Blue and Gold 2019 Issue 2

the official uwc sports magazine

fnb varsity cup special edition 2019

7

lucky number the road to varsity cup

ADRIAN PAARWATER ready for battle

POWER OF RUGBY

from protests to development

MAN OF

LEGEND chester williams

mandla's message

2 Blue and Gold

This is the year where UWC will have to stand as one, with all hands on deck to ensure the University is taken to the next level. There will be no time for complaints. We need individuals who are ready and willing to work in the interests of UWC. In the midst of all the pressure and excitement, we must never forget the things that led to where we are. As such, we must never lose our identity in order to conform or adapt to the challenges of the present. We must learn to manage our expectations and never put our student athletes and coaches under pressure. Our teams have been great because we have always allowed our student athletes and coaches to express themselves freely on, and off, the field.

The promotion to Varsity Cup is definitely our greatest achievement of 2018 and I would like to pay tribute to the people that laid the foundation for our successes. These include our former Vice-Chancellor, Prof Brian O’Connell; our current Vice-Chancellor, Prof Tyrone Pretorius; former Deputy ViceChancellor, Prof Lulu Tshiwula; current Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Pamela Dube; and all former and current members of the executive management.

I thank my colleagues at UWC for supporting the vision that the likes of Ilhaam Groenewald, Deon Davids, Peter de Villiers, Chester Williams and all rugby committees spent years to craft.

I am sure that all these people can now look back and say, “These are the fruits of our hard labour.”

I am confident that UWC will have a number of student athletes selected for Team South Africa. I am also honoured to have been appointed as the Head of Delegation for Team South Africa.

In October, USSA will hold elections for new leadership and it is my wish that member universities will vote for individuals that will work for the benefit of university sport. It is our duty as members of USSA to lead the way, ensuring good governance and leadership in all the structures we are elected and appointed to serve.

The staff exchange between UWC Sport and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) Sport has already proved to be a great success. This is an initiative we would like to extend to other universities so we can build credible sport administrators and managers within university sport.

Many new sport administrators and heads of sport have come on board in the past

this year poses big challenges for uwc sport five years, and it is our responsibility as experienced administrators to develop these new administrators to ensure university sport remains competitive – not only on the field but also in governance and leadership.

We are currently in partnership negotiations with two major companies and I hope we will achieve some positive results. For us to achieve our dreams of having an indoor sport centre, a hockey AstroTurf, football AstroTurf and a new athletics track, we need to partner with credible corporates that are keen to be associated with our good story and success.

The reality is that the University is not in a financial position to invest in these capital projects because of other pressing student matters, such as academic space and accommodation.

Yet, I believe we have proved beyond any doubt that UWC can compete with the little resources we have. Without a proper athletics track, we managed to produce a Youth Olympic gold medallist in Luke Davids. Without an indoor netball court, we ranked sixth in Varsity Netball.

Without an indoor basketball court, we qualified for 2019 Varsity Basketball.

So just how many top athletes would UWC Sport produce if we had these facilities?I think we know the answer.

Mandla Gagayi Director of Sport, University of the Western Cape

Image: Courtesy

T

he University of the Western Cape (UWC) Sport enjoyed a successful 2018 with our rugby club qualifying for the FNB Varsity Cup for the first time, our women’s football team qualifying for the inaugural South African Football Association (SAFA) National League and our men’s basketball team qualifying for the Varsity Basketball League. Additionally, our men’s Rugby 7s won University Sports South Africa (USSA) for the first time while our men’s cricket team reached the USSA finals for the first time since 2010.

All of this was achieved while our various teams maintained regular USSA success streaks and Varsity Sports qualifications. We also celebrated the graduation of more than 30 student athletes from different sporting codes, including the achievement of a PhD by one of our karatekas.

We further welcomed our new sport administrators and passionate gentlemen, Hassan Sobekwa and Clement Trout, to UWC Sport, and celebrated Glen Bentley’s promotion to Manager: Support Services.

As we move into 2019, my message to our recent graduates and former student athletes is to always remain humble in your endeavours and never forget the lessons, memories and friendships you forged during your time at UWC. Wherever you go, you must always remember that You are UWC. At the same time, I welcome our new student athletes. By the end of your first term, you will realise that coming to UWC was destiny and that we offer what no other university can: genuine family, a happy environment, and freedom to explore and be yourself.

A professional athlete’s lifespan is a maximum of 15 years. As such, you must ensure you at least leave UWC with a degree in order to have something to fall back on when your days as a competitive athlete are over. Our social media is overloaded with former professional athletes that have fallen from grace, mostly because they did not have any qualification to rely on after their sporting life.

I would not like to read similar stories of any former UWC athlete. You have come to UWC with the objective to study then play sport. Never deviate from that objective – use sport to enhance your academic endeavour.

This year poses big challenges for UWC Sport. We would like to excel in the Varsity Cup and Women’s Football National League while also ensuring other sport keeps climbing the ladder.

contents

LINE-UP 5

m eet the team

UWC Rugby Club’s 2019 team

08

12 t he rugby story of the year

Mark Keohane on why Udubs rugby is newsworthy 13 s tars of tomorrow

The names in UWC rugby you need to know 15 Q&A

Former Springbok Francois Pienaar on his former teammate, UWC rugby coach Chester Williams 24 a long came alice

Behind UDubs rugby boys’ success lies a hard-working team that includes biokineticist Alice Hlungwani 26 g unning for glory

Why UWC’s Young Guns need the University community’s backing this year 28 f ixtures

16

All the Varsity Cup match fixtures 29 m aking the cut: mentoring for student athletes

Dr Simone Titus explains the Student-Athlete Mentoring Programme 33 c lass act

How UWC aims to help athletes find balance with their studies

features 08 V ested interest

Coach Chester Williams leads UDubs Rugby Club in their Varsity Cup debut 16 m an of the moment

Beneath the soft exterior of UWC rugby captain, Adrian Paarwater, lies a charming and charismatic confidence 18 t he road to varsity cup

Since 2011’s FNB Varsity Shield, the UWC Rugby Club has aimed for the top competition in university rugby 20 past. present. future

Through student protests and campus shutdowns, rugby at UWC has held strong

regulars 2

Mandla’s

4

Vice-Chancellor’s

message message

Images: Amy Myers, Jeffrey Abrahams

22 Hall 31 32 34

of fame RFC message Editor’s note Sports wrap

INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT DIRECTOR Patricia Lawrence · UWC SPORT DIRECTOR Mandla Gagayi · EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Gasant Abarder · EDITOR Myolisi Gophe · COMMISSIONING EDITOR Nashira Davids · MANAGING EDITOR Nastasha Crow · EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Taygon Sass · ART DIRECTOR Mish-al van Rijmenant · COPY EDITOR Zainab Slemang van Rijmenant · CONTRIBUTORS Amy Myers, Jeffrey Abrahams, Jesi Townsend, Khanyisile Brukwe, Mark Keohane, Myolisi Gophe, Nashira Davids, Nicklaus Kruger, Rodney Reiners, Dr Simone Titus · PRINTERS RSALitho

Blue and Gold 3

vice-chancellor's message

4 Blue and Gold

also have a strong academic-sport programme and, in fact, through the historically disadvantaged institution (HDI) grant, we wish to see how we can push the academic side of sport as well as bring together the various disciplines related to sport, such as Physiotherapy and Sports Science and Dietetics, to name a few.

