Blue and Gold Issue 7

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

ISSUE 7 2021

SQUAD GOALS Our netball team aims high, scores big POWER PLAYERS Sportswomen changing the game

C I P M Y L O T I R SPI Genevieve Lentz in Tokyo

The TheBest Bestofof both bothworlds worlds

BLUE AND GOLD

WORDS FROM THE VICECHANCELLOR T

here has never been a more important Olympic Games than the triumph of the human spirit that unfolded in Japan. That it was called the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games when it was happening in 2021 told us all we need to know about the fortitude of the organisers and athletes who participated in perhaps the most significant games of the modern era.

There were, of course, concerns about safety — and they were not unfounded. Notwithstanding those concerns, why were these Games so significant? It was not for any record-breaking performances or the medal hauls; in fact, those achievements were almost a bonus.

It was significant because the world has changed, perhaps permanently, yet we could still celebrate an occasion like this because of the human endeavour to overcome the biggest challenge of the 21st century yet.

COVID-19 has changed everything. The way sport is played, the absence of fans, the incredible mental pressure placed on athletes to perform at the highest level. In our criticism, we sometimes forget that they are human, too. They feel anxious, depressed and overwhelmed at times because of the weight of expectation.

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is proudly presented at these games too. For example, we could not be more proud of Kurt-Lee Arendse, participating in the South African Rugby 7s squad. Elsewhere, UWC graduate and current postgraduate student Lizaad Williams won his first One Day International (ODI) cap for the Proteas against Ireland. And

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

what an achievement by our alumna Thembi Kgatlana, who recently signed a deal with Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.

Let us also not forget our very own Herschel Jantjies who played in a historic British and Irish Lions tour for the Springboks.

All these athletes participated at the highest level and do so far away from their families in socalled bio-bubbles. If a relative falls ill due to COVID-19, they are unable to lend support and may even have a sense of haplessness.

They must know that the entire University community stands firmly behind them and with them.

In the same way, we applaud the courageous efforts of our student athletes, our Director of Sport Mandla Gagayi, and all UWC sporting codes that have been allowed to resume training and competitive matches.

Allow me to single out our UWC Rugby Head Coach Paul Treu in what was an extraordinary rugby tournament for UWC. I wish to pay tribute to all the players in the squad, as well as the medics, biokineticists, physiotherapists, the student media team, rugby administrator and the chairperson of the club.

Perhaps the single biggest accolade was the crowning of Tinotenda Mavesere as the tournament’s so-called “Forward that Rocks”.

This team is special because they were on “foreign” soil in Pretoria — far away from the Operation Room that is the UWC Stadium and without

the cheers of the thousands of students who usually support them. Yet, they did us so proud.

While celebrating the team’s achievements, we pay tribute to the former coach, the late great Chester Williams, for laying the groundwork on the road to further success.

This edition of Blue & Gold is distributed as we near the end of Women’s Month in August.

Women athletes are unfairly scrutinised in all codes and for various reasons — from what they wear and their mental health to their gender. They have had to contend with pay disparities as well as a lack of commercial sponsorship in women’s sport.

However, at UWC, we do things differently because we subscribe to the adage that “if you strike a woman, you strike a rock”. Under the able leadership of Mr Gagayi and Professor Pamela Dube, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Development and Support, women and men at UWC are equal and enjoy the same resources.

The University also continues to strive to have women coaches leading women’s teams. Our role is not to produce Springboks, Proteas or Banyana stars but to provide a platform where students can have the best of both worlds: academics and sport.

Sport, as we all know, goes a long way to achieving a healthy mind and body. And with this in mind, I wish the entire University community the best during these trying times and pray for your safety, health and wellness.

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DVC’S CORNER

Prof Pamela Dube, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Development and Support

I

t gives me great pleasure to write this column, especially at this time.

This month, we mark the 65th anniversary since the 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings, where 20 000 women challenged both the pass laws that restricted their freedom of movement and the oppressive system behind those laws.

In recognition of this legacy, the South African government declared 9 August as National Women’s Day — an annual celebration of South African women’s contribution to the liberation of the country and to its achievements since the dawn of our democracy in 1994.

It is a reminder of how far we have come as a country to ensure women take centre stage and are counted, as well as a reminder that the legacy of apartheid remains and has contributed to the current triple challenge of inequality, unemployment and poverty among women.

Further to this, it is important to foreground that the month of August, Women’s Month, is not just about celebration. It is also a time for us to reflect on progress and achievements, as well as on the challenges we still face in the struggle for women’s

empowerment and gender equality.

At the University of the Western Cape (UWC), we continue to celebrate women, including athletes who are proudly flying the flag not only of this great institution but that of our country.

These include UWC alumnae Genevieve Lentz and Kayla Richards, who were among the four students and or alumni to play, officiate or serve as staff at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

It was such a proud moment to see Genevieve making national and international headlines for becoming the first woman — not only from South Africa but from the entire African continent — to become a table tennis referee since the inception of the Olympic Games. This is what UWC has increasingly been known for — breaking new ground to achieve the unthinkable. Not long ago, our own Babalwa Latsha became the first woman rugby player to sign a professional contract, too.

Having followed the Olympics closely, it was heartwarming to watch Genevieve, just like other Olympians from our campus, representing our beloved country with pride. I also wish to extend my congratulations to Thembi Kgatlana, who recently signed a

WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN TORCHBEARERS, WHO HAVE BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT 6

contract with the Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, and whose journey is recounted in her newly-released biography, Strike A Rock: The Story of Thembi Kgatlana.

I must also thank all the women who became trailblazers in sport, who have created a base for our young, upcoming girls to emulate.

Because these girls, too, now believe they can go all the way and do it. As UWC, we will always be highly indebted to the likes of Genevieve, Kayla, Babalwa, Thembi, Leandra and many others for putting this institution on the map at all times. Let me also acknowledge the strides these heroines of ours are making off the field, with initiatives that support young girls. To me, this is a true reflection of the leadership that UWC has produced, and they continue using sport to make a difference in our communities.

These are women who have been torchbearers, who have been at the forefront of women’s struggles in sport and who have undermined the cultural logic of patriarchy prevalent in sport.

In his book, Long Walk to Freedom, the former president Nelson Mandela wrote: “I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities.”

Indeed, let’s take this moment to reflect on how far we have come, keeping in mind there is still a long way to go for women’s emancipation — not only in sport but in various aspects of society. #IAMUWC #WEAREUWC

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DIRECTOR’S CORNER

Mandla Gagayi, Director, UWC Sport Administration

I

write this with a heavy heart and deep sadness, following the looting, destruction and loss of lives in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. There are also ongoing taxi wars in the Western Cape, which puts many people’s lives at risk of either getting shot while in transit or losing a job because of not having transport to get to work.

These incidents make me feel ashamed to be South African.

Such behaviour can never be used to justify hunger and poverty.

Surely, there are better ways for us to address our concerns that do not include destroying property or killing each other.

Despite these setbacks, this year began with some sense of hope, with sport gradually returning to action after a full year of silence.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that the Tokyo Olympics (postponed in 2020) would go ahead, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) confirmed the British and Irish Lions Tour of South Africa would proceed, and almost all national and provincial sporting federations kickstarted their programmes under strict COVID-19 regulations.

UWC Sport’s mission started with Varsity Cup in a centralised format in Pretoria. The excitement of playing again was written on the face of every player and manager throughout the competition. Our team played like there was no tomorrow; they played this way as they knew that many people would never get the opportunity to play or even watch rugby again, having lost their lives to COVID-19.

The 2021 Varsity Cup was a great

success based on our definition of success. We finished sixth out of 10 teams, our highest Varsity Cup finish to date.

The Varsity Cup was followed

by University Sports South Africa (USSA) Athletics, hosted by the University of Johannesburg (UJ).

Again, our athletes gave a good account of themselves, finishing seventh out of 12 on the medal table. Our women’s football also resumed their Hollywoodbets National League after a launch where we announced Macron Sports as our technical sponsor.

What followed was great on-field performances that resulted in our team occupying the second spot on the log (at the time of writing) behind Mamelodi Sundowns.

We are now looking forward to our netball and women’s football participation in their Varsity Sports competitions, which began in August. I know our teams are always ready to face a challenge and I won’t be surprised if they go all the way.

Now, one may ask, how does UWC manage to consistently compete under the current circumstances? The answer is simple. We’ve always trained and conditioned ourselves to compete against all odds. Given that we have always been regarded as underdogs, we’ve therefore been forced to always give 10 more punches for every punch we take.

The difficulties that all teams faced during the pandemic came to us as something that we have always conditioned ourselves to deal with.

Sadly, with the introduction of the adjusted Level 4 lockdown,

sport was once again suspended.

However, we understand the importance of saving lives and livelihoods and, as such, we will continue to play our part in the fight against the pandemic. Our student athletes continue to train as individuals and small groups, and have also just finished their mid-year exams. I am hopeful that, very soon, sport will return and we will continue providing opportunities to our studentathletes through sport.

Sport may be on hold but the show must still go on. We recently hosted a gender equality workshop for all UWC Sport staff and the Student Sports Council leadership.

This was successful in addressing some stereotypes around gender issues. We plan to host a series of these, extending them to coaches and student athletes, too.

Our facilities’ upgrades are still on the go and we hope everything will be done by October. Our main field has been grass-seeded and is undergoing regular treatment and irrigation to ensure the grass grows in preparation for December competitions. The athletics track is laid and ready for approval by an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) inspector before lines can be marked. The informal feedback from our athletic coaches is that the track is fast and they cannot wait to test it. The VIP lounge and high-performance gym upgrades are 70% complete and, with all these projects on the go, 2022 promises to be an exciting year for sport at UWC. Until then, let’s all stay safe. #WeAreUWCSport

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BLUE AND GOLD

ED’S LETTER

Celebrating sport, community and excellence

T

hese are tough times for all of us — as sportspeople, fans and citizens of the world.

But they are also exciting times; this issue is a celebration of that.

It’s every sportsperson’s dream to represent their country in the Olympic Games but only a select few will ever get to realise that dream. This year, no less than four members of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) community were among them, as players, officials and medical staff at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

And, as we celebrate Women’s Month, it is heartwarming to note that two of those were women: Kayla Richards, who served as a physiotherapist for Team South Africa (page 30), and Genevieve Lentz, who was a table tennis referee (page 14).

Members of our University community have always risen to challenges, writing their names in the history books. And Lentz did it in style as she became the first woman from the entire African continent to referee table tennis at the Olympic Games. UWC has a legacy of producing a fair share of top-performing players and it was inspiring to see current

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student Ryan Julius and alumnus Kurt-Lee Arendse battling it out for the hockey and 7s rugby teams, respectively. Arendse, who signed for Blue Bulls last year, has been one of UWC’s proudest torchbearers (page 32).

It is not just about personal achievements, though. UWC prides itself on inculcating a strong sense of community engagement among its students, and top sportswomen Babalwa Latsha and Thembi Kgatlana’s involvement in the sourcing and distribution of sanitary pads to needy young girls around the country attests to that (page 16).

Last but not least, in this blockbuster issue, we have highlighted the ever-growing number of athletes who have received national call-ups or made it to the professional level.

On pages 38 and 42, we spotlight cricketers Lizaad Williams and Zane Webster, while gymnast Warren Lucas, and rugby stars Brandon De Kock and Tino Mavesere provide us with a look inside their worlds on pages 40, 34 and 36, respectively.

And the list of inspiring and successful UWC athletes go on...

All these achievements didn’t come by chance. Every member of the University community has had a part to play, by providing an enabling environment like the High Performance Centre (page 48), through mentoring and coaching, or simply by direct or indirect support.

We may not all make it to the podium but we can all share in the celebrations.

Happy reading!

Myolisi Gophe Editor

PUBLISHER University of the Western Cape Institutional Advancement PRODUCTION Chimera Ceative INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT DIRECTOR Professor Anesh Maniraj Singh • UWC SPORT DIRECTOR Mandla Gagayi • EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Gasant Abarder • EDITOR Myolisi Gophe • COMMISSIONING & MANAGING EDITOR Nashira Davids • ART DIRECTOR Michel van Rijmenant • COPY EDITOR Zainab Slemang van Rijmenant • CONTRIBUTORS ASEM Engage/ Varsity Sports, Robin Adams, Zaahier Adams, Fatima Ahmed, Buntu Gotywa, Peter Herring, Lyndon Julius, Aphiwe Kani, Dumisani Koyana, Je’nine May, Thulani Mkosi, Lynne RippenaarMoses, Skhu Nkomphela, Melissa Siegelaar, UWC Media

No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission. While every care is taken to ensure accuracy in preparing the content, both the publisher and UWC assume no responsibility for mistakes or effects arising therefrom. The publisher has made every effort to arrange copyright in accordance with existing legislation.

