Blue and Gold Issue 8

the official uwc sports magazine

SPORT

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ISSUE 8 | 2022

MAKING A SPLASH! THE FUTURE OF AQUATICS AT UWC THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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Just participating during these unprecedented times in the history of our world already makes you winners.

PROF TYRONE PRETORIUS, RECTOR AND VICECHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE

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BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 8 2022

WORDS FROM THE

VICE-CHANCELLOR

ALWAYS PROUDLY UDUBS! PROF TYRONE PRETORIUS, RECTOR AND VICE-CHANCELLOR

W

E ENTERED ANOTHER YEAR AMID A GLOBAL

PANDEMIC with great care and vigilance for our health and safety.

But it was with a note of optimism that sports fixtures returned to our campus in 2022 with the staging of Varsity Cup rugby matches at the UWC Sports Stadium, affectionately known as the Operation Room.

Despite the lack of sporting action for our student athletes and the difficulty endured by those involved in bio-bubbles, we did not sit on our laurels when it came to sport.

THOSE LUCKY ENOUGH to be in the

stands for the Varsity Cup matches would have noticed several significant changes to the sports precinct. There is a brand-new track that meets world athletics standards.

There is also a refurbished VIP suite for guests and the media and a Venue Operations Centre from where events can be coordinated.

Our High-Performance Centre opened during the COVID-19 lockdown. Across the road from the sports stadium, our indoor Olympicsize swimming pool has re-opened and meets the requirements of the global governing authority of the sporting code.

THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE EXCITING UPGRADES to our sports infrastructure that will help to draw the cream of the crop of student athletes around the country to UWC. But these

developments pose even greater possibilities for students to converge the discipline of sport with their respective academic disciplines.

WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN OFFERING THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS – a world-class

university education where student athletes can excel at the highest level.

We have seen the trajectory of global sporting icons emerging from our university. Our priority is for them to leave here as students of the world with a university degree that can facilitate a livelihood beyond their sporting careers.

An important possibility that the new infrastructure holds is how these state-of-the-art facilities can be used to leverage research.

It is our wish that facilities like the High-Performance Centre will enable the study by sports scientists, nutritionists and biokineticists of the human condition and how to optimise performance.

It can be argued that infrastructure is simply brick and mortar. It is the intellectual and physical capacity of those within those walls who make use of these facilities that will ensure we bring out the best in our student athletes, scholars, researchers and academics. I look forward to the further development of sports facilities on our campus over the coming months.

SADLY, UWC LOST A MUCH-LOVED COLLEAGUE AND MEMBER OF THE SPORTS TEAM.

Adrienne Galagatsi passed away in

January and left a significant void in sport administration at the university.

As a transgender woman, Adrienne made her mark elsewhere as well as an activist who created awareness of injustices against the LGBQTI+ community. My condolences to her family, friends and colleagues. May her soul rest in peace.

UWC WILL BE PARTICIPATING in men’s basketball, women’s netball, women’s football, cricket and Varsity Cup rugby in the 2022 Varsity Sports tournaments. We had several sporting successes last year, particularly with the Women’s Football team finishing third in the professional Hollywoodbets Super League and being crowned Varsity Women’s Football champions.

NOTABLY, UWC’S DIRECTOR OF SPORT, MANDLA GAGAYI, was nominated for the FISU Gender Equality Champion Award, in addition to being appointed to SASCOC’s Policy Development Commission.

WE ARE PLEASED WITH THESE SUCCESSES

but just participating during these unprecedented times in the history of our world already makes you winners. I wish all our student athletes, coaches, administrators and managers all the best for the year ahead. Win or lose, we are always proudly Udubs! B+G

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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DVC’S

CORNER

LIVE, BECOME AND THRIVE PROF PAMELA DUBE, DEPUTY VICECHANCELLOR: STUDENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT, UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE

VERY TIME I am asked to write my thoughts for this magazine I feel strangely elated, as if it is the first time. I’m still searching for the answer as to why this is. Perhaps it is simply the anticipation of capturing the imagination of the readers with another edition showcasing the story of Student Development and Support and UWC Sport, and our determined effort to perform among the best.

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AS THE DVC RESPONSIBLE for students and executive oversight over sport administration, I wish to acknowledge the contributions and dedication of our staff who do everything possible to provide the assistance and support required by students, and who understand the importance of co-creating an environment that enables students to thrive. These colleagues are focused on the difference we need to make to the lives of our athletes and their future prospects.

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We have seen what is possible demonstrated by the large number of national team players in many sporting codes who started their careers on the sports fields at UWC and played their away matches in front of a handful of passionate spectators who understood the value of grassroot support.

These athletes never internalise giving up because they know that the cost is too great. They are role models to kids who play soccer or rugby without boots and who may doubt their own talents and capability given their backgrounds or circumstances, especially when they compare their experiences to the privileged few who are able to get all the support they need. Our work transcends nurturing talent and serves to uplift and restore such diminished dreams.