What we need to do at a national level is to find ways for universities to collaborate in research on sporting issues.

We are producing a new generation of sportsmen and -women for South Africa.

They will have something to fall back on when they are no longer able to participate in sport. In the past, we have seen some very tragic stories about our heroes of yesteryear, who went into professional sport without having any qualification to fall back on. We are creating a new and different kind of sportsman and -woman, where we insist that you are at UWC primarily to obtain a qualification and secondly to participate in sport.

For many of our students, sport is actually the only means for them to access higher education. Stories – such as that of our cricketer Zubayr Hamza, who was called up by the Proteas Test squad for the home series against Pakistan, or Banyana Banyana footballer Thembi Kgatlana, who was named player of the tournament at the African Women’s Cup of Nations recently, where she scored five goals – of individuals achieving success on the national stage is what we have prepared them for here at UWC. While they know sport will be important to them, once they complete their studies, they know they will also have an education to call on.

It is a considerable jump from Varsity Shield to Varsity Cup. We expect that the first year will be a year of adaptation.

However, we know, from what we have seen, that coach Chester Williams and his team always give one hundred percent.

We will be satisfied no matter what takes place during the course of the tournament, and we are satisfied with the work ethic and the commitment from our rugby players.

As a University community, we should be exceptionally proud that we are the first historically disadvantaged institution

it is a considerable jump from varsity shield to varsity cup. we expect the first year will be a year of adaptation ... we know that coach chester williams and his team always give one hundred percent to be competing at this elite level. As a University community, we need to rally behind our boys, cheering them on and celebrating their successes.

And, as a University community, we need to encourage and pick them up on days that they are not successful.

Prof Tyrone Pretorius Rector and Vice-Chancellor, University of the Western Cape

Images: Jeffrey Abrahams, Courtesy

T

he reason we promote and support sport at university level is largely about holistic student development. While high-performance competitions are important, we also need to look at promoting sport at mass-based level and as part of ensuring our students lead a balanced and healthy life. That is why we have invested so much into sport facilities.

The role of sport is very important.

We leverage off our participation in highperformance sport in order to profile the University. For example, at televised matches, we normally make sure that one of the Deputy Vice-Chancellors or one of the Deans gives the half-time interview. We

line-up

MEET THE TEAM

CURTLEY THOMAS HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

HENDRIK CARSTENS 203cm 111kg Lock BA SRES

JACQUES VAN ZYL HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

JUSTIN THEYS 184cm 93kg Centre BEd

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

HENDRIK CALITZ HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

175cm 80kg Flyhalf BA

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

ADRIAN PAARWATER 185cm 119kg Prop BA

196cm 145kg Prop BEd

JUANRE DE KLERK

KEAGAN FORTUNE 180cm 99kg Hooker BEd

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

RALPH JANSEN

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

168cm 95kg Hooker BA

AIDYNN CUPIDO 185cm 90kg Wing BAdmin

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

189cm 95kg Flyhalf BA

DANDRE DEGENAAR 180cm 96kg Eighthman ADM

HEIGHT 182cm WEIGHT 107kg POSITION Tight-head prop ACADEMIC PROG BSc SRES

Blue and Gold 5

line-up

ALEXANDER MBETE HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

186cm 104kg Prop HCED

KURT-LEE ARENDSE

MOEGAMAT LABIB KANNEMEYER

CLAYTON DANIELS

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

167cm 65kg Scrumhalf HCED

LUKE CYSTER

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

176cm 75.9kg Wing BA

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

DARRYN JAFTHA HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

6 Blue and Gold

179cm 86kg Centre BA SRES

STHSABA MQHATU 179cm 86kg Scrumhalf PGCE

MARK BRIGHT 180cm 96kg Centre BEd

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

175cm 83kg Left wing BA SRES

TYLER GESSLER 191cm 97kg Eighthman BSc SRES

TRISTAN LEYDS

JOEL PAARWATER

HEIGHT 182cm WEIGHT 71kg POSITION Full-back/flyhalf ACADEMIC PROG BA

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

184cm 100kg Flank LLB

183cm 100kg Flank BCom

ANDRE MANUEL HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

ROWAN COLVILLE 174cm 80.6kg Wing ADM

LUAN DU RANDT

Text: Khanyisile Bruckwe; Images: Courtesy; All squad information correct at time of print but subject to change depending on eligibilty of players.

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

187cm 97kg Hooker BSc SRES

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

175cm 71kg Scrumhalf BA

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

LYLE HENDRICKS 196cm 100kg Lock BEd

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

186cm 94kg Centre BA

LUAN DU RANDT PIETER-STYL SWANEPOEL

PIETER-STYL REECE BOCKSSWANEPOEL

REECE LUBELOBOCKS SCOTT

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

HEIGHT 192cm 175cm 105kg WEIGHT 86.5kg POSITION Flank Outside centre B.Ed ACADEMIC PROG LLB

LUVO BAZI HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

MATTHEW LE ROUX

182cm 110kg Prop NR

187cm 194cm 97kg 116kg Hooker Lock BsC SRES BEd

194cm 192cm 116kg 105kg Lock Flank B.Ed BEd

BRONLEE MOURIES

GERARDO JAARS

HEIGHT 190cm WEIGHT 112kg POSITION Open-side flank ACADEMIC PROG NR

HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION ACADEMIC PROG

168cm 64kg Scrumhalf HCED

Blue and Gold 7

on the cover

VESTED

INTEREST

C

hester Williams understands the call of history. He was in the midst of an epoch-making moment as a member of the Springboks’ 1995 World Cup-winning squad that inspired a nation. Now, as the head coach of UWC’s rugby side, Williams can hear the call again: history beckons.

Life and circumstance, somehow or other, often place certain individuals at the forefront of critical moments of an era. After his heroics as a player in

8 Blue and Gold

1995, when he was the face of a changing country, fate has now conspired to thrust Williams-the-coach into yet another significant, defining moment.

UWC, drenched in a history so pivotal to the struggle against oppression and discrimination, makes its debut in the toplevel Varsity Cup rugby tournament this year.

It is a momentous occasion for the University and its students, for Williams and his coaching staff and, above all,

for the storied past so integral to UWC as an institution.

There has always been a strong rugby culture at UWC, despite it trailing behind traditional strongholds like Stellenbosch University, the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of Pretoria with regard to facilities and a historical pipeline of attracting the best rugby talent.

Now, after dominating the lower-tier Varsity Shield and sealing promotion to the Varsity Cup with consummate ease,

movie, former South African president Nelson Mandela, played by Morgan Freeman, recites a few lines from the poem: “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.”