CONTENTS 4

WORDS FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR

6

DVC’S CORNER

8

DIRECTOR’S CORNER

12

YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU WEAR

14

“I BELIEVE WOMEN CAN DO IT ALL”

16

WOMEN OF WONDER

18

WOMAN ON A MISSION

20

REACH FOR THE TOP

22

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

24

FORCE OF NATURE

26

GOING FOR GOAL(D)

28

AN OLYMPIAN CHALLENGE

30

A DREAM COME TRUE

32

ONE OF THE GREATS

34

BUILT FOR SPEED

36

POWER PLAYS

38

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

40

THE SCIENCE OF SPORT

42

IN BLOOM

44

HAPPY CHAPPY

46

SPORT SMART

48

FACILITY OF THE FUTURE

50

THE RUNNING BOYS

52

PEOPLE ARE OUR POWER

54

SPORTS COUNCIL NOTES

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Contributing writer: Fatima Ahmed Born and raised in London, where the irony of rainy days on a cricketloving nation is not lost on her, Fatima Ahmed — more widely known as The Popping Crease — now resides in Cape Town. Here, she continues to live and breathe the game of cricket. An obsessed supporter of the Proteas and an introvert by nature, although one would never be able to tell when the cricket is on, Ahmed is fiercely opinionated and always swims against the flow. Read her musings on Lizaad Williams on page 38.

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BLUE AND GOLD

YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU WEAR

Our columnist laments that women still remain prisoners to their attire — whether at school or on the Olympic track

By Nashira Davids

I

wasn’t the best hockey player at school but I adored the sport and worked hard. Cross country kept me fit and strong, and I would practice dribbling on the open field at home whenever I could.

But there was one thing I loathed to no end — the dreadful navy pleated skirt still hanging in my cupboard. I was a rake of a girl so even the smallest size was too big. I would roll it up to fit my waist but then it would get too short and, on occasion, the Cape Town wind would lift that rag mercilessly. I would be so overwhelmed with embarrassment and annoyance that it inevitably affected my game.

At that age, I was not ready for how my body was changing so I didn’t want it on display. I didn’t have the same qualms as a runner; the shorts and top were perfect.

When my daughter started her netball career, it began with shorts at primary school but as she got older, there it was — the awful skirt. It had come back to haunt me – and taunt her. I saw her adjusting and fixing it much as I had once done. Eventually, she got more relaxed and, as she climbed the ranks, the uniform became more comfortable with lycra skirts and matching tights.

At one match while touring in Pretoria, two teams ran onto the court in shorts. There were double takes from many bystanders and other players but the girls seemed comfortable and no less feminine as many of the stone-age sports administrators had once feared.

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Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, the German gymnastics team, led

by Sarah Voss, chose full-length bodysuits instead of bikini-cut leotards. Voss’s explanation?

“Gymnasts don’t always feel so comfortable training in leotards.

Also, in gymnastics competitions, one has the feeling that they slip out of place or could slip out of place. And perhaps that cameras or photographers can catch this poor moment... With the bodysuit, we wanted to show the campaign [of] ‘It’s my choice’. We can always freely decide if we want to wear a leotard or full bodysuit.”

I give Voss and her team a resounding 10 for that leap, as well as the German Gymnastics Association for supporting them.

However, in the same month, Norway’s handball team was fined a ridiculous £128, merely for wearing shorts rather than bikini bottoms as stipulated by the International Handball Federation.

“It’s so shocking that we have to pay for not playing in our panties,” team member Tonje Lerstad told the BBC. Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) Chief Executive Yiannis Exarchos assured they would endeavour to prevent overly sexualised images of sportswomen by ending broadcasting of “details and close-up[s] on parts of the body” — an effort to reach gender equity on the playing field. Despite this, a subreddit called Oh-lympics has gained thousands of followers

with images and videos of top women athletes carrying inappropriate sexual captions.

One tame comment reads “Perfect jiggle, especially on the left” so you can only imagine what others say.

While it is impossible to stop such depravity, it is time for more sports federations — from school to professional levels — to protect girls and women, and give them the freedom to choose their attire.

It is time to stop fixating on what women should look like and focus on their strength, determination and how they are pioneering in their respective sporting codes.

UWC CAPE TOWN GOLF DAY FUNDRAISER SAVE THE DATE WHEN: WHERE: FORMAT: COST:

13th November 2021 King David Golf Club, 1 Raapenberg Road, Mowbray Stableford R6,600 per 4 ball (incl. VAT and R4,000 donation)

In 2020, the 60for60 Golf Fundraiser Challenge raised enough funds to award 60 bursaries to 60 students from UWC’s Sport’s Department. Please join us for the 2021 Challenge where we will celebrate 61 years, from “Hope to Action through Knowledge”, continuing the 60for60 campaign. You can join us on the course by entering a 4 ball, sponsoring a watering hole or prizes.

Alternatively, if you are not able to attend, you are welcome to enter a virtual golf day which is played at your preferred venue - terms and conditions will apply. We look forward to your participation and support at this iconic event. For more information on how you can get involved, contact Melissa Maans on 0798815106, or email mmaans@uwc.ac.za.

Golf Course COVID Protocols: • • • •

Please ensure that you sanitize and that your temperature is checked before registration.

Please comply with the social distance rules of the club at the halfway house and Prize giving dinner as well as drinks at the bar.

For use of the showers please bring along your own towel, facecloth, soap, slippers etc.

For extra precautionary measures bring along your own bottle of hand sanitizer.

FROM HOPE TO ACTION THROUGH KNOWLEDGE.

uwc.ac.za

“I BELIEVE WOMEN CAN DO IT ALL” Capetonian Genevieve Lentz is making history as the first woman from Africa to referee table tennis at the Olympic Games

By Melissa Siegelaar | Photography: Je’nine May

G

enevieve Lentz was born in Bonteheuwel, Cape Town.

Now, she’s gracing the international stage as the first woman from the African continent to referee table tennis at the 2020 Olympic Games since the inception of the Olympics in 1896.

“I believe women can do it all,” says Lentz, who is officiating matches at the Olympics being held in Tokyo, Japan.

Lentz was raised in a strong matriarchal family. From early on, they recognised that Lentz and her siblings had the academic potential to further their education.

Her grandmother nurtured their academic abilities by prioritising homework and studying after school hours.

When she matriculated and her family could not afford to pay for her university studies, Lentz secured a job as a receptionist.

Her grandmother approached the Moravian Church Board in Bonteheuwel, of which she was a member, for help with Lentz’s registration fees at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).

They agreed and Lentz enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Language and Communication Studies.

She completed that degree and a BA Honours in English at UWC. Next, she attained a Postgraduate Certificate in Education as well as a BTech Degree in Public Relations from the University of South Africa

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(Unisa). In 2021, she graduated with a Masters degree in Education summa cum laude from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). Lentz credits her family’s tenacity, boldness and faith as an inspiration for her to chase her dreams. “My mother had strong faith in God and trusted that He would take care of us,” she says.

Lentz and her sister started playing table tennis in primary school and enjoyed the competitive nature of the sport. In 1999, they joined the Boundary Table Tennis Club in Bonteheuwel and it was at one of their tournaments that Lentz got the opportunity to umpire a match for the first time. By 2006, she’d already qualified to umpire at the provincial and national level in South Africa, so she applied to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) to write the international umpire exam. This helped her qualify to umpire at international World Championship events and she later went on to do the advanced umpire’s exam in Yokohama, Japan in 2009. After four evaluations at international table tennis events, she qualified as a blue badge umpire.

Blue badge umpires are elite umpires who may officiate at Olympic Games and Lentz has made good on this unique opportunity, officiating as an umpire at three Olympic Games:

the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, China, the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore and the 2012 London Olympics. The South African Table Tennis Board (SATTB) identified Lentz to complete the national referee’s course in Sudan in 2015 and, in 2017, she was the only female to pass the international referee’s exam in Egypt — making her the first female table tennis referee from the African continent. The 2020 Olympic Games will be the first Olympic Games where she will officiate as a Deputy Referee.

“I see my progress in table tennis as a step forward for women but it is also a giant leap for womankind.

“I wanted to be part of dispelling the myths of table tennis as a Cinderella sport,” she adds about her myriad professional achievements and the recent media attention she has garnered.

Having worked as an English teacher for 15 years at St Andrews High School in Elsies River and as an English lecturer at CPUT since 2018, she is now pursuing an academic career and has also enrolled for a PhD in Education at CPUT. Her passion for education — both for herself and the young people in her community — has inspired her to start a non-profit

company with her sisters, Leandre and Monique, and two friends from the Bonteheuwel community.

Called Dreamspire, the non-profit focuses on mentoring young people in grade 9 and up, helping them to access higher education for when they leave school.

As the CEO of Dreamspire, she rallied her friends and other locals to assist withmaking this vision a reality and the organisation is now in the process of approaching donors for assistance.

Lentz and her hardworking team are working diligently on their vision of showing learners how to achieve their goals. “We want learners to dream big and we want to use our networks to help them reach those dreams.

“We envisage journeying with them over a four-year period to empower them with the proper tools to make informed career choices and guide them through the correct channels, ensuring that there is a support structure for the learner throughout their high school career.”

Asked about her next steps, she says she is excited to see Dreamspire make an impact on the community but, for now, her focus is on her next assignment at the 2020 Olympic Games where she hopes to make her family, community, country and the African continent proud.

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WOMEN OF WONDER

Making it big has enabled UWC’s top female athletes help tackle issues close to home — and their hearts

By Aphiwe Kani

I

t takes a great deal of time, discipline and commitment to become a professional athlete.

For female athletes, additional grit is needed to succeed in maledominated sports such as rugby and football.

These are things that international football player Thembi Kgatlana (25) and Babalwa Latsha (27), the first and only African women’s rugby player to go professional, know.

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) alumni are now using their resources and positions as international, high-performance athletes to tackle serious off-field problems in society, particularly in the communities they hail from.

One of the biggest problems they are focusing on is the lack of access girls from low-income communities and disadvantaged backgrounds have to sanitary pads.

Kgatlana is the founder of the Thembi Kgatlana Foundation, which she launched in 2016 in Mohlakeng, Gauteng. The Buy A Girl A Pad campaign allows the foundation to provide sanitary pads to girls from disadvantaged communities who cannot afford to buy any for themselves. The foundation also focuses on providing school uniforms to learners and stationery for schools in the townships.

“The premise of the foundation is to empower young girls who are interested in sports, particularly football. We want to change the

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mindset within our communities that football is not only for boys but that girls can play, too.

“We also introduce them to coaches from national teams to mentor some of the girls, which gives them hope that they also can accomplish their goals and dreams.”

Latsha, who graduated from UWC with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 2019, is using her legal knowledge and skills in the non-profit sector now. “I always wanted to be a lawyer and did

not really see sports as a career but more as a hobby. I wanted to be this champion of justice, a human rights activist, and fight for gender equality.”

In her current role, she is doing exactly that.

“While I may not be litigating in court or pleading a case, my journey has taken me into the non-profit sector. I am currently a director of the Menstruation Foundation, an organisation whose sole purpose is to fight period poverty.”

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The organisation provides sanitary products to girl learners, and Latsha firmly believes that no girl child should miss school or sport because they do not have access to sanitary products. “We have launched free pad vending machines, placed in several schools around the Western Cape first, with the aim of expanding to the rest of South Africa. A girl is given a free token that she drops into the vending machine. With a pull of a lever, she’ll have access to a pack of pads when she needs it,” she explains.

Both Kgatlana and Latsha grew up in townships and are aware of the hardships that many youngsters, girls in particular, face in low-income communities.

Today Kgatlana is a member of South Africa’s national women’s team, Banyana Banyana, but also holds many other accolades.

Amongst these are being one of two South African women ever to be awarded the African Women Footballer of the Year Award by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), receiving the Player of the Season title from the UWC Football Awards in 2015 and 2017, as well as being selected as Woman Sports Star of the Year in 2017 by the UWC Sport Awards.

“The biggest highlight in my career has been signing with international football team Atletico Madrid in July. The opportunity came when I was still with SD Eibar and we played against Atletico in Spain. I really gave them a tough time on the field, which led to their decision to offer me a contract.”

She has since published a book called Strike A Rock: The Thembi Kgatlana Story, that she started writing during lockdown in Portugal.

“The inspiration behind this book was sparked by the hardships I have endured in my life that people don’t know about. I was so tired of being interviewed on different platforms about only the highs in my career so in the book, I pour my heart out and tell it all,” says Kgatlana.

“Through this book, people can know that I am strong because of everything I went through. What I have achieved so far is something that anyone can achieve if they have the heart and the mind for it.”

Latsha is currently serving as vice-captain of the Springbok Women, the South Africa women’s national rugby team.

She was also recently selected as a panel member for Rugby

Africa’s Media and Photography Awards alongside the Springbok men’s rugby players Makazole Mapimpi and Tendai Mtawarira, and as a brand ambassador for the Laureus Sport For Good Foundation South Africa. She is also a board member of O Grace Land, a girls’ home that focuses on transitioning girls from foster care into adulthood.

While they are admired and celebrated for their sporting skills and the contributions they have made to promote gender equality in rugby and football, it is Kgatlana’s words that sum up both their goals: “I want people to also remember that I was a human being who helped and cared for others first”.

