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Blood, sweat, and cheers: a Shimla triumph

24 April 2024 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Francois van Vuuren

Varsity Cup 2024 — The FNB UFS Shimlas are the winners of the 2024 FNB Varsity Cup.

The FNB UFS Shimlas are the winners of the 2024 FNB Varsity Cup. This comes after a 45-42 victory over the FNB UCT Ikeys in the final, which took place on 21 April 2024 at Shimla Park. “It was one of the best matches I have been involved in as a coach; both teams played unbelievable rugby and we are just so pleased to get this great result,” said Andre Tredoux, Head Coach of the FNB UFS Shimlas.

The last time the Shimlas won the title was in 2015. As such, Tredoux indicates that the team is thankful to bring the trophy home. Prof Francis Petersen – Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Free State (UFS) – was also in attendance at the final. In his congratulatory message, Prof Petersen described the match as a fantastic scene. “The team represented the University of the Free State; they represented one of our key values, which is excellence, but they also showed that sport – in this case rugby – has a social cohesion value,” he said.

The battle for the championship

Tredoux indicates that the match was a tough one, especially when the score stood at 14-0 and 31-19 against the Shimlas. He says the team had to dig deep to find its footing in the game again, considering that they were behind so early in the game. As such, he highlights, “It was a huge effort to get back into the game and keep playing as a team. We really focused on staying in the fight and being connected, as we knew Ikeys would tire in the later stage of the game.”

Subsequent to this monumental victory, he describes the team as having the ‘hearts of champions’ and credits their love and enthusiasm for the game as part of the reason for their success. In fact, one person who exemplifies this is the Shimla scrumhalf Jandre Nel, who was named the FNB Player that Rocks.

Furthermore, Tredoux thanks the UFS community for showing up in their numbers at the game. He also commends his team for working towards this victory, including “Inus Keyser, Mark Nichols, and Edith Maritz – our physiotherapist – for keeping the team healthy, as well as assistant coaches Melusi Mthethwa and Tiaan Liebenberg, and Jerry Laka, Director of Kovsie Sport at the UFS”.

Watch the highlights below:

News Archive

Faculty of Theology hosts conference on theology and science

2010-03-25

At the conference were, from the left: Prof. Rian Venter, Department of Systematic Theology at the UFS and organiser of the conference; Prof. Isabel Phiri, University of KwaZulu-Natal; Prof. André van Niekerk, Stellenbosch University; Prof. Francois Tolmie, Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the UFS; and Prof. Wentzel van Huyssteen, Princeton, USA.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

The Faculty of Theology at the University of the Free State (UFS) presented an interdisciplinary conference with the theme faith, religion and the public university this week.

The conference was preceded by a public lecture: Human Uniqueness? In Search of the Image of God by Prof. Wentzel van Huyssteen of Princeton in the United States of America (USA). In his lecture he asks: What makes humans different from animals? He also discusses the statement: Is there something that science can teach theologians and something that theologians can teach science?

In his lecture Prof. van Huyssteen refers to the prehistoric paintings in, among others, Spain, France and also Mossel Bay in South Africa. According to him these rock paintings shed some interesting light on the nature of humankind. “It seems as if there is a possible religious connotation to these paintings. Among others it becomes clear that man has the ability to ask deeper questions about his existence,” said Prof. van Huyssteen.

This find of prehistoric paintings is also an example of an interdisciplinary search for answers to the question: What makes man different from other species?

The rock art also shows that man sees himself as part of nature. “Being the image of God” has also to do with an awareness of nature and man’s special task therein as image bearer of God,” said Prof. van Huyssteen.

These are interesting perspectives given by other sciences on the nature of man. From the theology the perspective of “man created to the image of God” is added. At this occasion speakers from different disciplines such as law, physics, sociology, philosophy and theology participated in the discussion about the position of religion at a public university.

Other main speakers at this occasion were Prof. Isabel Phiri from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Prof. Anton van Niekerk from Stellenbosch University.

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