In the same way, as Williams and his Springbok teammates grabbed their destiny by laying their bodies on the line for an entire country in 1995, accepting that the moment was bigger than themselves, so too will Williams and his UWC squad be ready to accept this moment as the culmination of so much that has gone

life and circumstance, somehow or other, often place individuals at the forefront of critical moments of an era ...

before. They stand at the precipice of history, fully aware that this, too, is bigger than just rugby.

Williams, now armed with the emotional experience of 1995, certainly understands the moment. “In 1995, we were doing it not just for SA but for the entire world,” says Williams. “Everyone wanted us to change, to see us become integrated as a nation. Still now, I do guest-speaking about the 1995 World Cup success, and I am still stopped at malls and other public places where people speak to me about it and ask for photos. It was an amazing time for us as a nation.

“This time, with UWC, it’s different but also the same in that we are the only previously disadvantaged university in the Varsity Cup. For UWC, this moment is as big as 1995. It creates an opportunity for this university to get much-needed exposure and, at the same time, to showcase its rugby talent.”

As Williams has played at the highest level of the sport, he is fully aware of the challenges his team will face. He is not naïve; he knows it will be difficult. However, he has called on his players to be the masters of their own fate – their future

UWC has an opportunity for exposure, to reveal its potential as a sought-after academic university and, significantly, to add “rugby destination” to its prospectus.

The Springboks’ 1995 triumph, in which Williams was so influential, was captured on screen in the movie Invictus. The title refers to a poem by William Ernest Henley, which speaks, in a particularly moving manner, about courage and dignity in the face of adversity, and of the indomitable spirit residing deep within us all. In the

Blue and Gold 9

on the cover

doesn’t have to be determined by others; they are in a position to shape their own destiny.

William’s aura and charisma have animated this particular squad and, as preparations continue for the University’s big moment, he will continue to be the captain of their souls – a guiding, galvanising and inspirational presence.

“When I took the job (in 2016), I wanted to do something different,” he says. “I wanted to go back to the culture and tradition of UWC. I wanted to do what was best for the team. And I wanted to return to the history and to enhance the culture.

“So when I arrived, the first thing was to instill discipline – players were coming

10 Blue and Gold

to training when they wanted to and I needed to change that. I had to get the players to trust and respect each other.

That was the first task. Then, once the players were used to my way, when they knew how I wanted to do things, I was able to be more stern and get us going.

“In the Varsity Shield success, the camaraderie of the UWC squad was evident and we went on to win the competition and, of course, seal promotion to the Varsity Cup. We won every game (last season) and gave away about five tries throughout.

“The Varsity Cup will be a different story. There are other principles and aspects I will have to focus on, especially the technical and tactical side of the

game. It will be our first year in the competition and, for us, it’s a case of make or break. Essentially, though, we want to show that we rightfully deserve our place in the event.

“Looking at the schedule of games, we will be targeting a few teams. Our focus is to make sure we win at least three or four games. After that, we will have something to build on for the following year and can grow the team in that way.

“It will be new to the players: Mondaynight rugby, a full stadium and it’s on television... They are not used to it but we are arranging some high-profile friendlies – against WP, for example – to expose them to rugby at a higher level and under pressure to see how they respond.”

Text: Rodney Reiners; Images: Jeffrey Abrahams, Amy Myers, African News Agency (ANA)

“I wanted to go back to the culture and tradition of uwc. I wanted to do what was best for the team. And I wanted to return to the history and to enhance the culture”

As for his own future, he admits that, sometime or other, he will have to leave UWC behind. It will be sad but such is the reality of life and sport. Williams is 48 years old and, like anyone else, has ambitions.

“I would love to be a professional coach, to be able to coach at a higher level,” he laments. “For me, UWC provides the perfect platform to get to the next level. I am very happy at UWC and I feel that I don’t want to leave here – but I know the day will come when I will have to. When that does happen, I know UWC will have been the stepping stone.”

So, as UWC prepare for their Varsity Cup debut, as the seminal moment draws

near, as the call of history increases from a chime to a cacophony, Williams wants to send a personal word to each and every UWC student.

“My message to UWC students as we get ready to play in the Varsity Cup is that we need their support. The players have worked very hard – not just with rugby training but in their studies too – and they are now going to put their bodies on the line for this university.

“I want to urge UWC students to come out and support and encourage the team; I want them to come to every single home game and show their love and support for the team, and to show UWC’s way of playing sport.”

Every coach, in any sport, has their own particular style, a firm grasp of how he wants his team to play. Williams is no different. Asked about the Varsity Cup, the former Springbok wing reveals just a smidgen of what to expect from UWC in the competition – and, just as importantly, uses the opportunity to emphasise his commitment to academic performance.

“Obviously, I love players to have ball in hand but I also want them to understand when and when not to do things,” he says.

“Looking at the Varsity Cup, we will do our analysis and will have an approach for each and every opponent. It’s not just a case of playing expansive rugby. Rather, it’s about balance and allowing players to do things that come naturally.

“What is very important to me as a rugby coach is that players pass their grades. Talent is obviously important but I’m just as committed that students work hard academically. There has to be a balance between rugby and studies to be a player at UWC; it has to be handled properly.”

Williams, needless to say, remains as passionate as ever about the Springboks – and, looking at the current squad, is optimistic about the future.

“Under Rassie (Erasmus, Springbok coach), our rugby is looking better,” he says. “I think, with Rassie as coach, the players understand their roles better and there is more consistency in selection.

Results-wise, it’s about the same as when Allister (Coetzee) was the coach but there has been an improvement in the style of play, and Rassie is dealing very well with the players too.

“I’m very confident that the Springboks will be among the contenders for the World Cup.”

Blue and Gold 11

op-ed

C

hester Williams, one of the Western Cape and South Africa’s favourite sporting sons, will oversee UWC’s historic first season in this year’s Varsity Cup. It’s as appropriate as it will be significant that one of the province’s most iconic players will oversee a campaign that can only serve to highlight all that is strong at UWC. Sport is so often a window into a varsity institution and, for me, there is a sense of rugby-normality that finally the Western Cape’s Varsity Cup participation will extend beyond UCT and Stellenbosch.

The perception, too often presented as fact, was that when it came to university rugby in the Western Cape, UWC was an afterthought to Stellenbosch and UCT. The fact is, rugby has always been important to the leadership at UWC. Equally, participation in all sport.

Excellence is a term easily used but excellence is associated with UWC – an institution whose history is about fighting for justice, equal opportunities and hope.

The importance of sport at UWC is a fact, but indifferent results, pre-2016,

supported the perception that rugby and sport were secondary to the many academic achievements and investments at UWC. Williams, a 1995 World Cup-winning Springbok, along with former Bok scrumhalf Bolla Conradie, have challenged those dismissive views of UWC rugby and transformed the rugby culture at the institution into one that speaks to champions and the desire to be champions.

In the last three years, they have triumphed against the naysayers who refused to entertain that UWC, with investment in the right people and the right rugby attitude, could be as successful as their neighbours.