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WOMAN ON A MISSION

Living up to her legacy, Keegan Hunt is tackling new milestones every day

By Robin Adams | Photography: Skhu Nkomphela

M

ovie buffs will well know that the name Hunt is linked to the lead characters of a number of Hollywood blockbuster flicks.

It’s always Hunt to the rescue or Hunt saving the day. The name is synonymous with strength and heroism in a land of high-priced fiction.

In the real world, it’s also a name with gravitas. Especially in South African football circles.

Chances are Gavin Hunt, one of the most recognisable names in coaching in Mzansi, has been in charge of your favourite club at some point. The former Bidvest Wits and Kaizer Chiefs boss earns his money with Chippa United in Gqeberha these days. Football has long been a staple in the Hunt house.

So it’s no surprise then that daughter Keegan’s love for the sport has its origins there, and at a young age. Her grandfather is John ‘Budgie’ Byrne, former Crystal Palace and West Ham United footballer, and England international. Byrne was a deadly striker for the London clubs and continued his career in South Africa for the now defunct Durban City in the early 1970s. He later became manager of that club before heading up Cape-based side Hellenic.

Football and the Hunt family are inextricably linked.

“Football was always naturally going to be a part of my life,” chuckles a 23-year-old Hunt,

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whose twin sister Kaitlin is just as passionate about the beautiful game. “We’re always chatting football; we bounce ideas. She has a lot of football knowledge.

She could be a journalist or a football commentator. We’re always watching the games and talking formations.”

Match days are incredibly tense occasions at the Hunt headquarters, mainly because allegiances are so divided. The

battle lines are properly drawn.

“There are family feuds in the house when the football’s on. We all have our own separate TVs,” she laughs.

And that’s no understatement when loyalties look like this: Dad — Unknown, but his children joke that he’s a closet Manchester United supporter Mum — West Ham United Keegan — Liverpool Kaitlin — Arsenal.

BLUE AND GOLD KICKING IT WITH KEEGAN Keegan Hunt is a UWC BSc graduate, a physiotherapist at 2 Military Hospital in Wynberg, captain of the UWC hockey team, a Premier League tennis player and head coach of the women’s team at Hellenic Football Club.

Her hobbies include reading, running and going to the gym, and she is currently working towards her professional coaching licence.

Football team: Liverpool Favourite movie: Coach Carter Best dish to cook: Butter chicken Favourite song: ‘Rock with you’ – Michael Jackson Dream destination: The Caribbean Ambitions: To coach a PSL team

Hunt says she is a simple creature. “I’m fun-loving. I like to make people laugh and smile; I want to make a difference every day. And as I wake up, I’m just grateful for everything.”

Keegan is perhaps an unusual name choice for a girl but she has her father’s admiration for Liverpool legend and two-time Ballon d’Or winner Kevin Keegan to thank for that. Her passion for the Merseyside club could then easily be attributed to the man who spent six years as a player at Anfield.

Football, however, is but a small cog in the wheel of Hunt’s rather busy yet interesting life. She’s the captain of UWC’s hockey team, plays premier league tennis for a Milnerton club and coaches Hellenic’s women’s team.

But wait, there’s more.

Keegan has a full-time day job, too. Armed with her Bachelor of Sciences (BSc) degree from UDubs, she is a practising physiotherapist at 2 Military Hospital in Wynberg.

One has to wonder, where does

she find the time? Especially as, in-between it all, she still goes to the gym regularly, spends time with family and cheers for her Mighty Red Men whenever they are playing a game.

“I’m youthful and young, I’m still a well-oiled machine. I’m an exercise enthusiast. If I am not working then I am outdoors, running, exercising. They say, the busier you are, the more time you have. I find a lot of time. I have always been structured,” she says proudly.

And it’s that structure that has allowed her to dream, and chase those dreams with serious gusto.

Hunt is particularly invested in her coaching gig. “I am really trying to drive women’s football and be as influential as I can be in the game, so it’s a great opportunity for me to be a mentor to them [the players] as well as a coach.”

She is currently completing her professional coaching licenses.

And the plan is to one day feature in the big leagues.

“Who’s to say a woman can’t coach in the PSL (Premier Soccer League)? Or in the men’s league?” she asks. “I think that would be amazing. A big ambition would be to do that. Maybe be the first female coach in the men’s league.”

Hunt doesn’t have to look very far for inspiration in terms of her managerial ambitions.

Her father has more accolades than some of us have had Sunday lunches. PSL Coach of the Year multiple times, four league titles, three Cup trophies – the man’s an achiever, finish en klaar. He led SuperSport United to three straight Premiership crowns from 2007.

Football isn’t called the beautiful game for nothing.

The sport continuously serves up storylines that tug at the heartstrings. So it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that one day we could see two members of the Hunt family on the pitch, managing different teams.

Daddy Gavin versus daughter Keegan. You’d love to see it.

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REACH FOR THE TOP

An “Unsung Hero”, Nondumiso Wendy Nomatse aims for greatness in all she does

By Dumisani Koyana | Photography: Skhu Nkomphela

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he impact of young women administrators in the sport industry has been growing rapidly in the country and shows great diversity. The University of the Western Cape (UWC) prides itself in giving a platform for women to kickstart their journey, harnessing their talent and preparing for their respective fields. The sport department at the institution has seen administrators making their way into the country’s top-level brass, one example being Ilhaam Groenewald, who was the Director of UWC Sport from 2004 until 2014.

The story of a young woman, born and bred on the Cape Flats in Lower Crossroads, shows that it doesn’t matter where you come from as long as you have a goal and a plan. Nondumiso Wendy Nomatse can further attest to this with her recent recognition by Sunday World as part of its 2021 Unsung Heroes Awards. The Youth in Arts, Culture and Sport award is given to young women and men across the country who are not afraid to dream and act even when the odds are stacked against them.

“It feels good to receive this recognition’ I feel appreciated by the fact that there are people who see the hard work we put in,” says the 31-year-old manager of the UWC women’s football team.

“For me, it is a great honour as my job is to make other people look good. Now to be recognised for

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my work is a great achievement and it means I must work harder so I can elevate to greater heights in my field.”

As the manager of a team in the Hollywoodbets Super League, now in its second year, Nomatse has her work cut out for her. “My duties with the team are a lot but I love every moment of it. It starts from making sure the players have good grades before they join the team as well as during their time here to allocating accommodation on campus. I am the to-go-to person between the technical team and the players.

“I also have to make sure I do the logistics before a game. This includes travelling arrangements, attending pre-match meetings with officials and ensuring our kits are ready to go.”

Nomatse is no stranger to the field, having played for the University’s women’s team for six years before calling it quits in 2016. “I’d had enough of the game.

The young ones were coming in and it was not easy to keep up with them. I was also trying to avoid getting an injury so after I retired, I became a student administrative assistant where I would take part in making sure all the sporting events went well.

Some of the events I’ve been part of are Varsity football, University Sports South Africa (USSA) national games and campus football games.”

Now, having obtained her qualifications – a Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Sports Recreation and Exercise Science – with UWC, Nomatse looks back on her academic journey as a series of challenges she had to overcome.

“It wasn’t easy as I was staying at home and my family is very big. It made it difficult for me to focus in addition to commuting by train every day.

“It was hectic but, you know, everyone makes a plan. I had friends on campus and I would ask them if I could stay with them.

Mind you, this was not allowed and I had to duck and dive the security daily. Through all these difficulties, I managed to hang on until I received my qualification.”

In 2019, she was named as the manager of the women’s team and immediately made changes to the structure of football at the University. That same year, she was voted as Manager of the Tournament at the USSA games with her team coming in as runners-up.

“I want to thank Mr G [UWC Sport Director Mandla Gagayi] for having faith in my abilities and empowering me. It’s never been an easy task but I strive to do great every time. I also work with a technical team that always wants to achieve greatness and that’s what makes me strive to be the greatest in everything I do.”

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CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Amid ongoing lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19, UWC’s women’s football team are strong contenders in the Hollywoodbets Super League

By Thulani Mkosi | Photography: Skhu Nkomphela

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good understanding between the players and the coaching staff’s strategy has propelled the women’s football team at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) to be a serious contender for this season’s Hollywoodbets Super League title.

Before the league was halted due to the third wave of COVID-19, UWC had lost only once after nine matches, having won six and drawn two. It was an impressive

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run compared to the shortened last season when they ended with just seven victories after 22 matches.

“I think this season, the players know me and know exactly what I want from them,” comments head coach Thinasonke “Thina” Mbuli. “Not just me, but the entire technical team since we were all new last season. This year, the understanding is better.”

Mbuli says the UWC side also had to make a few changes in the

positions they previously lacked.

“After the previous season, we sat down as the technical team to look at the areas where we needed to improve and highlighted our finishing as an issue that overshadowed our good performances. So we recruited strikers Thambo Linye, Sduduze Dlamini and Abongile Dlani, as well as Amogelang Motau who is an attacking midfielder.”

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According to Mbuli, who is also the assistant of the senior national women’s team, Banyana Banyana, the addition of a performance analyst, a full-time team doctor, a physiotherapist and a biokineticist has contributed a great deal to the team’s overall performances.

Of course, it’s never smooth sailing in any team. The coach highlights some of her team’s challenges this season, including having to excuse some of her players from matches due to academic commitments. “The main challenge for us is the balance between education and football. Despite the players having to study online, they still need time off to prepare for exams, complete assignments and write tests. We have also had to leave players behind to complete their university tasks. That just comes with the territory as our core

business here is education,” Mbuli says.

In early August, the South African Football Association (SAFA) announced a suspension of the league following a rise in COVID-19 cases. This meant an extended period of non-activity, which, according to Mbuli, could be both a blessing and a curse.

“We understand and fully support the decision to suspend the games as we see COVID-19 numbers rising daily. We were doing well as a team so I hope the break doesn’t shut down our momentum and negatively impact our conditioning.

“That said, we have players who were busy with rehabilitation and nursing minor knocks so this break could help us get those players back onto the pitch in time.”

Eighteen-year-old Tiffany Kortjie joined UWC earlier this year as

one of the key recruits brought in to bolster the squad’s attacking unit. Kortjie came into the team as a junior international who took pride in representing her country.

“Being in the national team was a fun and fantastic experience.

It was difficult as the competition was much higher than I was accustomed to and the intensity was of a high standard as well.

“It really feels good as you become aware that you are representing your country, representing your team, your friends, your family and your hometown.”

It was that international experience that led her to Cape Town to represent UWC at such a young age. The winger, who made her debut in the league against defending champions and current log-leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, and scored her debut goal against JVW FC, has hailed the team’s hard work for their progress thus far.

“This season has been going great and I can honestly say I am proud of the coaches. We have worked hard and aim to achieve a lot this season. The competition is difficult because of the numerous national team players and coaches so you always have to work hard to prove you belong there,” concludes Kortjie.

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FORCE OF NATURE

Coach Danlee Mathews leads UWC’s netball team to the Twizza Netball Club Championships finals

By Lynne Rippenaar-Moses | Photography: Skhu Nkomphela

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ven with minimal in-person training and no play time on the court in 2020, the University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) netball team is a force to be reckoned with. The team progressed to the Cape Town district finals of the Twizza Netball Club Championships in May this year, beating some of the district’s top super league netball teams.

While the team lost 41-26 to Durbanville Netball Club in the finals, this achievement is made more remarkable as the coach, Danlee Mathews, had just started coaching the team in February 2020. Less than two months later, South Africa went into a hard lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus. During the lockdown, all sports training and competitions stopped while universities across South Africa moved to online learning. UWC remained closed for 2020, with only a few students allowed to return to residences later.

“Our goal is always to win so you’re always working towards that win whether [you’re] under lockdown or not,” says Mathews, a former Proteas netball player.

The Twizza Championships was launched in 2021 by Netball South Africa (NSA) and the cold drink company Twizza. Approximately 52 districts from across the country, with close to 20 clubs per district, were invited to participate. The

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next round of tournaments will be played at both provincial and national level.

With UWC closed, Mathews had to ensure the team was able to stay in top condition physically and mentally. “We developed home-based training programmes to keep everyone fit during the hard lockdown and were also constantly in touch with each other through online meetings, motivational videos and messages I shared in our WhatsApp group.

The players also supported each other,” explains Mathews.

UWC players who played for provincial teams such as the

Western Cape Tornados, who Mathews also coaches, and Southern Stings were able to start practicing in late 2020 and raked up some match hours through the Telkom Netball League presented by NSA and the Spar National Championships. When the UWC players started training again in 2021, Mathews worked on the players’ mindset, endurance and performance.

“We focused on conditioning and nutrition while our physiotherapist concentrated on rehabilitation.

I need players to be fit and on point, but also prevent injuries as far as possible. Nutrition is just

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as important as it affects an athlete’s performance on the court.”

Leading up to the Twizza finals, two of the team’s more experienced players were injured, throwing a spanner in Mathews’ well-laid plans.

“We had to bring in first-year players for the finals. However, it was a good learning experience for them as they were able to play against some of the top players in the Western Province.”

