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Kovsies crowned 2024 Varsity Netball champions after thrilling extra-time win

08 October 2024 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Francois van Vuuren, iFlair

UFS the 2024 Varsity Netball Champions — In a high-stakes showdown, the Kovsie netball team secured its fifth Varsity Netball title, edging out the University of Johannesburg (UJ) with a final score of 58-55.

After another nail-biting game in the 2024 Varsity Netball Tournament finals, Kovsies beat the University of Johannesburg (UJ) 58-55 at the Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) on 7 October 2024, earning them the title of 2024 Varsity Netball champions.

In an electrifying atmosphere – with strong support from fans in the stands – the Kovsie team, captained by Refiloe Nketsa, delivered a stellar performance, securing their fifth title. The game was tied 47-47 at full time and went into extra time, showcasing the team’s will and determination to win.

“Congratulations to our netball team for its fantastic performance not only during the final, but also throughout the tournament. The final was an amazing display of resilience, and we are proud of what the team achieved. I salute our champions on behalf of the entire university community. Under the leadership of the head coach Burta de Kock, the rest of the coaching staff, and captain Nketsa, the team worked hard, and their courage and commitment paid off,” said Prof Anthea Rhoda, acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS.

“We would also like to acknowledge and thank the staff of KovsieSport under the leadership of Jerry Laka, Director of KovsieSport, for their significant contribution to the success of the team,” added Prof Rhoda.

Playing with heart and tenacity

Although the UFS started as favourites – having won the title in 2013, 2014, 2018, and 2021 – UJ played with heart and tenacity, fighting fiercely to claim the win. Both teams pushed their limits, with Kovsies leading by two points in the first few minutes. The score at the end of the first quarter was a close 13-12 in favour of the UFS.

In the second quarter, UJ fought back to close the gap, but Kovsies pulled ahead, leading by three points. They ended the quarter with Kovsies at 23 and UJ at 21. The third quarter saw the teams neck and neck, ending 35-34 in Kovsies’ favour. UJ briefly took the lead in the fourth quarter, but Kovsies rallied, reclaiming advantage and breaking through a tie of 47-47 to secure a victory of 58-55 in extra time.

Supporting the team from the side was head coach De Kock, Spar Proteas captain Khanyisa Chawane, Proteas vice-captain Karla Pretorius, team manager Ané Retief – who is part of the Protea squad that will represent South Africa at the Fast5 World Series in New Zealand in November, Sikholiwe Mdletshe, analysing coach, and Jason Carlisle, conditioning coach.

Coach De Kock, reflecting on the UFS team’s victory in the Varsity Netball finals, said, "We are very excited and grateful for God’s blessings and grace. We have an incredible group of players who are fully committed to the system. They understood their responsibilities on the court, and it was amazing to see that through. The players are also in top physical condition. We have a support framework within KovsieNetball, with everyone playing a role in helping the players succeed." She is also grateful to KovsieSport and the UFS for their hard work in preparing the venue and ensuring that the finals were a success.

‘Our players stood together’

De Kock attributed the team’s success to the unity they displayed on the court. "No player panicked when we lost the ball. Our players simply stood together and regained possession. We’re grateful for the incredible character the players demonstrated tonight."

With Kovsies claiming the title, the UFS this year reigns as Varsity Netball as well as Varsity Cup rugby champions. In April, the UFS Shimlas beat the UCT Ikeys 45-42 in the final on Shimla Park in Bloemfontein.

• Player of the Match: Refiloe Nketsa (UFS Kovsies captain)

• FNB Player of the Tournament: Rolene Streutker (UFS Kovsies)

• The team that played in the finals are: Liamé de Lange, Demi-Leigh de Jager, Megan Erasmus, Xandri Fourie, Elri Groenewald, Reratilwe Ke-Morena Letsoalo, Asanele Malgas, Owami Mohuli, Refiloe Nketsa, Rolene Streutker, Charné van Vuuren, Karla Victor.

News Archive

Professor Antjie Krog to deliver public lecture at UFS Bloemfontein Campus

2015-06-19

Professor Antjie Krog – illustrious author, poet, and academic – will deliver a public lecture at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus. The topic of her discussion will be ‘They Couldn’t Achieve their Goal with Me: Narrating Rape during the South African War’.

Prof Krog’s lecture will be the third instalment of the Vice-Chancellor’s Lecture Series on Trauma, Memory and Representations of the Past. The lecture series is hosted by Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Senior Research Professor in Trauma, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation Studies at the UFS, as part of a five-year research project funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Details of the event:
Date: Tuesday 23 June 2015
Time: 12:00
Venue: Albert Wessels Auditorium, UFS Bloemfontein Campus
Members of the public are welcome to attend
RSVP to Jo-Anne Naidoo: NaidooJA@ufs.ac.za

Acts of rape during South African War

To set the context of her lecture, Prof Krog explains that, about two months before the South African War officially ended on 31 May 1902, affidavits were taken from women about transgressions experienced at the hands of British soldiers. These acts included plunder, killing of stock, abduction, sexual assault, and rape. Her lecture is the first scholarly focus in terms of narrative and agency on the affidavits of 24 incidents of sexual assaults and rape since the 25-year embargo on these documents was lifted in 1982. The shelving of these affidavits is indicative of how even transcultural multiple processes failed to create an honest discourse in post-colonial South Africa about sexual violence.

Paving the way to healing historical wounds

The series focuses on the portrayal of trauma and memory in multiple ways – such as the narrative arts represented by Prof Krog. These forms of expression may ultimately pave the way to healing historical wounds.

“This topic is very timely, given a recent NRF grant we’ve been awarded for research on transgenerational trauma related to the South African war,” Prof Gobodo-Madikizela says in anticipation of the lecture.

Previous instalments of Vice-Chancellor’s Lecture Series

The first instalment of the Vice-Chancellor’s Lecture Series on Trauma, Memory and Representations of the Past was delivered by former Constitutional Court Judge, Albie Sachs, in which he discussed ‘Sites of memory, sites of conscience’. Internationally acclaimed composer and sound artist, Philip Miller, delivered the second lecture, ‘Disrupting the Silence: The Past and Transnational Memory’.

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