It’s been brilliant to experience.

Williams’s youngsters won the Varsity Shield in 2017 and 2018, however, automatic qualification to the Varsity Cup was only applicable in 2018.

The rugby campaign mirrored the ethos of a university steeped in history and synonymous with the unrelenting fight for a normal society in South Africa.

This earned recognition, to borrow from UWC’s leadership, is a game changer for

the university. It puts the varsity in a sporting-media spotlight in a way that can only inspire future players to want to study at UWC and play for the University in the Varsity Cup. The victorious campaign and the support from staff, students and the leadership is also evidence of the varsity’s approach to being the best in all fields – be it academic, cultural or sport.

The achievement is also consistent with the institution leadership’s mantra of UWC being “an agent of change” and a place that gives hope and provides opportunities for students to be the best and compete against the best.

Why, you may ask, is my focus on a team that won the Varsity Shield last year, and will only play in the Varsity Cup early this year?

The answer is, they are my rugby story of the year in the Western Cape and in a South African context.

And they are my rugby story of the year because their success is greater than the on-field results, and the victory is as much about the future as it is about a trophy.

These young men have proved they belong on the main stage of varsity rugby and they have added sporting excellence to all that is already excellent at the institution.

UWC, on so many fronts historically, has demanded respect for influencing and improving the Western Cape and South Africa.

Now the varsity also has a rugby team that will demand respect.

If you want a good news story in South African rugby this year then it is Williams’s blue-and-gold UWC warriors.

Mark Keohane is a multiple awardwinning sport journalist and the Head of Independent Media Sport. This piece first appeared in the Cape Times and on iol.co.za, and has been republished here courtesy of Independent Media.

12 Blue and Gold

Text: Mark Keohane; Image: Jeffrey Abrahams

THE RUGBY STORY OF THE YEAR

who to watch

STARS OF

TOMORROW H

istory shows that newcomers in the FNB Varsity Cup – South Africa’s premier university rugby competition – find the going tough in the first year. As debutants, the UWC rugby team are expected to have a hard time in the competition this season. Coach Chester Williams’s boys, however, have vowed not to simply make up numbers but to hoist the University flag as high as possible. And this line-up proves the team isn’t short of quality young rugby stars.

TRISTAN LEYDS ACADEMIC PROGRAMME BA PLACE OF BIRTH Strand POSITION Full-back and flyhalf CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Part of the UDubs team that won Varsity Shield last year, played for the Western Province Under-19 and Under-21 teams in the Currie Cup, and played in the SuperSport Challenge Cup GOALS AND AMBITIONS To play in SuperRugby and Rugby 7s WHY SHOULD WE LOOK FORWARD TO WATCHING HIM? “I like to run the ball and I feel like I can motivate other young players that are very muscular to have confidence in what they do and to back themselves at all times.”

KURT-LEE ARENDSE ACADEMIC PROGRAMME BA PLACE OF BIRTH Paarl POSITION Wing CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Played for Boland Under-18 and for Western Province Under-19 before joining UWC in 2017, and part of the South African Sevens Academy team that travelled to the United States in January 2019 GOALS AND AMBITIONS To continue performing well for UWC and play in Blitzboks WHY SHOULD WE WATCH HIM? “It’s our first time competing in Varsity Cup and we are all excited – we would appreciate the support.”

Blue and Gold 13

who to watch

LYLE HENDRICKS ACADEMIC PROGRAMME BA Sports Science PLACE OF BIRTH Bellville POSITION Inside centre CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Junior Boks, Western Province Under-19 and Under-21, 7s seniors and UWC Sportsman of the Year 2018 GOALS AND AMBITIONS “To graduate from the Under-20 Springbok side to the senior Springboks and to play SuperRugby.”

14 Blue and Gold

Text: Myolisi Gophe; Images: Jeffrey Abrahams, Courtesy

LUBELO SCOTT ACADEMIC PROGRAMME LLB PLACE OF BIRTH Cape Town POSITION Outside centre CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Athletics: Western Province colours in 100m and 200m Rugby: Craven Week Under-13 and Under 18, Grant Kgomo Under-16, Academy Week Under-18, Provincial 7s, Western Province Under-19 and, currently, Western Province Under -21 GOALS AND AMBITIONS “To play SuperRugby and for the Springboks.”

Q&A

Q&A

The legacy of the man behind the FNB Varsity Cup is etched into folklore.

Francois Pienaar was the captain of the Springboks when he lifted the William Webb Ellis trophy on home soil in 1995, alongside former South African President Nelson Mandela. The Springboks won the 1995 Rugby World Cup by defeating the All Blacks at Ellis Park and sent the nation into a state of euphoria.

Several books have been written and even a feature film, Invictus, produced about the feat that played a massive role in nation-building at the dawn of our democracy. One of the key members of that World Cup-winning squad was our very own UWC rugby coach, Chester Williams. As the first player of colour in the side, Williams caught the imagination of the public and became a popular figure in the campaign.

Today, with both men involved in the Varsity Cup, Pienaar, now the CEO of Advent Sport Entertainment & Media (the management agency of FNB Varsity Cup), reflects on his former teammate, Williams.

World Cup-winning Springboks side for nation building as the only person of colour in the squad?

Blue and Gold: How important was Chester Williams’s inclusion in the 1995 Rugby

BG: How significant a moment is this in the context of South African rugby?

Francois Pienaar: Chester was a pivotal part of our team. His work ethic and how he conducted himself off the field was special. He would always work on his skills after training and set an example.

We were gutted when he got injured just before the World Cup. Coming back into the team, his contribution was amazing.

Scoring four tries against Samoa was special!

BG: Can you reflect on Chester’s legacy – the fact that he blazed a trail for the Springboks and now, in Varsity Cup, historically leading UWC into the country’s premier university competition?

FP: Chester has grown as a coach and has built a team that will compete against the best universities across the land. He can be very proud of what he has achieved in such a short space of time. It’s great to have UDubs playing in the Varsity Cup in 2019.

a key member of that world cup-winning squad was uwc’s rugby coach ... as the first player of colour, chester williams caught the imagination of the public FP: It’s very significant. Growing the game and developing our future stars is what Varsity Cup is all about. His players will get scholarships to further their education, which is particularly pleasing to me. They will get a chance to compete against the best and I know the support from the students and alumni will be electric.

Text: Gasant Abarder; Images: Courtesy

BG: What advice do you have for the University in its first year of Varsity Cup? FP: Enjoy the opportunity, give your best all the time, make memories and forge friendships that will last long after you have achieved your degree and handed your UWC jersey (in great shape) to the next lucky young man.

BG: Are there any funny anecdotes you can share about Chester?

FP: He has not lost that boyish smile...

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profile

MAN

OF THE

A

drian Paarwater is like the Cape’s characteristic motreën: a gentle mist of rain that persists until it has soaked everything in its wake.

A self-confessed “softie” who cried when he won Man of the Match in the final 2018 Varsity Shield game, when he runs onto the rugby field, he transforms into a machine powered by adrenaline and stealthy determination.