Mathews’ passion for the game and her desire to see the UWC players succeed is infectious.

That’s no surprise considering she is a former provincial player who has played for the Western Province (WP), the Proteas and the South Africa u21 team that competed in the 2000 World Championships and at the 2003 INF Netball World Cup in Jamaica.

Following two major knee operations, she stepped off the court and qualified as a coach.

While she is highly driven, she is also deeply committed to developing players holistically.

Now she uses her experience and skillset as a former netball player, knowledge as a coach, and her insights as a former administrator of the WP Netball Executive to ensure the teams she coaches are unstoppable.

She’s also had the privilege of being coached by SA greats such as Marlene Wagner, a Proteas coach and the former

head coach at UWC, and SA u21 team coach Sue Schooling.

“I am completely player-driven as I believe one has to look at and develop a player holistically. I can’t have a player that only concentrates on one thing in their life. A player’s background, their academics as well as their mental wellness have an impact on them. It can’t only be about netball because, let’s face it, netball is not a long-term career.

“That’s why it’s important for me to understand the player standing in front of me as, consciously or unconsciously, what happens off the court affects performance on the court.”

During the Twizza finals, the team was captained by Courtleigh Behr, a final-year student completing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sport Science and Exercise at UWC. Behr usually fulfils the role of vicecaptain of the team and currently plays for the Tornados as goal defence. Over the years, she has played at various levels — for WP, in the Varsity Cup netball teams of North-West University (NWU) and UWC, and for the u19 and u21 NWU teams that won gold at the SA Netball Championships.

She was also selected for the SA u18 and u19 squads and played for the Stings for two years.

During Twizza Championships’ matches, including the finals, Behr was supported by a number of

formidable players, including Danelle Lochner, a former Proteas and WP player currently playing for the Southern Stings squad, and WP u18 and u21 team players Shevonne Hoffman, Renisha Daniels, and Leandre and Chane Engelbrecht.

“Reaching the finals is a huge accolade, especially since we had little training and playing time together. Most of the teams that we played against train together every day while we are only able to do that twice a week. The Durbanville team also consists of mostly Tornados’ players. The fact that our team was able to compete against them and get a good result shows that we can compete against the best. It shows us that what we are doing and the effort that we are putting in is working.”

Behr credits the team’s performance to Mathews’ impressive coaching skills and the high standards she sets for the team.

Adds Mathews: “I am very proud of what the team achieved in the Twizza Championships and I am very excited about what is coming. We really have great talent here. I always tell them, ‘You can beat any team in this country’. Once this team finds their rhythm, they are going to be unstoppable.”

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GOING FOR GOAL(D)

As she heads for Banyana, Regirl Ngobeni joins a spate of UWC football stars before her

By Buntu Gotywa | Photography: Skhu Nkomphela

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lmost all young lads who love football dream of being the ones banging in the goals for their teams as the outfield players seemingly — particularly attackers — get more recognition on the pitch.

In fact, some of the best keepers in the game started their football journeys as outfield players before converting to the goalposts. Our very own Itumeleng Khune is said to have started as a striker before going on to establish himself as one of the best goalkeepers to ever come out of South Africa.

And 25-year-old shotstopper, Regirl Ngobeni, is no exception as she preferred the upfront and wing positions when she first began playing football. The Bachelor of Education student could have been lost to the beautiful game had she not been converted by her former coach Julius Mandlazi to goalkeeping duties during her time with Seven Stars after the club goalie left. She was totally against the idea of keeping goal that it took the intervention of her mother to let her know that the coach knows best.

Clearly, Mandlazi knew what he was doing as Ngobeni was recently selected to the Banyana Banyana squad set to face the Netherlands in early August.

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BLUE AND GOLD

Unfortunately, the clash was cancelled due to restrictions related to COVID-19 but, be that as it may, it took nothing away from Ngobeni as her name is expected to be among the first when Banyana are back in action.

“We had a big fight as I never wanted to be the goalie and I told him [the coach] that I was going to stop playing for his team if he insisted on converting me,” she says.

“I completely stopped playing until the coach came to speak to my mom who made sure I went back to play the position I was given.”

In fact, it didn’t take her long before she became part of the national setup, starting out in the u17 squad. Before the senior call-up, she had also been part of the national u20 side. Having spent time in the junior national teams, she figured goalkeeping duties really was where she belonged and there was no looking back as her gloves had taken her to a level she had never been before.

Her safe hands got her the moniker of the female version of Khune.

The national team call-up did not come as a surprise for her but knowing the level of competition she will be up against, she knows she has to constantly push to improve her game. “It’s been a long time coming and now that I’ve made the senior team, I want to remain here for a long time.

“I had mixed emotions and was all over the place when I got the opportunity. It’s something I have always looked forward to and something I’ve been waiting for, and I am looking forward to having a permanent spot. I do not want this to be a once-off thing,” she says determinedly.

The call-up came on the heels of a stellar season she and her UWC women’s teammates were having.

The Mamelodi-born goalie led UWC to second in the HollywoodBets Super League, winning seven of the 12 games and only trailing leaders, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, by two points.

“The season has been going very well for us and I believe we have a team that is capable of challenging for the title,” says Ngobeni.

The UWC side is, as she puts it, a force to be reckoned with as they boast a number of players with international experience. With the likes of Thembi Kgatlana having plied their trade for the same side, the current crop of players have no excuse but to believe they have the best setup for women’s football, allowing them to be competitive against the country’s top players.

On balancing her football career and studies, Ngobeni says it’s never been an issue for her as she has always been a top performer in her class while playing football. “I’m presented with new challenges every day but I always find ways to deal with them. I won’t lose focus when it comes to balancing both my education and football responsibilities.”

Having had her first call-up, the next big thing she believes will complete her sporting career is making the next Olympic squad with the national team.

And while she has a lot on her plate, battling challenges is part of her daily routine — and nothing will stop her from reaching her peak.

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AN OLYMPIAN CHALLENGE

On the opening of the Olympic Games in Tokyo and Quo Vadis sport in South Africa

By Prof Marion Keim

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s I am watching the opening of the Olympic Games in Tokyo at home on my TV, it takes me back to 1992, when I had the honour to be at the Games in Barcelona, Spain. It was at that Games where both former South African president Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu were present to promote the Olympic Truce and the Olympic Spirit, and where we celebrated SA’s return to the Olympic Games after many years of absenteeism due to apartheid.

It takes me back to August 2016, when the 31st Olympic Games were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — the last Olympic Games before COVID-19 overran the world — and where millions of people assembled to watch the best athletes in the world compete.

Amongst them were South African

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sensations Wayde van Niekerk, Mokgadi Caster Semenya, Luvo Manyonga, Cameron van der Burgh and Chad le Clos – all of whom made childhood dreams come true.

It takes me back even further to my research about the Olympic Games, to St Louis in 1904 where two black South African runners, unknown to many, were the first Olympians representing South Africa at an Olympic Games event.

It was the first worldwide Olympics held outside of Europe and the first to be part of the World Trade Fair, an international fair held to attract interest and investment, and where the two South Africans were employed. Those two South Africans were Jan Mashiane and Len Taunyane, who ran in the marathon with ordinary working shirts and knee-length trousers.

Mashiane had “shoes and socks but his partner ran barefoot, and [they] were chased by a dog for some distance”. The two South Africans finished the marathon ninth and 12th, respectively, and thus became the first black Africans to compete in the Olympics.

I think of two visionaries of the Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin and Nelson Mandela.

Our field – the “sports field”– is where many sporting legends and stars enjoy universal popularity, however, few will be remembered for something bigger than a career in sport and even fewer leave a true legacy by using sport as a tool for more than a medal, more than entertainment. Instead, it is the latter handful of sportspeople who leave legacies of development, education, peace and unity that last for decades and even centuries.

Pierre de Coubertin and Nelson Mandela were such visionaries.

The former is considered the Father of the modern Olympic Games; the latter, the Father of the nation of South Africa. Coubertin believed in the impact that sport can have, which led him to revive the Olympic Games and, with them, the idea of the Olympic Truce and “world peace”. Olympism was seen as a philosophy of life.

This vision of an Olympic Truce and world peace has often been seen as utopian hyperbole, however, Coubertin’s intention was to set an example for international unity. Years later, South Africa and Nelson Mandela

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showed the world that, indeed, it was possible.

In the year of Coubertin’s 150th birthday, 2013, the world lost Nelson Mandela.

Madiba had been an inspiration in his lifetime and even through his passing, made people want to strive for what he had been passionate about and to contribute to his legacy for peaceful communities, a better society, and a more caring and humane world. He saw the potential of sport, the power of sport, and he consciously and actively contributed to sport playing a greater role in promoting peace, social transformation and democracy.

A year later, South Africa — as the only country from the global South — was elected as International Chair for Sport and Peace for the United Nation’s (UN) International Working Group for Sport, Development and Peace.

This was followed by the country being elected as the Chair of the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS, which is comprised of expert representatives in the field of physical education and sport from 18 member states of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

I reflect on the fact that South Africa, ironically and despite

being such an enthusiastic sporting nation, is also the only African country who does not have Physical Education as a standalone subject in its schools.

Imagine the positive impact of sport if every child in the country could have the benefit of physical education at school. Imagine the opportunities for sport and youth development, values education, identification of talent and, ultimately, participation in the Olympic Games.

However, due to the lack of physical education, the positive impact and opportunities of sport in South Africa — and for South Africa — is much more limited than in any other country.

In this vein, I reflect on the present looting and unrest in the country. I reflect on the latest devastating cricket testimonies of Paul Adams and others that highlight the discrimination and lack of transformation in Cricket South Africa, and the question of what role sport can play in and for South Africa and its diverse communities today.

We need a new dialogue, a dialogue that places real emphasis on values and transformation; not on only the word but also on the mindset and actions towards transformation. We need sustainable outcomes. We need dialogues on how sport can be deployed as a tool to strengthen social ties and

networks, and to promote ideals of peace, solidarity, non-violence, tolerance and justice within our communities. We need dialogues on the impacts of sport and on the strategies that can be used in advancing sport as a tool for development and peace.

We also need dialogues on how we can promote values education, Olympism and physical education at the school level that contribute to both social development and social cohesion.

As we watch the Olympic Games, rejoicing in the triumphs of our South African and other athletes from around the world, with 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Refugee Team present, we can see that the Games — despite being different to those that came before them — can be a symbol of hope, a symbol of solidarity in trying times.

“Faster, higher, stronger... together” is the motto of the Olympics, as proclaimed by its president, Thomas Bach.

In extraordinary times, we need extraordinary people like our Olympians. It is these extraordinary individuals who will promote the Olympic values of respect, joy of effort, fair play and friendship, together, and well beyond the sports field.

Yet the question remains: Can we do the same? Can we see the Olympic Games not as an event but as a way of life? Can we see the Olympic Games as a motivation, reminding us of the Olympic values and of our values, and how we can all be stronger together as families, communities, societies and as the world?

It is this feeling of togetherness that we need to nurture, to cherish and to promote.

Can we rise up to this challenge? Let’s take on this Olympic effort!

Prof Marion Keim is the Director of UWC’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Sport Science and Development (ICESSD), and compiler and editor of uMama, a compilation of features on 40 South African leaders.

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A DREAM COME TRUE

UWC alumna Kayla Richards’ realises her Olympic dream

By Skhu Nkomphela

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n writing, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are only a few days away but for the University of the Western Cape (UWC) alumna Kayla Richards, it’s still surreal that she’ll be part of the world’s biggest sporting spectacle, having been confirmed as a member of Team South Africa.

The 28-year-old formed part of the medical staff for South Africa, serving as a physiotherapist at the Olympics for the first time. At

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the Games, she worked with the hockey, judo and athletics teams.

“My dream of going to the Olympic Games has been with me ever since I was lucky enough to be introduced to sports physiotherapy through UWC,” Richards says. “It took a while for it to sink in and to realise that this is actually happening.

Honestly, I didn’t think it would take place when the Olympic Games were postponed last

year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s an honour and a privilege to get to showcase your craft amongst the cream of the crop of athletes from around the globe.

I can only grow and progress from this point onwards as I’m not only representing my country, South Africa, but also my family, my community and the many girls who are yet to achieve their dreams.”

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Born and raised in Lotus River, Cape Town, Richards moved to Johannesburg after graduating from UWC with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Physiotherapy in 2015. At UWC, Richards played centreback for UWC’s women’s football team, aka UWC Ladies FC, from 2012 to 2015. She was part of a successful cohort that won

the 2013 Coca-Cola Cup and were runners-up in the 2015 Varsity Football competition. She also received a bronze medal at the 2014 University Sport South Africa (USSA) Club Championships, after winning the Sasol League Western Cape in that same year.

“My passion for sports sparked my interest in being a physio.

MY DREAM OF GOING TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES HAS BEEN WITH ME EVER SINCE I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE INTRODUCED TO SPORTS PHYSIOTHERAPY THROUGH UWC

During my teen years at the national football academy, I always said I wanted to be that person running onto the field.

Once I matriculated, my journey started,” she recalled.

