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28 October 2023 | Story Jóhann Thormählen

The University of the Free State (UFS) is tremendously proud of the Springboks for claiming a record fourth title and for once again having former Kovsies part of a World Cup champion side.

Jacques Nienaber – the Boks’ head coach and UFS alumnus – and his rugby team united the country when South Africa became the first team in history to win the William Webb Ellis trophy a fourth time. They are also the first South African side to win consecutive World Cup tournaments.

The UFS community celebrates this remarkable achievement with the rest of South Africa and cannot wait to welcome back the latest world champions after defeating New Zealand 12-11 in the final in Paris on Saturday (28 October 2023).

It is truly incredible! The victory means so much to our country. And for our university it also means a lot, especially with all the former Kovsies involved in the planning and execution of the whole World Cup campaign. Congratulations to the Springboks! It is awesome - Jaco Swanepoel (Head of Rugby at KovsieSport)

UFS alumni at helm

The triumph in France is also the second time in four years that a Kovsie has steered the Boks to World Cup victory. In 2019 in Japan, Rassie Erasmus was the head coach.

Erasmus still counts among a handful of former Shimlas and Kovsies in the class of 2023.

The former Springbok player, together with Nienaber, Daan Human (scrum coach), and Bongani Tim Qumbu (strength and conditioning coach) are all in the Bok management, while the former Shimla Ox Nche helped the team beat the All Blacks on the field.

The final was also the last game as head coach for Nienaber, who studied physiotherapy at the UFS and later became a coach. He will be joining the Irish club Leinster as an assistant coach.

Another UFS alumnus, Jaco Peyper, represented South Africa as a World Cup referee in 2023. He refereed his second World Cup opening match and was in charge of the quarter-final between Wales and Argentina, where he was unfortunately injured.

Jaco Swanepoel, Head of Rugby at KovsieSport, congratulated the Springboks. He said it takes determination, planning, and hard work – from the players, coaches, and all involved.

“It is truly incredible! The victory means so much to our country,” he said.

“And for our university it also means a lot, especially with all the former Kovsies involved in the planning and execution of the whole World Cup campaign.”

“Congratulations to the Springboks! It is awesome!”

Kovsies part of all four World Cup victories

The UFS not only had former Kovsies in the 2023 Bok side, but also in all three previous South African World Cup winning teams (1995, 2007, and 2019) – either as players or team management.

“The UFS Rugby Club is very proud of the Springboks, and of course the former Kovsies involved, for winning the World Cup again,” said Marius van Rensburg, UFS Rugby Club Chairman.

He said a Bok jersey from the 2007 World Cup winning team, signed by all the UFS alumni involved, is part of the memorabilia in the Shimla Room at Shimla Park.

“It would be great if we could get another Springbok jersey – signed by all the Kovsies who won the 2023 World Cup –to add to our collection.

News Archive

UFS Rector takes three months sabbatical leave
2008-05-05

The Rector of the University of the Free State (UFS), Prof. Frederick Fourie, has announced that he will be taking three months sabbatical leave as from Thursday, 8 May 2008.

Prof. Fourie recently made the request for sabbatical leave to the Chairperson of the UFS Council, Judge Faan Hancke. The request was approved given the fact that Prof. Fourie has occupied a number of demanding top-management posts for almost nine years, during which time he had to manage a number of major changes at the UFS.

According to Prof. Fourie, he originally wanted to go on sabbatical leave in the second half of 2007 before the start of his second term as rector, but it was not possible at that stage.

He was last on sabbatical in 1996 before he became Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences in 1997 and Vice-Rector: Academic Operations in 1999.

He could not take his next five-yearly leave because in the post of vice-rector he was tasked with leading the financial-turnaround strategy for the UFS from the year 2000 and had to act as rector when the previous rector, Prof. Stef Coetzee, was on sick leave. Since being inaugurated as rector in 2003, there was also no opportunity to take leave as a result of the many key projects and urgent initiatives.

The Vice-Rector: Academic Operations and vice-chairperson of the Senate, Prof. Teuns Verschoor, will be the acting rector. Management processes and decision-making will continue as normal under the leadership of the acting rector together with the Executive Committee of the Executive Management (Exco) and the Executive Management. This applies to the decision about the future of the Reitz Residence as well as the continuing implementation of the policy on diversity in student residences.

According to Judge Hancke it was important that Prof. Fourie took sabbatical leave in the light of the long period he has been at the forefront of very demanding changes. There are many challenges that still lie ahead.

During his leave Prof. Fourie will be involved with the Higher Education South Africa (HESA) investigation into diversity and racism on campuses, with research and a national conference on institutional culture, as well as the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) benchmarking project and its conference in Australia at the end of August 2008.

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