It is a cool, wet summer morning and the bearded young man savours a cappuccino as he opens up about leading UWC’s historic Varsity Cup rugby team. It has been just over a week since the 20-year-old has been named as captain and, despite the enormity of this achievement, he is remarkably composed.

For the first time, an historically disadvantaged institution will face the country’s most-esteemed rugby incubators such as Maties and Tukkies. But Paarwater’s shoulders are broad enough to carry the weight. He takes his role as a leader very seriously yet his modesty is overwhelming.

“I don’t speak much before a game,” he says coyly. “But I do say: ‘Hulle is net mense’ (They are just people). It’s all about mind over matter; all about what you believe. If we stick together as a unit, as brothers, we can achieve.”

Paarwater, a final year BA Industrial Psychology student, explains that it was his father who had instilled the power of positive thinking. This was particularly helpful when he sustained serious injuries to his ankle and lower back during his short rugby career.

He recalls the day he tore a ligament in his toe. He could barely walk but his father Melvin’s response was simple: “That’s nothing. It’s all in your head.”

Paarwater still cannot believe that he managed to play and perform well. His composed demeanour gives way to a

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Text: Nashira Davids; Images: Jeffrey Abrahams, Courtesy

MOMENT hearty giggle at the thought of his father’s perpetual answer whenever he was faced with an obstacle.

His parents, older sister Kelly-Lee, four-year-old niece Adrianna – named after Paarwater – and girlfriend are the centre of this eighthman’s universe. His motto in life is “My motivation is my family”, garnered from All Blacks rugby star Malakai Fekitoa, who left the New Zealand team to take up a lucrative deal with French club Toulon to support his family. Even though he admires Fekitoa, Paarwater’s own role model is his mother, Deidre, while his father, one of 13 children, comes from a seven-brother lineage that all played for Western Cape provincial teams. Paarwater’s uncle, Jerome Paarwater, is now a well-known international rugby coach.

While his family is well respected in rugby circles, the youngster is determined to make a name for himself and not slip into a life of crime like many of his childhood friends. Hailing from Ravensmead, which has seen its fair share of gang activity and violence, Paarwater’s parents managed to shelter their kids and encouraged young Adrian’s participation in athletics, cricket and rugby. He was offered a sport scholarship at Milnerton High School, the alma mater of Stormers’ and Springbok Damian de Allende.

Initially, Paarwater was apprehensive about attending the former model C school. He struggled to fit in and keep up with the seemingly highfalutin English.

Yet, later, he went on to become the vice-captain of the school’s rugby team, winning the Damian de Allende trophy as Sportsman of the Year and named 2015 Learner of the Year in matric.

At UWC, Paarwater again found it difficult to balance his academics with sport.

Until he met Sidni Williams.“She changed me in a good way,’ Paarwater says of

his girlfriend. “I was going through a tough time and she calmed me down.

I knew I wanted to go into Human Resources but never took my studies seriously. I realised I can actually do something with my studies and not just hang around here to play rugby.”

The youngster is grateful to the various coaches and mentors – Heinrich Martin, Donevon Sinclair, Patrick Petersen, his uncle Jerome, Lionel Langenhoven, Bolla Conradie and Chester Williams – who also took him under their wings.

Now that he has managed to find the right balance between his academics and sport, he cannot wait for Varsity Cup to

start. The plan, he says, is to play a faster game but the team will stick to what has worked for them during the Varsity Shield tournament.

However, the success of the UDubs team does not only lie with the coaches or men on the field. It is also about the support of the UWC family. He would like to see the stands overflowing, come rain or shine.

“We haven’t had a lot of support in the past but the support we had was good. However, we need more. If you have people screaming for you, it builds momentum. If we as UWC can stand together, that will help us succeed.”

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timeline

THE ROAD TO

VARSITY CUP

W

hen it comes to university rugby, it’s difficult to find a better success story than UWC’s promotion to the FNB Varsity Cup, where South Africa’s best teams will battle it out for the top spot. However, the road to the Varsity Cup has been a long and interesting one, with many near misses and interesting stops along the way. Here’s a look at that journey.

2011 UWC is one of the founding members of the FNB Varsity Shield, along with inaugural winners Central University of Technology (CUT), Wits (the first team to earn promotion to the Cup), the University of Fort Hare (UFH) and the University of KwaZuluNatal (UKZN).

UWC finishes third, with two out of the top 10 point scorers and try scorers coming from the University.

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2012 Once again, the UWC Rugby team finishes the Shield in third place. Head coach Deon Davids leaves the squad midway through the campaign, leaving assistant coach Oliver Jansen to complete the 2012 campaign.

2013 As former Springbok coach Peter De Villiers joins as UWC Head Coach of rugby, the UWC rugby team starts the Shield strong with a televised game against CUT and ends with a final face-off against the same team, finishing the Shield in second place after a 19-29 defeat. The team also kicks off their Pink Shorts campaign, visiting the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children to help clean the grounds and play with the children – soon to become an annual tradition.

2014 In a difficult year for the team, UWC finishes fourth, just above the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Vikings, though UWC’s Freddie Muller is still the tournament’s secondbest point scorer. Ex-Springbok coach Peter de Villiers faces up against ex-New Zealand coach, John Mitchell, who takes charge of a strong UKZN rugby squad.

Text: Nicklaus Kruger; Images: Courtesy

2019 This year, UWC Rugby is preparing to take part in the 12th season of the Varsity Cup, kicking off against UCT’s Ikey Tigers on Monday, 4 February 2019. It’s bound to be a game to remember!

2015 UWC finishes the Shield third (for the third time), though the competition’s Top Try Scorer, James Verity-Amm, hails from the University (and happens to be the tournament’s fourth-best point scorer). Mandla Gagayi joins the University as Head of Sport.

2016 As former Springbok Chester Williams joins UWC as Head Coach for rugby, UWC Rugby Club narrowly misses promotion to the Varsity Cup, losing both the final of the Varsity Shield (to Wits, 2-39) and the promotional play-offs to the Ikey Tigers of UCT. UWC’s Aidynn Cupido is named “Back That Rocks” and is nominated for Player of the Tournament.

2017 UWC Rugby wins the Varsity Shield for the first time, finishing 45-2 against Fort Hare in an epic final. This performance helps earn them the UWC Club of the Year Award while Coach Chester Williams is awarded UWC’s Coach of the Year. Aidynn Cupido is again nominated for Player of the Tournament.

2018 Once again, UWC dominates the Varsity Shield, losing only one of its games, and trouncing Walter Sisulu University (FNB WSU) in the final. The University also wins promotion to Varsity Cup (by defeating their 2017 rivals, UFH, 39-18). Adrian Paarwater receives Man of the Match in the Varsity Shield Final, teammate and Junior Bok Lyle Hendricks wins UWC Sportsman of the Year, Lubelo Scott receives his Half Colours and several of the team play for Western Province Under-21.