Four years later, after graduating from UWC, she opened her own mobile physiotherapy practice called Physio on the MOVE. The practice is based in Johannesburg but Richards has a dream to expand it to other provinces.

Her journey to the pinnacle of her profession — representing the South African Olympics team — has not been easy. She started at the lowest level of local sport and went on to provide her services to USSA and other universities.

“I started dreaming bigger and bolder, and now I’m seeing the fruits of that labour,” she says. “I have a task that I set out and need to do, one that I promised to the Lotus River people, to myself and to my family. I will do whatever I can to accomplish it.”

With her Olympic dream now a reality, Richards reveals that the call-up to be part of the South African team was emotional and she’s vowed to give her utmost to South Africa and to support the team wherever possible.

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ONE OF THE GREATS

Consistent performance and form has pushed former UWC student Kurt-Lee Arendse well ahead of the pack

By Robin Adams

“

Kurt-Lee Arendse is destined to be one of the greats of South Africa.”

Lofty praise for the former UWC rugby winger from one of the finest backline players this country has ever produced – Breyton Paulse.

“In my opinion, guys like Kurt-Lee come around every 40, 50 years. He certainly is a rare breed.”

And Paulse’s not the only one who’s been impressed with Arendse.

“In addition to his exceptional talent, he is such a humble guy,” says sport agent Shafiek Mouton.

To understand why Kurt-Lee Arendse, the young man from Paarl, is held in such high regard, we have to go back to the early days of his career.

Arendse is only 25 years old but his passion for the game was evident from an early age. During his days as a high school learner at Paulus Joubert Secondary School in Klein Nederburg, Paarl, it was a mix of fancy footwork and superb reading of the game that earned him a spot in the school’s first team.

Later, Arendse was drafted into the Boland and eventually Western Province junior sides, where he featured in several big competitions.

By 2017, Arendse was running out for the University of the Western Cape (UWC). The late, great Chester Williams, who was the university’s coach at the time and who had a knack for spotting

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BLUE AND GOLD and moulding incredible talent, knew he’d struck gold with the acquisition of the youngster’s services.

Cheesy as this sounds, one could say it was written in the stars that Williams and Arendse’s paths were destined to cross. For context, when Williams helped South Africa lift its first-ever World Cup title in 1995, Arendse wasn’t even born yet.

Yet the partnership between Arendse and Williams blossomed and yielded fruits from the get-go.

“Kurt-Lee immediately made an impact in the Varsity Shield, which helped the University gain promotion to the Varsity Cup,” recalls Mouton of F7 Sports Management. “From there, he was called up to the Blitzboks because they obviously saw his potential, his speed, his footwork and his understanding of space [in the game], which is one of his best traits.

“I remember him coming back from his first Blitzbok world series tournaments. I interviewed him at the airport. He was so shy and down to earth. But he had already

made an impact in those first two weekends [of competition], which set him well on his way to become a Springbok 7s rugby star.”

And with a Bok 7s career ticked off on the list of things-to-achieve, Pretoria franchise, the Bulls, started sniffing around, hoping to lure Arendse to Loftus Versveld.

And they got their man. A loan move eventually saw him become a permanent fixture this year. “[Bulls coach] Jake White saw him and bought him for the Bulls.

Kurt-Lee’s already made an immense impact in the games that he’s played,” says Mouton.

“And that is what you want. You want game-breakers in your team make-up and that is exactly what the Bulls have been doing the last couple of years, especially since White has taken over.”

Arendse continues to show just how versatile he is, brilliant in both formats of the game – 7s and 15-man rugby.

Breyton Paulse speaks glowingly about Arendse’s growth in the game. “I would put him in the same category as [Springbok player] Cheslin

Kolbe. [Kurt-Lee’s] understanding of the game, his anticipation, his speed – which is a real, real bonus in today’s rugby — and his lethal try-scoring ability is second to none. And for me, those are all the attributes that a winger should have.

“Let’s hope South African coaches will give guys like Kurt-Lee more opportunities,” adds Paulse, “because at the end of the day, all they need is an opportunity. We all look at someone like Cheslin Kolbe, who wasn’t really appreciated by the Western Province folk when he was here. He had to go to France and set the world alight there because they gave him the opportunity. And at the end of the day, that is what our guys need.”

For his part, Arendse has been an absolute joy to watch this season. His performances have been consistent and his rich run of form has rightly earned him a place in South Africa’s Olympic squad in Japan – a happy hunting ground for the Boks. For those with shortterm memory, SA won the World Cup there in 2019.

“Kurt-Lee is a complete player,” comments Paulse. “He’s still very young. He is going to learn a lot with time and build up that experience. And he’ll get even better. But you need the backing of the coaches, you need the backing of the team.

“Kurt-Lee is destined to be one of the greats of South Africa. For me, he looks like a man who’s got his head screwed on properly.

I wish him well. I am a big fan of his; I want him to do well.”

Paul Treu, the current rugby head at UWC, is also an avid Arendse fan. “For the last few years, Kurt-Lee has demonstrated that he is among the best rising stars in rugby. His sterling form for the Blitzboks and for the Bulls speaks volumes.”

If the rave reviews are anything to go by then this former UDubs Economic Development student may just see his name etched among some of the world’s rugby greats.

33

BUILT FOR SPEED

Branden de Kock joins a host of Cape Town-born players at the club named after the speedster of the animal kingdom, Cheetahs

By Lyndon Julius | Photography: Skhu Nkomphela

T

he University of the Western Cape (UWC) has, over the years, developed and produced a solid crop of top sportspersons. A plethora of provincial and national players have graced the halls leading out to the UWC Sport Stadium.

One new name that has been added to this ever-growing list

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is Branden de Kock. The scrumhalf recently signed a one-year professional rugby contract with the Toyota Cheetahs, joining a host of Cape Town-born players at the Bloemfontein franchise.

The former learner from Brackenfell High School

featured in the history-making FNB UWC side that not only won the 2018 FNB Varsity Shield title but, with the victory, also won promotion to the premier intervarsity competition, the FNB Varsity Cup. The side was coached by the late Bok legend Chester Williams and de Kock highlights the 39-18 victory over FNB Fort Hare in the 2018 Varsity Shield final as his top UWC moment. “There are so many that I can think of but I think winning the Varsity Shield and gaining the promotion [to FNB Varsity Cup] tops my list of most memorable moments with UWC,” de Kock says.

“It was amazing, I really can’t describe this feeling; just winning the trophy is top of my achievements with my UWC family. There were a few more if I had to think about them but that [winning the final in 2018] was the main moment for me.

Lifting that trophy and getting promotion to the Varsity Cup is a memory I will cherish for a long time.”

The nippy scrumhalf lauds the influence of Williams, coach Lionel Langenhoven and current UWC head coach Paul Treu, as well as how the senior players made him feel right at home in the Varsity Cup team when he first joined the squad at the end of 2017.

“I always knew that if were to be part of the UWC rugby setup, it would put me on the map,” he adds proudly. “Also, when coach Chester brought me in and I

BLUE AND GOLD started training, I didn’t want to leave or be part of any other team at the time. It’s an amazing feeling training with these guys; they made me feel part of the family almost immediately. I learnt so much from all three coaches — coach Chester, coach Lionel and coach Paul.”

De Kock says he appreciates the open-door policy that UWC has instilled. Not only do the coaching and management staff provide guidance but the senior players do, too.

“When I first joined, I would ask questions and then not only would I get answers to these questions around my overall game and how to improve but the senior players would come to me regularly to ask whether I was okay with everything.

And coach Chester would always guide me on where I could improve. I am glad I allowed myself to be teachable throughout this period; it laid a solid foundation for me. When coach Lionel took over, it was the same setup — we would ask questions and get guidance on how to improve and where we could up our game. Coach Paul did this as well. There is a very good coaching system at UWC. I am so proud and privileged to have been part of it.”

De Kock has been a thorough sportsman for virtually his entire life, having been handed a rugby ball at the age of only four years old. He excelled in various other sporting codes such as cricket,

rugby and athletics, but was forced to make a choice to pursue one as a professional career when he left school. Rugby got the nod, and it turned out to be the correct decision as he found a home within UWC Rugby after a conversation he struck up with the late coach Chester. It was Williams who convinced him to sign up at UWC following his time at the Western Province Rugby Institute in Stellenbosch.

“I was at the Western Province [Rugby] Institute and one day, coach Chester came to Stellenbosch to speak to a few of the younger players about UWC and what they [the University] have to offer.

We spoke after that meeting and he asked me if I would like to play for them. I said yes and the rest, as they say, is history.”

De Kock believes it is his love for the game that has allowed him to excel with the UWC team. His advice to youngsters aspiring to make it professionally as a rugby player at university level or those seeking to get to the next level in their craft is simple: “Focus on your main thing — playing for your university and playing well. Later, things will happen.

“I just went out and enjoyed myself. People always told me I should play to land a professional contract but I just enjoyed my rugby and playing for UWC. The contract came as a result of hard work and me just enjoying playing [the game] under three amazing coaches; I didn’t chase the contract. Always ask your coach for advice. Ask the senior

players for help and guidance.

I am a godly man so I always ask God for help; I pray and trust God to give me the necessary guidance,” he adds.

Speaking about his current team, the Cheetahs, and his future aspirations, de Kock hasn’t changed his outlook much over the years. “I want to gain as many caps for the Cheetahs as possible and hopefully be called up to the Boks some day — that is the dream.”

The final year Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sport Science student plans on completing his degree and the coaches in Bloemfontein are backing him to achieve this.

“I am definitely going to get my degree, I am not going to stop now. The coach at the Cheetahs supports me well and knows I want to complete my studies.”

He furthermore expresses his gratitude on having made the move to Bloemfontein as he sets course on his plan to become a regular starter for the Cheetahs in the upcoming Currie Cup competition.

“Thank you to UWC for the opportunity to play Varsity Cup, the coaches, Brackenfell High School and all the coaches and teachers there, and to all that played a part in my rugby career to date. My family and my girlfriend, Nicole Wiltshire, have always backed my decisions and for this, I am grateful.”

Much like his role model and fellow Brackenfell High old boy, Cheslin Kolbe, de Kock wants to ply his trade in France, incidentally, it turns out, for the same team as Kolbe. However, these two are not linked as he has always aspired to land a contract with Toulouse.

“I always wanted to play for them,” de Kock responds when asked what his longterm aspirations are and the coincidence with Kolbe’s career.

“Yes, Cheslin plays for them now but it was part of my 10year plan to play for Toulouse, even before he joined them.

Him being there just motivates me even more.”

35

POWER PLAYS

Zimbabwe’s rising super star Tinotenda Mavesere goes pro

By Zaahier Adams | Photography: Skhu Nkomphela

T

he University of the Western Cape (UWC) has always prided itself in being an African university at the very tip of the continent.

That reputation is now being enhanced through a young man’s herculean efforts on the rugby field. A Bachelor of Arts (BA) student, Tinotenda Mavesere has been a revelation ever since “trekking 3 000 kilometres” south from Zimbabwe last year.

Mavesere, also affectionately known as “The Driller” to his teammates and the opposition, created waves in the rugby fraternity with every barnstorming performance in this season’s Varsity Cup for Paul Treu’s much-improved UWC outfit.

The powerfully-built flank certainly turned heads in the clash against the Nelson Mandela Bay’s Madibaz when he crossed the white-wash for a hat-trick of tries, including a bollocking individual effort that saw him literally run over three defenders.

Such unique power and pace certainly doesn’t go unnoticed, especially in today’s world of social media, and Mavesere was instantaneously transformed into an internet phenomenon. His rising stocks soared even higher when he was awarded the “Forward That Rocks” at the culmination of the Varsity Cup, leading to a breakthrough professional contract with Springbok captain Siya Kolisi’s Sharks franchise in KwaZuluNatal, a deal which seems to have been written in the stars.

“It’s funny how growing up, my first rugby clothing was a Sharks’ vest,” Mavesere tells Blue & Gold.

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BLUE AND GOLD

“Looking back, even the shorts I used to train with during lockdown were Sharks’ shorts.

“I thought I might get a contract at a smaller union, to be honest; never did I think of the Sharks.

When I got the message that the Sharks were interested, I was really shocked.”

Mavesere’s accomplishments have not only made an impact on the talent scouts at the Shark tank but, more patently, on the people back home in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he is currently helping his national team, the Stables, qualify for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The 22-year-old is a beacon of hope for the youth of the embattled southern African nation, with many young Zimbabweans now hoping to follow in Mavesere’s footsteps.

Despite a meteoric rise, Mavesere, who is a devout Christian, has remained humble and prefers to acknowledge the influence of the pioneers of Zimbabwean rugby at UWC, such as Njabulo Ndlovu, particularly as it was the latter that paved the way for his move to Cape Town.

“After we [Zimbabwe] won the Victoria Cup, our assistant coach Tonderai Chavhanga approached the former coach at UWC, Chester

Williams, who offered me a bursary to study at UWC. Unfortunately, shortly after that, Williams passed on and the process was disturbed.

