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Shimlas set to go head-to-head with Ikeys in the Varsity Cup final

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

Varsity Cup Shimlas — The FNB UFS Shimlas are confident to emerge victorious as they prepare to go against the FNB UCT Ikeys in FNB Varsity Cup final.

The FNB UFS Shimlas are confident of securing a win in the 2024 FNB Varsity Cup final as they prepare to take on the FNB UCT Ikeys at the University of the Free State (UFS) Shimla Park in Bloemfontein on 22 April 2024 at 19:00.

This marks the first time since 2015 that the final is being hosted at Shimla Park. As such, the Shimlas hope to use this home ground advantage to emerge victorious.

Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS, says he commends each player for their dedication, resilience, and sportsmanship throughout the season. “I will be cheering on the team – their efforts and commitment have already made us proud, and we look forward to supporting them on home ground. We are also immensely grateful to the coaching team for their support to the Shimlas. Good luck to the team, and know that every fellow Kovsie is behind you,” says Prof Petersen.

The Shimlas advanced to the final after a 38-24 win over the FNB Maties in the semi-finals held at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch on 15 April 2024. According to André Tredoux, Head Coach of the FNB UFS Shimlas, this is a tremendous win for the team, as the FNB Maties have only lost ten times in the history of the FNB Varsity Cup when playing at home. In addition, he credits Assistant Coaches Melusi Mthethwa and Tiaan Liebenberg’s hard work for the success of the team up to this point.

The mindset of the UFS Shimlas heading into the final

According to Tredoux, the team assumes a new approach and mindset in preparation for each game. In the semi-finals, the team adopted the motto ‘breathe to succeed’, which helped align the focus and attitude of the team in the game. However, as the final approaches, he indicates that, “The big thing going into a final is to stick to our processes with our intensity, and then also for the medical team and the strength and conditioning team to get the team healthy”.

In addition, Tredoux encourages the UFS community to show up in their numbers to support the FNB UFS Shimlas. “The technical team will have a good plan and the players are ready to play with everything for the Cup. We have the firepower to do it with the support of the Kovsie students,” Tredoux expressed. He also highlights that those in attendance can expect a great atmosphere and some ‘awesome rugby’. This is because the FNB UFS Young Guns will also battle the FNB NWU Young Guns at Shimla Park on 22 April 2024 from 15:30.

Those interested in seeing any of this action can still purchase their tickets on the Varsity Cup website here.

News Archive

Spotlight on Excellence in Teaching and Learning

2012-11-08

Dr Lynette van der Merwe and Mr Fred Mudanvanhu
Photo: Stephen Collett
08 November 2012

Dr Lynette van der Merwe from the Department of Basic Medical Sciences was announced as the winner of the Vice-Chancellor’s award for Teaching and Learning 2012. This award celebrates the excellent work done by academics in their classrooms. Mr Fred Mudanvanhu from the Computer Science and Informatics Department was named winner of the Excellence in Teaching and Learning award on the Qwaqwa Campus. They received their awards during the first Excellence in Teaching and Learning Week held on the Bloemfontein Campus from 29 October to 1 November 2012.

Hosted by the Centre for Teaching and Learning, the week was a showcase of scholarly teaching in various disciplines and innovation in teaching and learning practice. Some of the top academics at the university exhibited and presented their scholarly contributions in the form of presentations, short videos and electronic posters. This celebration of excellent work done by academics started on 24 October 2012, with the Excellence in Teaching and Learning Day on the Qwaqwa Campus.

Dr Francois Strydom, Director for the Centre for Teaching and Learning, said presentations made during Excellence in Teaching and Learning Week, especially those by the candidates for the Vice-Chancellor’s award for Teaching and Learning, demonstrated cutting edge, reflective scholarship.

He said Dr Van der Merwe’s innovative practises in teaching and learning stem from her Ph.D. research on Generation-Y learners and what their specific preferences are within the context of the Faculty of Health Sciences. “She illustrated how important it is for lecturers to reflect on the characteristics of the students that they are teaching to find the optimal balance between face-to-face interaction and the use of technology to engage the current generation.”

Mr Mudanvanhu was singled out for his research that contrasted the impact of different types of combinations of peer facilitated learning with the technology to improve students’ success.

Speaking at the teaching and learning awards function,Prof.Driekie Hay, Vice Rector:Academics, said the celebration of excellence indicates the pursuit towards developing the next generation of teachers, doctors, architects, scientists and researchers, to name a few. “The graduate that we educate today is the next president, the next Nobel prize winner or your grandchildren’s teacher.”

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