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Anniversary

PAST. PRESENT. FUTURE

T

his year marks 55 years since UWC’s Rugby Club was established.

For more than half that time, the club had much more to contend with than the opposition’s fifteen men.

Advocate John Walters, who graduated with a BA LLB in 1980 and is now Ombudsman of Namibia, remembers that not much rugby was played because of student protests. “I had the honour to captain a bunch of formidable players,” says Walters, who played rugby at UWC from 1976 until 1980. As both captain and chairperson of the club, he says resources were scarce for many years.

“Yet we persevered and three of us were in the winning team of Tygerberg that won the South African Cup in 1978.”

Prof Julian Smith remembers the ‘70s as a period of political consciousness that didn’t exclude rugby. “The slogan was ‘no normal sport in an abnormal society’ and rugby, in particular, was used as a political tool against the system. It’s also this slogan that motivated UWC to move away from federation rugby to join the Tygerberg League.”

Smith’s 17 tries in one season while playing in the League is a personal highlight.

He remembers fondly how “back then, we were called the Varsity Boys and being a “Boy” meant you had a good chance of being left alone whenever a fight broke out after a game.”

Similarly, Tobias Titus, who became the first president of colour of the Western Province Rugby Union, joined UWC in the

20 Blue and Gold

mid-1960s and tried his hand at rugby.

Being a klein outjie (a small guy), he soon discovered his natural ability lay with sports administration. Titus fondly remembers the rugby players being chased through the bush at the end of a not-sofriendly-match as well as the bad facilities and long post-match talks held around open fires.

Former captain Gary Boschoff arrived in the 1980s to find conditions for playing even more difficult. “I was selected for the South African Rugby Union (SARU) team the previous year and was very excited about the year ahead. However, it was not to be. The year of 1985 was thrown into turmoil when the South African Police (SAP) invaded our campus.”

Boschoff, now the Executive Manager for Community Services in the Drakenstein Municipality, recalls that UWC suspended academic activity from June to December that year, which he says was “a very traumatic period in the history of UWC”.

The Club struggled to operate after the suspension of academic classes and even more so after the campus was officially closed in June. They somehow continued to fulfil league fixtures under very difficult circumstances. “I had the privilege of being captain during that period and to lead a bunch of committed players, week in and week out, and – dare I say – getting whipped week in and week out, was depressing but also built character.

In the end, we were all the better for it,” Boschoff recalls.

Those were difficult times to play sport at UWC, he says. “I remember retreating from campus in the middle of the night to evade the advancing riot police who invaded the campus almost at will, hounding and harassing students. Fear ruled the streets of Belhar and Bellville South, and everyone experienced some degree of distress.”

In 1989, Nicky van Heerden was captain with the late Rodger Adams a player-coach. The national politics of the day were always an integral and proud part of the consciousness of the members of the club. “Hence, the debates at UWC sport eventually led to the watershed moment in 1991 where, with the advent of democracy, the club had to decide on a direction,” says Van Heerden.

The transition to democracy and unification of structures around 1991 was not without conflict and some members even decided to leave the club. The restructuring of university sport was finally completed with the formation of USSA. Ilhaam Groenewald, who was involved in UWC sport from 2000 until she moved to Stellenbosch University in 2014, recalls UWC Rugby had a number of difficulties, with a poor run of form that lasted for several seasons. When she was appointed as the Head of Sport in 2005, sport at UWC required radical re-engineering and restructuring.

“We knew it was important for the University to embrace sport as an integral tool for student development. With the

Images: Jeffrey Abrahams, Courtesy

implementation of the Athlete Support Programme (ASP), notable improvements were introduced in the institution’s sporting profile at club, provincial and national levels.”

The programme was followed by the UWC RFC Business Plan 2005–2010, drafted by key stakeholders including UWC staff, the club executive and alumni.

“From 2009 to 2014, we implemented a new sports strategy that required improvement for monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

“During this time, the club regained its position in the Western Province Rugby Super League, the top club league in the region,” says Groenewald.

After 55 years, the UWC Rugby Club has become an integral tool for student development on campus and is a force to be reckoned with in the university rugby fraternity of South Africa.

This is an amended version of the article “Facing foes on and off the field”, published in issue 5 of 2018 of UWC’s 360 Perspectives magazine.

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hall of fame

01 04

02 01 A UWC rugby team in the 1960s with Jan Persens wearing his scrum cap to protect his mathematical brain.

02 An action photograph of UWC’s brilliant scrumhalf, Julian Smith, passing the ball. Smith is currently the Vice-Rector of Stellenbosch University.

03 Prof LMD Stopforth, one of the first rugby coaches, passing the ball to a student team member at their practice session.

04 Coach Henry Abrahams, Henry Botha and Sas Bailey with other highly successful UWC Rugby Club players.

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03

05

08

Text: Nastasha Crow; Images: Courtesy

06

07

05 The UWC Rugby Club in the 1970s.

06 The late 1960s’ rugby team with wellknown players – such as Kosie Welman, Dawie Isaacs, Colin Johnson and Gregory Voigt – with their coach, Mr Henry Abrahams.

07 A women’s rugby match at a hostel sports event in 1986.

08 Members of the UWC men’s rugby team.

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profile

ALONG CAME ALICE

24 Blue and Gold

but she also has the responsibility of assessing all the players, injured or not, in terms of overall fitness, technique and skills in order to enhance the bio-mechanical effectiveness of each player and the different elements of the team.

Additionally, she works with the coaches and conditioning specialist to modify training to enhance each player’s performance.

“Everything I do is mostly around exercise and conditioning so if players develop injuries, I need to ensure I help them get better so they can get back on the field to play the game,” says Hlungwani.

Her love of Cape Town and sport made enrolling as a biokinetics student at UWC an easy choice. “I grew up as an athlete so I needed to get a career that was in line with performance in sport – this is what drew me to biokinetics.”

Ever since she started her studies, she knew rugby would be the field she would

“it’s quite rewarding to advise the coaches on how to improve the movements of the players and having the opportunity to help them get better” get into and when she saw an opening in the UWC rugby team, she went for it, beginning her career in 2015 under former UWC rugby head coach, Peter de Villiers.

“The coaches in the team are very much open to my views as a woman despite this sport being so male-dominated.

To me, this means so much because my professional advice is listened to and applied. It feels good to see women being given opportunities that showcase their talent in the sport of rugby.”

Yet, Hlungwani does more than just ensure players heal from their injuries and get back on the field. She also participates in team video analysis sessions. These sessions see the coaching team view minute-by-minute games, pre- and postmatch, to identify where players may have gone wrong in a particular game and what they can do to improve or get the upper hand.

“I am basically a specialist in human movement,” she says. “It’s quite rewarding to be able to advise the coaches on how to improve the movements of the players and having the opportunity to take them to the gym and help them get better.”

Hlungwani looks forward to the Varsity Cup and is happy to have been part of the progress the team has made since 2015.

“To have been given an opportunity to be part of this progressing team is fantastic. And it’s truly rewarding to see how my methods have assisted the team in getting to this point.”