I then spoke to a friend and brother, Njabulo Ndlovu, who was a senior player for the Stables. He had attended UWC so he said he would help me. I sent my CV and video clips to the sports administration at UWC and after playing trials in a pre-season, I got the bursary,” he notes with glee.

“I really wanted to further my studies. It was something I prayed about. Fortunately, God blessed me that opportunity to play the sport at a high level while being able to do my studies. It was a privilege. It was something that I was working towards. I really put in the work during the lockdown and it’s just happened.

“That was my journey and now I have been receiving calls and texts from younger guys who are looking to come and study at UWC. It’s something that Njabulo and others have done for us, [they have] opened up doors for us.

We’re also opening doors — not just rugby doors.

“There are a lot of guys who are interested to come and learn here. My cousins are also looking

at UWC. For the past two years, UWC has been more popular here in Zimbabwe than it ever was before.

“Coming from Zimbabwe, you can’t just come 3 000 kilometres to play. Back home in Zimbabwe, people are really going through tough times. So I see me being at UWC as an opportunity to better my life and be in a state where I can support my family. The guys that come down are really serious and want to make a difference and an impact. It really is something we take seriously whenever we are here.”

Having been recruited into the professional ranks by the Sharks, where he will now rub shoulders with Zimbabwean and Springbok World Cup-winning legend Tendai “Beast’ Mtawarira, Mavesere’s rugby-playing days at Udubs may be a thing of the past.

What is abundantly clear, though, is that every time Mavesere ran out in the famed blue-and-gold jersey, he was not just playing for the 14 men alongside him but gave his heart and soul in a bid to inspire an entire generation back home that dreams do really come true at UWC.

37

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

Lizaad Williams keeps a cool head and finds “ice in his veins” in both sport and academia

By Fatima Ahmed | Photography: ASEM Engage/Varsity Sports, UWC Media

T

he assumption is always one of handsome remuneration when it comes to the careers of professional athletes. However, a career can last only as long as the player can perform. And that is exactly what drove the newlycapped Proteas’ fast bowler and University of the Western Cape (UWC) alumnus Lizaad Williams

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– as a university graduate and now international cricketer.

There have been many examples of long, illustrious careers but even more of shortlived ones. With sport, there really aren’t any certainties. What happens after the career of a pro athlete is over? Perhaps they’ve made enough to live comfortably

post-retirement? What if injury cuts their careers short before they’ve had the chance to carve a living for themselves?

Lizzy, the nickname Lizaad is affectionately known by among teammates, has his head screwed on straight. He is adamant on building a legacy based on a good education, allowing for any eventuality by backing his cricketing skills with the tools that enable him to open other doors and begin a new innings in this Test match we call life.

He says his mom, Lizette Williams, as a single parent, found that raising three boys in Vredenburg on the West Coast was challenging. She did a great job because during the interview, the somewhat shy Lizzy’s humility shines through, no doubt attributed to how he was brought up. During a virtual interview while on tour with the Proteas in Ireland on the morning after his dream One-Day International debut – taking a wicket off his first ball – I found a grateful soul with a first-hand understanding of what it means to make sacrifices.

Lizzy says his experiences in high school taught him the importance of education, and made him challenge himself to strive to be better and to excel at the highest level possible in academia and, of course, life.

Having a mother that ensured she drilled these values into him allowed Lizzy to follow this plan

BLUE AND GOLD and sparked his own drive and ambition to better himself and lay a solid foundation for his future.

(It must be noted that he had a wry smile on his face during the interview. Was it all work and no play during this difficult journey?)

Lizzy graduated from UWC in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. However, he insists this isn’t where his academic career and love affair with UWC ends.

He is intent on enrolling for a postgraduate qualification later for further options after cricket and to satisfy his never-faltering hunger for knowledge.

“It’s important, whilst I’m still young, to educate myself and never be satisfied with where I am in my life,” he says.

But why cricket when he was a star rugby player as well? Lizzy, in fact, played rugby in his youth and was selected for both the South Africa u19 as well as the Craven Week u18 teams. He was left with a quandary.

“The choice was tough”, says the 27-year-old, “but it paid off in the end.”

Lizzy credits a very special programme (read more on page 46) at UWC, run by cricket and rugby chairperson Advocate Nic Kok and that has been in operation since the 2000s, for playing a major role in his success so far. He speaks fondly of UWC Sport’s Sports Skills 4 Life Skills (SS4LS) programme, which offers opportunities to students from underprivileged backgrounds – a kind of “kitbag” with all the equipment to build a successful future. It sets out to instill a set of characteristics in students through sport that affords them the skills needed to succeed in life. It provides support from tutors and follow-up on students’ academic progress. Lizzy says SS4LS went above and beyond to ensure he graduated.

Making his domestic List-A debut in 2011, having just matriculated from high school, Lizzy found himself juggling priorities between cricket and his studies. This often meant missing many morning lectures due to his training commitments. But his steely

determination ensured he would find a way.

Hailing from a small town where opportunities are far and few between, Lizzy understands how important his success is to the people back home.

“There aren’t many heroes around us. We don’t believe in many possibilities in life. If I manage to influence just one or two kids... just to show them it is possible to achieve your dreams if you put your mind to it.”

Lizzy carries with him a core set of values that he holds dear, most notably the importance of leadership and being the type to lead from the front.

Current Proteas’ physio and UWC alumnus, Craig Govender, fondly recalls working with Lizzy at UWC. “He wears his town on his sleeve! He’s the kind of guy that when he steps over the white line, that’s his place.”

After a tough eight years in Cape Town, where plans didn’t always pan out, a leap of faith took Lizzy to Pretoria. He gave himself an ultimatum to play for the Proteas in 18 months. It was do-or-die at that point. The plan was originally to retire or move to the United States where there

were opportunities for professional cricketers, but he is in that tiny percent of those who make it to the national team.

“My determination and resilience were the two things that kept me going. It was tough at the start but I just kept reminding myself why I was doing this.”

Lizzy had a very creative way of celebrating his maiden ODI wicket against Ireland. He went on to explain that he is a fan of the NBA and his favourite player, Trae Young, has a unique way of celebrating his dunks that he chose to emulate. The gesture is a cheeky way of brushing one’s arms to signal “ice in his veins”, or keeping cool under pressure.

Keeping future-fit is as important to Lizzy as keeping match fit, which is why he plans to continue with his studies to ensure he has options once he leaves cricket behind. “I can’t let cricket define me as a human being. It’s so important to have something outside of cricket for after cricket,” he says.

Taking on an international cricket career and studying requires ultimate balance and Lizzy certainly has the “ice in his veins” to do so.

39

THE SCIENCE OF SPORT

UWC alumnus Warren Lucas becomes the first exercise scientist for Gymnastics South Africa

By Myolisi Gophe

U

WC alumnus Warren Lucas was this year appointed as the exercise scientist for Gymnastics South Africa’s national teams ahead of the international tournaments such as the African Championships and World Championships. Not only is Lucas the first exercise scientist for the organisation but he is applying the knowledge he obtained through his studies to ensure the development of gymnastics in the country. And he is among countless UWC graduates who have gone on to improve society.

“As gymnastics grows and develops in South Africa, so does the need for knowledge within exercise science and sports medicine,” explains Lucas, who obtained his Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sport and Recreation Management in 2011, his BA Honours in Sport and Recreation Management in 2012, and a Masters in Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science in 2016, all from UWC. “We have made progress in developing a basis for knowledge within gymnastics in the past through some of my research as a Masters student at UWC, as well as through the work of Dr Denise Bouah, whose work lies in the sport psychology of high-performance athletes, and Dominic Rhodes with his work in injuries and physiotherapy of gymnasts.”

Lucas, who also chairs the Cape Town Gymnastics Association (CGTA), says they are exploring

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BLUE AND GOLD

exercise performance and body composition of gymnasts. This, he adds, is in line with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s call on all sporting codes to adopt exercise, sport and medical science services to support their national squads.

Lucas, who is currently a PhD candidate in Exercise Science at the University of Cape Town (UCT), will serve for the 2021 competition cycle and his contract may be renewed after that. “I am responsible for overseeing the body composition, strength and conditioning, as well as fitness assessments of gymnasts on the High Performance Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics teams, the Senior Rope Skipping team and the Aerobic Gymnastics team,” he explains.

“As a former member of the Protea Team in Aerobic Gymnastics, I am in the position to extend assistance to current Team SA gymnasts and take the lead in the development and scientific support of gymnasts, thereby improving performance through evidence-based practices within exercise science and gymnastics for South Africa.”

Lucas can’t hide his happiness about his new appointment, either.

“This has been my dream from the beginning of my studying journey within Sport Science at UWC, and this is one of the most exciting employment opportunities I’ve had to date in my career as an exercise scientist.”

And what would he like to achieve as the first exercise scientist for Gymnastics SA? “Gymnastics is a multifaceted sport that requires a high level of physical fitness and skill to succeed,” he says. “Speed, strength, endurance, agility, flexibility, balance and power are all physical abilities that play a role in the success of a competitive gymnast. A gymnast’s physical abilities may also be related to the ability to sustain injury-free participation in the sport, and I’d like to contribute to the education and training of coaches to facilitate increased understanding and awareness of these sport science principles.

Additionally, I’d like to provide workshops to gymnasts on nutrition management, life skills, personal development and career guidance.”

Lucas, who still works closely with UWC’s Interdisciplinary Centre of Sport Science and Development (ICSSD), as well

as the Department of Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science, advises youth to prioritise their work by applying savvy time management practices, which should help to reduce academic workload by almost half.

“If you’re thinking of becoming an exercise scientist, sport science researcher or lecturer, sport physiotherapist, biokineticist, personal trainer, coach or fitness instructor, ensure you connect with people who are working in these capacities and ask questions about their daily duties. Try being available to shadow, volunteer and learn through experience and participation. In doing so, you will be expanding your network of people who are in these positions, which will make it much easier later to connect with industry professionals when you’re qualified.”

Having rendered his service at the African Championships for Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics in May, Lucas has been hard at work preparing teams for the Rope Skipping that took place this August as well as for the International Gymnasiade for Aerobic Gymnastics in October.

41

IN BLOOM

Training was never on the cards for Zane Webster. Now, the UWC alumnus leads strength and conditioning for the Proteas’ women’s cricket team

By Zaahier Adams | Photography: Cricket SA

W

hen the Proteas’ women’s cricket team returned to the international arena in January after almost a year spent on the sidelines, the focus was not just on results. Everyone wanted to evaluate the fitness of the players after they were totally inactive for 143 days due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Unlike their male counterparts, the women’s team faced altogether different challenges during the lockdown period. Even as the restrictions were lifted and outdoor physical activity was allowed again, the majority of the women’s team still did not have access to facilities where they could train. This created a unique working environment for Zane Webster, the Proteas’ strength and conditioning trainer

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and University of the Western Cape (UWC) alumnus.

Webster, who graduated in 2018 with a Masters degree in Sport Recreation and Exercise Science, had begun his national duty in August 2020, replacing Russell Clarke. This placed him in a complex situation where he had not even met the players that he was now supposed to keep in peak physical condition under the most unique circumstances.

“Yeah... it was interesting, to say the least,” Webster says from the Cricket South Africa High Performance Centre in Pretoria, where he is busy preparing the Proteas for a proposed tour of the West Indies. “I spent hours on Zoom calls, introducing myself to each and every player. My way

of working is that I first try understanding and building a relationship with the individual before putting any plans in place.

During the lockdown, that was really difficult but we worked over Zoom and I managed to get some sort of an understanding.

“Fortunately, Russell provided the girls with home-training programmes during the hard lockdown to maintain a base level of physical fitness but I needed to assess how they had fared following it because it is harder to train alone for some than others.”

And judging by the Proteas’ performances since January, Webster has certainly achieved his goals. Even without the leadership core of captain

BLUE AND GOLD Dane van Niekerk and deputy Chloe-Lesleigh Tryon, the national women’s team have taken their game to a new level.

Pakistan were overwhelmed with a 3-0 victory at home in the One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 2-1 in the T20s before the historic trip to India where the South African team swept aside their hosts with 4-1 in the ODIs and claimed the T20I series with a final score of 2-1.

The success was also largely attributed to the Proteas’ superior fitness to their subcontinent rivals.

Webster can certainly take plenty of pride from the fact that it was his sweat, along with the rest of the Proteas’ support staff, during the preparation camps leading up to those series, that provided the edge.

And he is definitely no stranger to hard work. The former Mitchells Plain resident has been faced with adversity throughout his career.

He did not have the luxury of attending one of the leafy schools in the southern suburbs, which meant his talent as a young cricketer almost went amiss.

He also nearly missed out on being selected for the Western Province Youth Cricket Association teams and, when he was eventually selected for the Western Province (WP) u17 team, the tournament was rained out without a ball being bowled in Potchefstroom.

It was only after a late call-up to the WP u19 3-Day team that things began to change for Webster.

And not in the way that he could ever have imagined. At that stage, he was knee-deep in his Sports Management studies at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) when a chat with some of his younger WP u19 teammates shaped his entire future.

