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13 February 2025 | Story Onthatile Tikoe | Photo Supplied
Shimlas 2024
The UFS Shimlas lifting the Varsity Cup on their home ground in Bloemfontein after their 2024 victory.

The highly anticipated Varsity Cup is finally here, and the University of the Free State (UFS) is buzzing with excitement! The tournament, which features the top university rugby teams in South Africa, promises to deliver thrilling matches and intense rivalries throughout the rugby season.

After an exhilarating 2024 season, the UFS Shimlas made history by lifting the Varsity Cup trophy on their home ground in Bloemfontein. The team’s impressive performance and dedication earned them a spot in the record books, and they are eager to repeat their success in 2025.

This year’s competition is scheduled to kick off on 17 February 2025 and will run for 7 weeks, with the UFS final game on 31 March 2025. The UFS Shimlas will be looking to defend their title and bring home the coveted trophy once again.

Previous winners

The Varsity Cup has a rich history, with previous winners including:

UFS Shimlas (2015, 2024)
Maties (Stellenbosch University, 2008-2010, 2019)
Tuks (University of Pretoria, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2021, 2022)
UCT Ikey Tigers (2011, 2014)

FNB NWU (2016, 2023)

UFS ready to take on the best

The UFS Shimlas have been preparing tirelessly for the tournament, with a strong focus on teamwork, discipline, and strategy. Head Coach André Tredoux expressed his excitement about the team’s prospects: “Being the defending champions comes with a bit of pressure, but we don’t see it that way. Our motto is that we want to attack the Varsity Cup, hence the best form of defence is to attack. The boys are really excited. They played well against UJ and scored lots of tries, hence our mindset is to attack everything we put our minds to.”

UFS Shimlas Team Captain Nkoka Ngobe echoed his coach’s sentiments, reinforcing his dedication to leading the team to victory. “As the team captain, I have to lead by example and bring the culture of excellence. I will never ask my teammates to do something that I cannot do, so the important thing for me is doing what it takes so that the boys can do the same.”

Get ready for the action

The Varsity Cup promises to deliver seven weeks of non-stop rugby action, with the UFS Shimlas ready to take on the best university teams in the country. Don’t miss out on the excitement – follow the UFS Shimlas on social media to stay up to date and get ready to cheer them on to victory!

Let’s go, Shimlas!

News Archive

Zoology and Entomology celebrates 100 years
2012-05-12

 

Dr Candice Jansen van Rensburg and Prof. Jo van As.


The Department of Zoology and Entomology is celebrating its hundredth birthday. To commemorate this, a series of lectures will be presented throughout the year. The lectures focus on the history of the department, as well as past and current research activities.

At the first lecture, Prof. Jo van As, Head of the Department, presented a comprehensive history of the academic background of the department, including information on all the preceding heads of Zoology and Entomology. He also gave an overview of the history of the Aquatic Ecology research group that he started in 1988 when he first became the Head of the Department.

In her lecture, Dr Candice Jansen van Rensburg outlined the activities of the newly established Nematology study group. She stressed the importance of establishing this field of expertise in an effort to address the lack of trained nematologists in South Africa.

Future lectures will be presented by the department’s various study groups and will be held on a quarterly basis. The lectures are held in the Biology 1 lecture hall (BL1) and are open to all. The celebrations will culminate in a centenary banquet later in the year. – Prof. Linda Basson.

The dates for future lectures are as follows:

10 May: Arachnology and Acarology
2 August: Eco-Ethology and Environmental Entomology
15 November: Herpetology and Insect-Plant Interactions
 

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