Text: Khanyisile Brukwe; Image: Jeffrey Abrahams

A

lice Hlungwani is a sports therapist (BSc Hons Biokinetics), secondyear MSc medical biosciences student and part of the threemember medical team that is present at all UWC rugby matches.

Along with a physiotherapist and a conditioning specialist, Alice is responsible for pre-match player preparations such as strapping, injury management and other necessities the players may need to be at their very best for an upcoming match.

What sets Hlungwani apart is her broader scope of practice as far as competitive sport is concerned. As a Biokinetics graduate, she is more vested in exercise and fitness as her speciality, and plays a critical role in the fitness and conditioning of players whereas a physio only looks at the rehabilitation following an injury.

Not only does she provide treatment through all the phases of rehabilitation

the rookies

GUNNING FOR GLORY A

he is still young enough to get a contract with a rugby union. After that, he can work as a professional – that is the goal,” he says.

“My job is to ensure these young boys come through the system, play in the Varsity Cup senior team and develop their rugby careers. But as we always say, they are first students and then rugby players. They need to get that balance between their academic and sporting careers right.”

Peterson, who has served as a kicking coach for UWC Rugby since 2014, is the perfect motivator for these wannabe rugby stars. After he started playing rugby at the age of seven, he went on to play for the

South African Schools team, the Western Province Under-19s and the Springboks.

He also played Currie Cup rugby for Western Province, Boland and Griquas before graduating to the Springbok 7s.

In addition, he had a stint in the Italian club rugby scene before turning to coaching.

While all eyes will be on the Varsity Cup side’s fortunes, Peterson has called on the University to get behind the Young Guns too. “It starts with the Young Guns and ends with the Varsity Cup. These young guys also want to play in front of a big crowd, they also want to be supported and feel recognised by the University,” he says.

Text: Myolisi Gophe; Image: Jeffrey Abrahams

big benefit of the UWC rugby team’s qualification for the FNB Varsity Cup this year is the University’s participation in the Young Guns competition, an under-20 tournament played as curtain-raisers before every Varsity Cup game.

Patrick Peterson, the UWC Young Guns coach, explains it as a tournament that is not only aimed at developing future Varsity Cup and professional rugby stars but also one that develops players into well-rounded professionals aligned to the University’s strategic goals.

“If a guy can study for three or four years and get a degree behind his name,

26 Blue and Gold

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FROM HOPE TO ACTION THROUGH KNOWLEDGE.

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opinion

MAKING THE CUT: MENTORING FOR STUDENT ATHLETES

I

Text: Dr Simone Titus; Image: Courtesy

n collaboration with Student Administration, The DVC: Research and Innovation and the Dean of the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, the Student-Athlete Mentoring Programme (SAMP) was launched during the second semester of the 2018 academic year. The purpose of this mentoring programme is to assist and offer support to student athletes from the five priority sporting codes. This programme forms part of a larger project, which is funded by the HDI grant, and aims to develop a sustainable mentoring programme for student athletes across the UWC community.

As an institution, we are aware of the thorough demands placed on athletes in their capacity as a student and an athlete.

Given the unique and complex set of demands placed on student athletes on and off the field, we have developed a programme to assist them in developing a comprehensive and holistic approach to their academic project. It is envisaged that this programme could also develop attributes that student athletes may use

long after they have graduated. To achieve success in this programme, we will adopt and implement a fourtier approach: Tier 1: Programme Mentor As the programme mentor, I have developed and monitored the programme, and will ensure training is offered to all mentors. A compact training session will be conducted by the Centre for Student Support Services (CSSS) to capacitate mentors and educate them with regard to different mentoring models and activities, and various modes of communication.

To this end, we have adopted a hybrid model that includes a combination of online and face-to-face mentoring.

Alongside the mentor, two mentor co-ordinators (Miss Kelello Moeketse and Mr Rodwell Ndlovu) work closely with the programme mentor. They help oversee mentors to ensure they have the necessary resources and gather monthly reports on the progress of their mentor-mentee relationships.

Tier 2: Mentors The primary role of the mentor is to help the student athlete implement an effective time-management programme to stay on track with their coursework and develop efficient studying techniques.

The mentors in this programme are paired with student athletes to track and monitor their progress throughout the academic year. These mentors may also have the capacity to offer tutorship in areas where it is identified. The mentor will be required to monitor the student’s grades and to arrange further assistance if required.

Tier 3: Tutors While all our subjects have tutors, we will request group, peer and one-on-one tuts for athletes who may be on the road or require additional assistance.

Tier 4: Student athletes The student athletes are required to meet with their mentors on a regular basis either in their assigned peer group or individually. In addition, they are encouraged to attend all tutor sessions made available through their department in each of the modules.

Through participation in this mentor programme, student athletes will develop the learning skills critical for student success. These include critical thinking, student engagement, organisation, time management, comprehension, note-taking, study tips and techniques, and test preparation. These skills may also be offered to students through workshops.

For more information about this programme, contact Dr Simone Titus, Programme Mentor, on stitus@uwc.ac.za, or Ms Kelello Moeketse, Tutor and Mentor Coordinator, on kmoeketse@uwc.ac.za.

Blue and Gold 29

rfc message

31 Blue and Gold

line-up for the first time. New teams will visit our campus and we will start to write a fresh rugby chapter in our exciting new tournament journey. This is an exhilarating time for rugby at UWC. It took the entire extended UWC family to carry our team to this point. We will need a united UWC community to stand firmly behind their team on match day, to be player 23 and help our team create a bit of magic again.

Our Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Tyrone Pretorius, not only shared our vision but was a major catalyst for the emergence of a renewed campaign to create an enabling environment for our players. There are many unsung heroes in our University administration who stood resolutely behind this campaign with some creative solutions to keep us on the right track.

Our Director of Sport, Mandla Gagayi, had the tough task of overseeing the execution of this vision, a task that can be tricky at the best of times. Balancing both the books and diverse opinions, he proved to be a master magician with his very able staff compliment.

Like those before them, our head coach Chester Williams and his support staff – ranging from talent identification to medical support – have all contributed to the development and care of our players.

Significantly, for the first time ever, an exciting academic support programme for our rugby players has been created by our UWC RFC Executive.

Our supporters, UWC RFC players present and past, UWC Old Boys, parents and fellow students thank you for your support during the Varsity Shield campaign and we hope to see all the familiar faces back again at kick-off for our first home match on 11 February.

Our newly re-elected UWC RFC Executive has been amazing over the past few years, launching several new initiatives for our players, from academic assistance

it took the entire uwc family to carry our team to this point. we will need a united uwc community to stand firmly behind their team on match day, to be player 23 and help our team to nutritional and medical support for the boys. For that, I need to thank Vernon Treu, Frederick Sefela, Cleo Vorster, Quillan Campher, Falon-Lee Mars and Pulane Mokoena for all the selfless hours of sacrifice.

Let us all look ahead to the future and join hands in celebration of this magnificent UWC milestone. Respice Prospice!