“I was playing in the WP u19 team and studying at CPUT when some of the guys like Mujahied Behardien and Imraan Hendricks spoke to me and said, ‘Why don’t you transfer to UWC? We’re all going there.’ So I applied for the next year and, as they say, the rest is history.”

It was at UWC that Webster came into contact with Advocate

Nic Kock, UWC’s Cricket Club president and Sports Skills For Life Skills (SS4LS) executive director, and Gerhard Jordaan, UWC lecturer and a former Springboks biokineticist. “These two men, they have certainly had a major influence in my life path. I truly regard them as mentors of mine. I still wanted to be a professional cricketer when I arrived at UWC. “It was these guys that made me understand the value of having a back-up plan. Adv Kock would always speak about the education angle and put the idea out there about becoming a teacher but I told him I didn’t want to teach.

“It was Gerhard that really opened my mind to a career in sport fitness and exercise.

It was from that moment that I threw myself into it and really developed a passion for my work. I volunteered anywhere and everywhere — from the local sport clubs in my area to being a doping chaperone at the Absa Cape Epic. I just wanted to be involved in sport and see how everything in the industry worked until Adv Kock pulled me aside and challenged me to revolutionise UWC Cricket’s approach to fitness and conditioning. I eventually did my thesis on UWC Cricket Club.”

Since then it has been quite a meteoric rise for Webster, with him moving to Easterns Cricket in Benoni that led to a call-up to join the management for the SA u19 team, Cricket SA National Academy and now the Proteas’ women’s team.

“Nothing can compare to the feeling of representing your country. I spoke to Craig Govender (a fellow UWC alumnus and the Proteas’ men’s physiotherapist) the day before I stood in line for the national anthem the first time and all he told me was, ‘Soak up the entire experience for not everybody has that privilege’.

“It was a surreal moment.”

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HAPPY CHAPPY

As Facility Supervisor and Transport Coordinator Colin Kensley celebrates 33 years with UWC, his colleagues pay tribute to a friendly, spirited man

By Thulani Mkosi | Photography: Skhu Nkomphela

B

ased on the sterling work he has been doing for more than two decades, and the high esteem his colleagues and student-athletes hold him in, Colin Kensley is the glue that keeps UWC Sport Administration ticking, albeit in the background.

Although he is employed as a facility supervisor, Kensley’s job

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has been much more. He is also involved in the maintenance of the sport fields and buildings around the University Sport precinct.

Yet, he says, that’s not the only thing that makes him jump out of bed every day to go to work.

“The students are my joy and seeing them playing their sports

and graduating makes me happy,” he says with a smile.

Uncle Colin, as he’s affectionately called by students, joined UWC in June 1988 as a carpentry assistant before he qualified as a locksmith four years later. In September 2000, he was transferred to UWC Sport after a long process of having to be reinterviewed as

BLUE AND GOLD

HIGH PRAISE The general feeling amongst Kensley’s colleagues is that he is an essential, selfless team member who has built great relationships with the people he works with. He is clearly a valued colleague whose professional and life experience has kept him at UWC for a long time. And just as he has praise for them, they share the same sentiments about him, too.

“I always appreciated how he is readily available to lend an ear and help solve any problem. He always has something constructive to say and offers support and encouragement with a tireless spirit. Working with him for the past few years has been an immense pleasure.”

– Hassan Sobekwa, Sports Administrator

“I always look forward to meeting him every day because of his positive energy. With him in your corner, things can barely go wrong.”

– Mandla Gagayi, UWC Sport Director

“I grew up in front of Pops, as I call him, as a studentathlete and later as a colleague, and we have grown very close over the years. There’s just so much you can learn from him as a man, as a father and as a colleague. Guys like that are hard to find so when you’re in their presence, you should just observe and learn life lessons. Overall, a very good guy and an important person to UWC Sport.”

– Clement Trout, UWC Sport Manager: Rugby

“My fondest memory of Uncle Colin was at the 2012 University Sports South Africa (USSA) Athletics Championship at the University of Johannesburg. I was nervous as this was my debut senior championship final and as I lined up towards my block, I heard Uncle Colin shout, ‘Come on, Roddy, you got this! Easy stuff for you, you are ready.’ Hearing that meant everything to me.”

– Rodwell Ndlovu, former athlete and current UWC eSport Coordinator

a facility supervisor. While employed at the stadium, he studied Turf Grass Management at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). He also did a Facility Management course at the University of Pretoria.

As part of his duties as transport coordinator, he ensures athletes are safe enroute to matches and tours outside of the Western Cape, and that they return home safely after training sessions and matches closer to home. “I’ve done many trips for different sporting codes

but my highlights have been cricket, netball and volleyball.

They were all life-changing experiences as each code was different on tournaments. One that stands out has been netball as I’ve had to be a scorekeeper and a father figure to all.”

There’s plenty of praise reserved for all of those who played and continue to play a role in Kensley’s career. “My colleagues, drivers, the ground staff, administrators, technical services, contractors and, of course, our director. With

this team, work became easier.”

Being the wise man he is, he hasn’t forgotten to include his wife. “My wife Natasha and sons, Reece and Jason, stand out in my career as they stood by me during my time spent at work and being away while on duty at tournaments.

“Now, my main aim is to stay healthy and see a few more facilities — such as the Astroturf and indoor centre — being built before I retire. After 33 years at the University, I am still enjoying every minute of it,” he concludes.

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SPORT SMART

UWC’s SS4LS programme has made an indelible mark — on both its student-athletes and staff

By Lyndon Julies | Photography: ASEM Engage/Varsity Sports

“

The second half of a person’s life only consists of the habits he built up in the first part.”

This is a quote from one of the University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) former vice-chancellors, Professor Jakes Gerwel. The statement rings true for every student athlete who not only embarks on being accepted and graduating with a formal qualification but also hopes on landing a professional sport contract.

In 1999, Advocate Nicolas Kock founded Sports Skills for Life Skills (SS4LS), a sport- and educationbased non-government organisation (NGO). For Andrew Greenwood, an academic manager at the programme who has been part of the SS4LS family since 2016, there is no programme like it.

Greenwood, who is responsible for the core functioning of the SS4LS says it has changed and shaped the life of every studentathlete that comes through its doors. He recalls specifically the “near misses”, those students who were at the brink of giving up on their studies altogether.

“Sports Skills for Life Skills is aimed at providing educational opportunities to talented athletes who come from underprivileged backgrounds,” says Greenwood.

“SS4LS has three core pillars — academics, sports and wellness.

My role as the head of academics can be split into three objectives: increasing employability, which is achieved through the facilitation of capacity-building courses and certificates; maintaining motivation by creating and implementing career pathways; and providing support and guidance through

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the athlete mentorship and tutoring programme.”

Initially Greenwood was approached by Adv Kock and his management team as an intern but soon he transitioned into a more senior role, helping to impact the lives of student athletes at the University.

The academic coordination programme, which is Greenwood’s mandate at the SS4LS, has many success stories and he proudly states that while every student athlete who graduates is a success story, there are always those farreaching narratives of students who defied all odds that make for feel-good tales, especially if they are first-generation graduates.

“In 2016, I was brought on as a sport psychology intern while completing my Masters in Psychology. It was only during the following year that I was asked to take on the academic pillar.

“As the academic support programme grew and [got] refined, it evolved into something that is both reactive and proactive.

I feel that the proactive elements of the programme distinguish it from others.”

While SS4LS currently only provides academic and mental support to two sporting codes (rugby and cricket) at UWC, there are plans to expand this to more codes following the success of the programme over the last few years. Greenwood is excited as he speaks about how the SS4LS support structure operates and functions practically for student athletes.

“It’s a process that begins at recruitment with career assessments and, in some cases, tutorial interventions provided to all potential recruits.

Thereafter, it becomes a case of guiding the student into a degree choice that both matches

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their interests and values within the context of the University’s admission criteria. In instances where the students’ results are insufficient to get them into their first choice, we’ll sit down with them and work out an alternative pathway to get them to their final goal. Continuous discussions are had with all our student athletes, who generally progress from academic support to employability as they draw closer to their graduation.

“At this point, we are only involved in rugby and cricket but we are developing tools such as an online academic hub, that we hope can widen our reach to the other sporting codes on campus.”

A few excellent and hardworking student athletes have graduated and form part of the recently launched SS4LS Alumni Network. One such example is the former captain of both Varsity Cricket and Varsity Football, Emmanuel Sebareme. When he was five years old, he and his family fled the conflict in Rwanda on foot and found themselves in Cape Town.

That was in 2000. Now, Sebareme is a graduate with an economics degree.

“Every graduation is a success story, especially considering the majority of our students are firstgeneration. However, it’s these challenging stories that are perhaps the most memorable,” Greenwood adds. “Emmanuel is undoubtedly one of the hardestworking individuals I have ever met and is testament to the fact that there is no substitute for hard work when it comes to academics. Plenty has been said about his success on the sporting field, captaining two Varsity sports teams in his final year of studies, but his journey as a student is equally as impressive.

“When he came to us, he had a dream to study commerce.

Unfortunately, his high school marks only allowed him to enter the University in the certificate course. It was during this time that we [SS4LS] had come to an agreement with the Economic Management Sciences faculty that allowed him to take an extra maths module to be considered for a Bachelors in Administration degree. A semester in, he requested a transfer and three years later, he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree.”

There are many more success stories, each as special as the

other. Greenwood says that although the allure of professional sport contracts entice young student athletes, the obstacles that they are forced to navigate with respect to other sportspeople makes it a tough road.

However, with leaders such as Adv Kock, Andrew Greenwood and so many others at the SS4LS, along with all the supporting structures, the journey becomes much more bearable.

“One of the biggest challenges is that a great deal of the students we bring on have been sold on a dream of becoming a professional athlete to the extent that being a sportsman is entrenched in their identity as an individual,” explains Greenwood.

“They cannot foresee a future without sport, so convincing them of the importance of a degree can be a challenge.

“And the reality is that for those lucky enough to make a career in sport, being a professional athlete has an expiry date long before the typical retirement age. It’s not a case of choosing one over the other but rather trying to balance both, which is a skill that takes time to develop.”

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FACILITY OF THE FUTURE

Setbacks aside, the University’s investment in a high-performance centre is earmarked for big and bright prospects

By Lyndon Julius | Photography: Skhu Nkomphela

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ore than six years ago, in 2015, the sport department at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), headed up by Mandla Gagayi, along with the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, set a plan in motion that eventually evolved and developed into a highly functional High-Performance Centre (HPC). That plan — a dream — would come to fruition just a few years later.

The HPC is an ever-growing project with some exciting and ground-breaking technology being added to the resources that are already at the disposal of student athletes at UWC and will soon also be available to more athletes and professional players from other federations.

Gagayi, who has previously highlighted what urged the University to deem the project as extremely necessary, has been eagerly awaiting the design and construction of the facility. And while construction is still ongoing, following the pandemic restrictions in 2020, plans to complete the HPC have been slightly pushed back.

“Back in the day, coaches and team managers would make all the decisions, sometimes hindering the progress of the athletes,” Gagayi said in Blue & Gold Issue 5. “Now the aim is to bring in the research and perspectives of dieticians, biokineticists and psychologists, too.”

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Initially, it was the sport department under Gagayi’s leadership who were running the day-to-day activities of the HPC, along with sport scientists, biokineticists, physiotherapists, and more. However, in early 2019, Dr Barry Andrews was appointed as the project coordinator of the University’s newly opened HPC. Having completed his studies at the University of Stellenbosch, from undergraduate through to PhD, Dr Andrews joined the UWC family in 2008.

“I completed my PhD at Stellenbosch University, where I worked for three years at the Stellenbosch University Sport Performance

Institute (SUSPI), that university’s high-performance centre,” Dr Andrews says. “I started working at UWC in 2008 in a part-time capacity before becoming permanent two years later.”

He highlights the importance of sport scientists and the role they provide in developing and conditioning both student athletes and professional sportspersons.

The progression at the HPC has been tremendous, especially given the state the country found itself in at the beginning of 2020.

It was less than a year into Dr Andrews’ appointment as the new head of the HPC when South Africa went into a national hard lockdown for nearly seven months.

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“Since 2019, the HPC has grown its staff compliment, especially with respect to female biokineticists and physiotherapists. This has enabled the HPC to work more effectively with all sportspersons,” Dr Andrews proudly states.

“From a development point of view, in 2019, and after extensive discussions and meetings around building an HPC, plans were drawn up and construction was due to start in March 2020. Unfortunately, with the pandemic, this was delayed and construction only really began in early 2021. The HPC is nearing completion and we are hoping to be able to move in our new equipment shortly.”

This is by far one of the biggest investments the sport department at UWC has made over the last decade, with the other being the upgrade of the Sport Stadium (or the Operation Room, as it is affectionately known). Dr Andrews highlights the HPC as one of the facilities that will hopefully attract not only more student athletes of the highest quality but also other professional sporting stars who find themselves in need of worldclass facilities and professional staff and personnel.

