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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

Wayde, Karla shine again at KovsieSport gala night
2016-10-27

Description: Wayde en Karla Tags: Wayde en Karla

Tannie Ans Botha, Wayde van Niekerk’s coach,
received a special award from KovsieSport
at the annual Sport Stars Awards ceremony.
From the left, are: DB Prinsloo, Director of
KovsieSport, Botha, and Van Niekerk.
Photo: Hannes Naude


The choice of Wayde van Niekerk as Sportsman of the Year was no surprise, but with this fourth consecutive title he joins select company at the University of the Free State (UFS). The 400 m Olympic champion equalled Franz Kruger’s record for the highest number of successive sports awards for men.

In total, Kruger (discus) was named Sportsman of the Year five times – 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002. He is also the most awarded Kovsie sportsman.

Blose and Puren rewarded as junior stars
On 20 October 2016, Van Niekerk and the Protea netball player Karla Mostert were honoured as Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year at Leopards & Lace in Bloemfontein for a second consecutive year.

It was only the second time that KovsieSport awarded the same sports stars two years in a row – formerly it was Van Niekerk and the Protea netball captain, Maryka Holtzhausen (2013 and 2014).

Kwenzo Blose, who played for the South Africa U20 rugby team at the Junior World Cup, was named Junior Sportsman. The South Africa U21 netball captain Alicia Puren, who helped her team qualify for the 2017 U21 World Cup tournament, was crowned Junior Sportswoman for 2016.

“Wayde van Niekerk gained
unprecedented international
fame, which added untold
value to the KovsieSport
brand.”

Prinsloo proud of high quality
According to DB Prinsloo, director of KovsieSport, his department is proud of the high quality of its sports stars. “Wayde van Niekerk gained unprecedented international fame, which added untold value to the KovsieSport brand. Although Karla Mostert might have experienced tougher opposition from her fellow nominees, she was a real star for the Protea netball team.”

To be awarded, a sports star should be a registered UFS student and comply with specific academic requirements. Van Niekerk (BA Marketing), Mostert (masters in Dietetics), Blose (BA Law), and Puren (Education) meet these requirements.

In order to determine the winners, KovsieSport also uses criteria such as international participation, a contribution to UFS awareness, and excellence in sport.

“To be awarded, a sports star
should be a registered UFS
student and comply with specific
academic requirements.”

Cronjé still holds overall record
Sarina Cronjé holds the record for the most successive UFS awards (five).

Cronjé, a Springbok track and cross-country athlete, was Sportswoman of the Year from 1977 to 1981. The number of titles held by this senior officer at KovsieSport is the most by a woman.

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