Nic Kock Chairperson, UWC RFC

Images: Jeffrey Abrahams, Courtesy

F

or generations, our players have bled for the cause, put their bodies at risk and fought for every inch on the field to get us over this historic line. The class of 2018 closed the book on this epic saga with some amazing flair and determination by comfortably beating Fort Hare in the 2018 FNB Varsity Shield final.

The 2019 FNB Varsity Cup tournament kicks off on 4 February 2019, with a very proud UWC community part of the

editor's note

32 Blue and Gold

However, with the fortunes of the team having dipped since those heady days, there was an empty FNB Stadium when Bafana thumped Seychelles 6-0 in their Afcon qualifier match that left the country with more questions than answers. As much as the adverse weather conditions might have contributed, fans simply stayed away. The team has been struggling for more than a decade.

Sadly, the game wasn’t even televised on SABC as the contractual dispute between the national broadcaster and the South African Football Association (SAFA) continued. The SABC has reportedly been arguing that it has failed to make money from broadcasting national soccer games as advertisers are not keen to be involved due to poor attendance and a lack of interest from audiences.

Bafana’s story has some similarities with that of the UWC rugby team’s long and astonishing journey from FNB Varsity Shield to qualifying for the FNB Varsity Cup. When the team struggled to win, efforts to get stories of our rugby team into the mainstream media were often met with negative responses. One rugby publication even categorically stated they would not carry any UWC story “because you guys are playing in a lower division”.

A former UWC rugby coach often spoke about the difficulties faced when trying to recruit potential players from the Craven Week, a high school rugby competition that has become one of the hunting grounds for talent scouts looking to find the best new players. Varsity Shield teams, such as the one at UWC, were something of a last resort for wannabe rugby stars as the cream of the crop go to teams playing in the top competitions.

This is why, as a University community, we should seize both the moment and the opportunities that come along with the victories of our sporting teams and individual athletes, such as the rugby team’s promotion to the Varsity Cup. Their triumphs certainly put UWC in good stead to go toe-to-toe with other universities, regardless of their background and current status. It is our moment to

as a university community, we should seize both the moment and the opportunities that come along with the victories of our sporting teams and individual athletes show everyone that UWC Sport is a force to be reckoned with, and our teams and athletes have the backing of the entire campus and student body.

On 4 February, our boys will play their first FNB Varsity Cup match away at UCT. It is an historic occasion, heightened by the fact that it will be a derby match of sorts.

We urge our students, academics and staff to fill the away stands and get behind our team to show – win or lose – that we all are proudly UDubs! They need all the support we can give them.

Myolisi Gophe Blue and Gold Editor

Image: Jeffrey Abrahams, Amy Myers

P

articipating in sport has huge benefits that have been published extensively. Yet, it is still intriguing how winning can be a tonic for success – not only for the team involved but for fans, sponsors and the media.

Everyone wants to be associated with winning teams.

The story of Bafana Bafana is a case in point. When the senior national football team was a force to be reckoned with, winning the 1996 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) and qualifying for their first participation in the FIFA World Cup the following year, stadiums were packed and the team was making national and international headlines.

Academic Focus

CLASS ACT W

player retention for the Varsity Cup competition by reducing the number of academically excluded students and, most importantly, our rugby players will be able to walk away with a valuable degree to create a life for themselves after rugby.

The Sport Skills for Life Skills (SS4LS) programme on campus has been providing cricket players at UWC with academic support for nearly two decades. With this as a basis, the UWC RFC Executive decided to partner with the SS4LS’s Andrew Greenwood and his interns to create an academic knowledge base that forms the athlete academic support programme for rugby.

The support programme starts with assisting coaches in their talent identification process, ensuring we attract players to our institution that can rise to the academic

challenges at the University. Furthermore, the programme includes a matric rewrite programme to assist potential and current players, and assist in the academic induction of players to our campus.

Additionally, the programme monitors marks and class attendance, facilitates academic debriefing of players to assess appropriate interventions, sources and provides tutors, and tracks players throughout the year, flagging coaches about academically vulnerable athletes.

The UWC RFC is extremely fortunate that our Director of Sport, Mr Mandla Gagayi, and our Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Development and Support, Prof Pamela Dube, have firmly embraced this project.

It is crystal clear for everyone: success on the rugby field starts in the classroom.

Text: Nic Kock; Image: Courtesy

hen the current UWC Rugby Football Club Executive was elected into office for the first time by students in 2016, they immediately sat down to figure out how best to add value to the existing rugby programme.

After an initial fact-finding phase, several areas were identified that required attention.

These included the need for improvement of medical care of students, nutritional support and, most importantly, academic support.

A successful academic support programme for athletes has shown to have numerous benefits for stakeholders. Our University will be guaranteed the maximum subsidy for every rugby player that completes their degree within the prescribed period, our head coach will be able to vastly improve

Blue and Gold 33

2018 Highlights

SPORTS WRAP 5

1

In January, former UWC Ladies Football Club star Thembi Kgatlana won both the Women’s Player of the Year and the Goal of the Year awards at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Annual Awards held in Dakar, Senegal. Kgatlana, now with Houston Dash Football Club in the United States, had a stellar year in 2018, helping Banyana Banyana to the finals of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) women’s tournament where they finished as runners-up. All eyes will be on her as Banyana Banyana make their maiden appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France this June.

3

UWC cricketer Zubayr Hamza made his a breakthrough into the senior national cricket team after being included in the Standard Bank Proteas Test squad for the three match series against Pakistan. Hamza’s impressive debut in the third Test at Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, saw him become the first cricketer from the University to represent South Africa at Test level.

UWC women rugby star Babalwa Latsha cemented her place in the national senior women’s rugby line-up when she was selected in both the 7s and 15s Springbok Women teams for various international competitions. Latsha, who was completing her final year of studies towards her law degree in 2018, was part of the Springbok 7s team at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 7s in San Francisco, US. She was also a key member of the Springbok Women’s team for their European Tour in late 2018, where they played Tests against the UK Armed Forces, Wales, Spain and Italy.

4

2

Soccer ace Chelsea Daniels was selected for the South African national Under-17 team, known as Bantwana, for the FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup which took place in Uruguay in October and November 2018. Although Bantwana were knocked out in the group stages, Daniels performed well, playing in all three opening games.

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6

UWC Ladies Football Club won the Western Cape Sasol League, earning a spot in the Women’s National League, the country’s first professional football league for women. UWC also went on to win the Western Cape Sasol League.

7

In December 2018, UWC Cricket Club nearly brought home the USSA trophy.

Unfortunately, the club lost to Tuks in the final at Boland Park.

Text: Myolisi Gophe; Images: Courtesy

Luke Davids, a rising star of the UWC Athletics Club, won a gold medal when he dashed to a 10.15-second finish in the 100m race at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October 2018.

The performance of the 17-year-old, Parow-born Davids gave South Africa its fifth medal and third gold of the Youth Games – an improvement from Nanjing 2014 when South Africa returned with only one gold medal.