“The two biggest upgrades have been the establishment and building of an HPC, which did not exist, along with a very healthy investment in specialised equipment and tools to train athletes. The other major upgrade is in our staff and support staff at the HPC — we have personnel that worked at the national level for various sporting codes and who now bring that experience, training and expertise to work with the UWC student athletes.

“Despite the challenges the world has faced this past year and, more recently, with the unrest in Gauteng and KwaZuluNatal, we’ve managed to complete the building of the HPC. It was a long and challenging road to get to this point but through the support of our partners, stakeholders and the University management team, the development and construction of the HPC has thankfully been able to continue.”

Looking ahead, Dr Andrews understands that in an everchanging sports environment, the HPC will have to do its utmost to adapt and remain relevant within the high-performance niche.

When asked where he sees the HPC in five years, he says:

“Interesting question and honestly, to me, there is no straightforward answer. To be successful, we will obviously need to have a significant impact on the University’s student athletes, we need to start working with our communities and possibly assisting the various sporting codes with talent identification.

The HPC needs to have built good, solid relationships with various sporting bodies, unions and federations, attracting them to train at UWC. “We are, after all, a higher education centre, and we need to educate. With this in mind, we have developed a higher certificate to assist sportspersons’ transition to university (or those not getting the required results for qualification to register for their desired degree programme) and to train people within the industry that seek it in a formal sense.

This will further result in graduating masters and doctoral students through the University’s High-Performance Centre that can then drive new research and studies in our very own HPC. A full-circled holistic and academic approach over the next few years for all our student athletes is truly the dream.”

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THE RUNNING BOYS

Hailing from a small town in the Cape, brothers Nadeel and Adrian Wildschutte are preparing to run the world

By Lyndon Julius | Photography: Skhu Nkomphela

F

rom the small town of Ceres, about two hours outside Cape Town, two brothers, took up long-distance running during their later years of high school. The brothers, Nadeel and Adrian Wildschutte, would take part in athletics and cricket during the summer; in winter, they could be found on the rugby field. The elder of the two, Nadeel, was especially fond of sport, participating in every sporting code he could.

Now, Nadeel is completing his postgraduate qualification at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) while younger brother

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Adrian is completing his Masters in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Florida State University in the United States.

“When it was cricket season, I would play cricket, and when it was winter, I would play rugby,” Nadeel says in an exclusive interview with Blue & Gold.

“It was during matric that coach Moos Hartnick introduced me to middle-distance running.

He immediately identified my shortcomings and the areas where I needed to improve.

Things happened so fast after that and six months of training later, I was in the Boland team.”

Younger brother Adrian followed in his brother’s footsteps around six months after Nadeel took up running and claims to have joined Nadeel after boredom got the better of him while waiting on rugby, his preferred sporting code at the time. “I used to play rugby for part of high school and I was bored at home,” Adrian says. “With homework and chores done, and no rugby practice, I just decided to go to training with Nadeel. It was really difficult at first but I pushed myself hard and found that I really enjoyed it. People also said I was good at it. I wasn’t really into running but I guess boredom

BLUE AND GOLD just got the better of me that day.”

The duo became members of the Ceres Athletic Club and were soon on their way to the United States after a call with Zola Pieterse (née Budd), the legendary South African-born, British long-distance runner.

Pieterse coaches cross-country and long-distance runners at Coastal Carolina University in the US and recruited Adrian and Nadeel after spotting their talent in high school.

“Coach Zola somehow believes that the best long-distance and cross-country runners are from Boland and the rural areas in South Africa, so she was actively looking to recruit talented runners.

At that time, I was the best in my age category and still at school, so she contacted the club but Oom Lionel said I’d probably finish school first before moving to the US,” explains Adrian, who was still a few years away from matric at the time, 2016. Nadeel, on the other hand, was already enrolled at UWC and in his first year.

“Initially, they wanted Adrian, who was very good in his age group. He was in the top 10 in the country,” says Nadeel. “I wasn’t as good as him; I’d say

I was above average. But I was quite an effective provincial runner and Oom Lionel, the manager of the club, introduced me to Zola anyway. She said my times suited the university and they offered me a full scholarship.

I had to write the SAT test, which is quite similar to the university admission test we take in South Africa.”

Coming from a predominantly Afrikaans neighbourhood and school, the Wildschutte brothers had to not only adapt to a new culture and way of doing things, but also pick up the English language very quickly.

In a matter of weeks, both Adrian and Nadeel would set sail and embark on the opportunity of a lifetime. Out on the field and while running, they didn’t need to be fluent in English but it was when they were in the classroom or being interviewed by the media in South Carolina that they would need to be as effective in English as they were in cross country. The transition for both of them was a shock to the system, but they adapted and adjusted very well with the help of a small community of South Africans based in the state.

“What we achieved was destined for us, the opportunity was there to go to the United States, but I believe the transition from Ceres to UWC helped me a lot,” Nadeel adds. “The less urbanised towns like Ceres are quite rural; we’re not exposed to the busy city world.

I think that prepared me personally for the way of doing things in the States.

“The acclimatisation was quite hectic. We were forced to speak minimum Afrikaans. We would eliminate being homesick by coming together with other South Africans. There were a few soccer players and Zola and her family so we would come together and have a braai from time to time, something that would remind us of home.”

Both brothers are now focused on improving their times and to qualify for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, which will be held in Bathurst, Australia in February 2022 due to the uncertainty of the pandemic.

The brothers are also, for the second time since taking up long-distance running, members of two different clubs. Nadeel, who runs for UWC, graduated from Coastal Carolina University with a Bachelors of Science (Bsc) degree with a focus on business and human resource management and is currently completing his postgraduate degree in Business Administration while Adrian is enrolled in a Masters programme at Florida State University.

The boys from Ceres believe that hard work and belief in God goes a long way to realising your dream, no matter what it is. “We were destined for this path that we are on, we both believe this,” Nadeel proudly states. “We pray a lot and we believe the prayers of our parents and family brought and carried us through the tough times; it still does.

“I have a saying that I always read back to myself whenever I feel a bit down: Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. I am not sure who the author is, but I read it somewhere and it stuck with me.”

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PEOPLE ARE OUR POWER

UWC’s rugby team continues to thrive — and it’s all thanks to the community support they receive

By Myolisi Gophe | Photography: Peter Herring, Skhu Nkomphela

U

WC rugby had only two objectives going into this year’s Varsity Cup season: to finish in the mid-table in the final log standings and to obtain at least 20 points in the process.

The men in blue and gold did not only achieve their goals but did so in style, dishing out one of the most exciting brands of rugby

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in the competition and winning the hearts of many followers, both locally and internationally. As a result, two players have caught the eyes of clubs in the Currie Cup while a few players took home awards.

“It was pleasing that we managed to achieve those goals,” notes Paul Treu, head of the University of the

Western Cape’s (UWC) rugby. “But, like I said to the players, it’s not what we’ve achieved this year but how we did it. I think the players really expressed themselves on the field, and I think the manner in which they conducted themselves and the exciting brand of rugby that we played matters most.

“It warms my heart to know we won so many hearts of so many rugby-loving supporters in South Africa and internationally. Our name is out there as a team to be reckoned with.’’

Among the games that were the highlights for UWC was the 60-19 thrashing of Central University of Technology (CUT) when they beat the Bloemfontein side for the first time, and the thrilling Chester Williams Memorial Trophy, which they narrowly lost 55-58 to the University of Cape Town (UCT).

Captain Pieter-Steyl Swanepoel acknowledges that in addition to achieving the trophy to remember the late UWC coach, it has always been a big motivation to play against the neighbouring universities.

“It’s always been a massive battle to play the neighbouring universities, a battle that we always want to come out on top in. In fact, in all games, the team was motivated to show that we didn’t go to the tournament to make up the numbers. And we surprised a lot of teams.”

Finishing sixth in the 10-team Varsity Cup mini-league is music

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to the ears of the UWC community as it stands the rugby squad in good stead to achieve its overall goal to remain in the tournament, with this year’s log being combined with the 2022 final log that will determine the two teams relegated to the Varsity Shield the following year. Last year, the University finished second-last when the competition was called off due to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, and finished at the bottom of the log in their maiden season a year before. But coach Treu credits all past players and coaches for their recent success.

“It was lovely to be in a team that is a force to be reckoned with,” Swanepoel adds. “Just to finish like this after we struggled in the past, just to know that we have improved from the last years, is a high moment for us.”

So what worked for the team this season?

Knowing that relegation and promotion would be decided over the two seasons, Treu and his coaching staff devised their strategy accordingly. “What was important for us was results. We wanted to win as many games as possible but also give exposure to as many young players as possible. So when we went [in]to the first [bio-] bubble, we picked our strongest team. In the middle bio-bubble, we decided to give all the players an opportunity to experience the Varsity Cup to get some miles behind them because this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. It’s not only about this year, it’s about next year as well.

“When you see some of the results, obviously, we lost some of those games but the youngsters really stepped up to the plate. And they played so well that we almost could have beaten those teams. In the last bubble, we picked the best teams for the first two games, which is why we could get good results.

We wanted the results but also, in the long term, wanted to give experience and exposure to more youngsters.”

This strategy will likely help the team going forward as some of the senior players are in their final year of studies. “The minutes that these youngsters played this year will hopefully stand us in good stead next year,” the former Blitzbok mentor states. “Next year, we will be losing our entire front row who are all finishing their studies. We will try to convince some of these players to do a postgraduate programme but at the same time, there are also quite a few exciting new players, such as the Western Province duo of Lamla Nunu and Lukhanyo Vokozela. We’re very excited to see that kind of quality coming to UWC.” Treu reveals that when he was appointed last year, one of the first things he wanted to challenge was UWC being viewed as a fallback, not a first choice.

“The only way to change that is by the way we play and the kind of rugby we dish out for the fans.

UWC is now different to what it was seen as before, and every coach and every player that came through the system contributed to our improved success this season.”

With the Varsity Cup out of the way and having pulled out of the Western Province Super League this year, the only competition that the rugby team is still expecting to take part in is the University Sports South Africa (USSA) week, scheduled this August.

The staff are also pulling all their resources together to ensure the players do well academically in order to obtain enough credits to make the team next year. Tutors were organised timeously to assist players and Treu said the team is grateful for that kind of support. “We are happy our tutors are helping our players to focus on their studies and hopefully they will make the required grades this year. Our academic support has been tremendous, especially in the bubble. It’s studies first, rugby second — that has always been our motto.”

Swanepoel adds that everything was in the right place this year and that made a lot of difference.

“Now the talk in the team is about having enough credits to make the cut next year. You need to be sure your academic credits are in place, otherwise you’re just a normal student and you miss out on a once-a-year opportunity such as Varsity Cup.” Going forward, there is a saying amongst the team: Keep on climbing the mountain. “This was a great campaign and a great start and we are looking forward to the new season,” says Treu.

“Everybody — from our Director Mandla Gagayi and the Rector to the management team, the sport science department and the rest of the University community — has come to the party as it relates to our performances on the field.

“If it weren’t for the support from the University, I don’t think we would have been able to give the performance we did over the past two months. I hope we can continue with that kind of support and we will do our best to retain most of our players and continue to attract quality players to the University, making sure that we can be successful and stay in the Varsity Cup.”

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SPORTS COUNCIL NOTES

X-Nita Stuurman, UWC Sports Council 2020-2021

A

s a woman and as the Chairperson of the University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) Sports Council, it is a huge privilege and honour to be able to represent our Council.

Education and information that surrounds gender equality have been on the rise, more accessible and widely discussed by the broader community. As a young woman, I can’t remember a time from my adolescence where equality wasn’t an important topic of discussion around me.

Now, we’ll be the first to say that the sporting industry is making steps towards an equal future and this includes UWC Sport.

This is such an amazing and important stage for women to level the playing field in terms of gender equality. We started with Ms Cloete becoming the administrator of women’s football, and the head coach and manager of the women’s football teams are also women. These are all fierce and powerful individuals who have taken the first steps towards a better future for women in sport.

More recently, UWC hosted its first gender equality workshop.

I hope we will have more of these types of events in future, allowing us to empower each other, reach new heights and make history.

Sport is a very powerful tool in contributing to achieving gender equality. I know that UWC Sport has transformed lives and changed the reality of many women athletes.

Our hallowed halls tell the stories of women who now play in professional teams, women

OUR HALLOWED HALLS TELL THE STORIES OF WOMEN WHO NOW PLAY IN PROFESSIONAL TEAMS 54

who received their first job and are changing their families’ lives for the better, women who lead groups on gender equality and the fight against racism, and women who help others achieve more.

These are the stories we have the responsibility to multiply. There are many more amazing stories to tell of women in sport at UWC and in our country, and this is only the beginning.

As a fellow student, I also know it can be difficult to study online and focus on sports at the same time. Time management is of utmost importance and I wish all of you the best in your endeavours as we near the end of another academic year.

To all the athletes — both male and female — heading into their upcoming season, we are 100% behind you. The Sports Council wishes you all the best and remember: You can do anything you put your mind to.

Here’s to another thrilling season of #UWCSport.