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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!

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The UFS founding member for The Journalist
2014-08-07

To all thoughtful South Africans interested in quality journalism and a diversity of ideas

We invite you to go online to be part of the Virtual Launch of a new website called The Journalist.

It will serve as a knowledge bank for our profession. We will be calling everybody to share their expertise because those who build solid institutions and strong institutional memory are guaranteed to succeed as a profession or a nation.

Please go to www.thejournalist.org.za and sign up to our weekly Wednesday newsletter. You will be eligible to be part of a weekly lucky draw for cash prizes until the end of August 2014.

Context and history matters to us: we will start off with the historical background to journalism itself and will feature profiles of pioneer South African journalists across a broad spectrum.

The University of the Free State is the founding member of the site. We are inviting other universities to join the initiative to prepare a premium site with quality academic material to be launched next year.

Two winners of the first lucky draw on Tuesday 12 August 2014 will qualify for a cash prize of R3 000 and a set of four books.

All those who sign up and do not win will be eligible to participate in every subsequent lucky draw. Sign up, write to us, agree, disagree and argue.

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