from using only textbooks in the past to incorporating technology. “The laptop has the latest applications and programmes, which are convenient for me as a student, because they help in my learning. I can also download textbooks, get summaries of the textbooks, and even other people’s views on a particular subject online.”

Tiana van der Merwe, Deputy Director at the CTL, anticipates that, after two years, the Centre would be able to make not only institutional recommendations, but also recommendations to the National Department of Higher Education.

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