WE NEED TO CONTINUE as mentors and

motivational speakers because we live in an imperfect society that requires us to ask – what time is it now? When are we going to have a clear roadmap that takes us from where we are to a situation where equity of opportunities has become a universally established norm?

Many women and men who donned our jerseys were a force to be reckoned with and became international stars because they believed in and backed their talents, complemented by the support they needed to succeed. They never forgot where they come from. The nurturing environment UWC provided them is a platform that must be sustained for many more athletes to come. We must have an enduring commitment to using the spaces we create to foster an inclusive environment and a culture of ensuring that every person feels welcome and has a true sense of belonging.

WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE to watch our matches live at the stadium amid the restrictions imposed on national associations regarding spectators.

The new thinking that has allowed the Division to revitalise and reorientate itself finds expression in our revised motto: LIVE, BECOME and THRIVE. We should not take the opportunity lightly to cheer our teams on and keep them motivated.

OUR HIGH-PERFORMANCE ASPIRATIONS

remain our firm focus and we are committed to supporting many codes to sustainably compete with the best in the university sports fraternity. Our continued investments in facilities, despite many challenges, ensure that our facilities are top quality and attract key tournaments across the board. The renovations at the stadium have gone well and the work on the computer lab that commenced in 2021 is being finalised. Equipped with 10 workstations and a printer, the lab’s main purpose will be to provide efficient academic support to athletes who need to be at the gym, field or track or attending lectures. Academic and sport performance are not mutually exclusive, as evidenced by the many sportsmen and women who are outstanding academic achievers.

We celebrate these positive developments, with which UWC continues to demonstrate its commitment to excellence and to always putting its students and athletes first.

WE CONTINUE TO REMEMBER and mourn the loss of a number of our colleagues. Recently, colleagues converged in Knysna to pay their last respects to the ever-vibrant Adrienne Galagatsi. We convey our heartfelt condolences to her family and salute many other families whose members have contributed positively to the successes we celebrate today.

I take solace in the knowledge that we are intensely engaging with and working to finalise the new SDS Strategic Framework to which colleagues who have left us contributed. The framework signifies a new path towards a delivery model that places the student experience throughout their journey at the centre of our holistic definition of success.

THE NEW THINKING that has allowed the Division to revitalise and reorientate itself finds expression in our revised motto: LIVE, BECOME and THRIVE. WE HOPE THAT THESE EFFORTS will

strengthen our resolve to further propel UWC Sport to greater heights.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TEAM that produced the magazine and I hope you will enjoy the exciting stories. B+G

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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DIRECTOR’S

DESK

Our successes at UWC Sport are always centred around people.

MANDLA GAGAYI, DIRECTOR, UWC SPORT ADMINISTRATION

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BELIEVING IN THE RESILIENCE OF OUR STUDENTS MANDLA GAGAYI, DIRECTOR, UWC SPORT ADMINISTRATION

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T WAS A BITTERSWEET START TO 2022 for

the UWC Sport family, following the loss of my trusted ‘quarterback’, Adrienne Galagatsi. Galli’s departure came unexpectedly and shook us to the core. UWC Sport will never be the same without her. Her contagious laughter in our corridors, her shades at our braais and her obsession with more money for her clubs will be missed dearly. Adrienne’s passing is a reminder that life is too short, and that we must be grateful for each day and live each without regrets.

I’M HAPPY TO FINALLY ANNOUNCE

that our facilities upgrades are completed. We now boast a stateof-the-art high-performance centre, a brand-new rugby and football surface, an IAAF-accredited athletics track, a modern VIP lounge and Venue Operations Centre. We are grateful to the university’s leadership for recognising the importance of sport in our university and surrounding communities. Our next big projects will be a hockey astroturf and an indoor sports centre. Any support from investors and philanthropists will be highly appreciated.

We purchased two buses in December 2021 to upgrade our ageing fleet and ensure safe travel for our student athletes. These have been happily received by student athletes and coaches.

OUR SUCCESSES AT UWC SPORT are

always centred around people. It is in that spirit that we go all out and even make sacrifices to keep everyone in the UWC Sport Family happy. Thanks to this, we managed to recruit and retain all our coaches since 2020, our student athletes have continued to perform to the best of their abilities, and my colleagues in the office continue to deliver world-class administration in the face of limited resources.

Our support structures and collaborators always play a significant role in all our successes. A special mention has to go to our leader, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: SDS, Prof Pamela Dube, and her office staff, the Institutional Advancement Division, the Registrar’s Office, the ViceChancellor’s Office, the Infrastructure and Engineering Division, and many more departments and units within UWC. I must also give special recognition to Vasco da Gama Football Club for allowing their field to be used by our women in football matches while our main field was

under construction. It is no surprise that they won the Sasol National Championships. Their spirit of Ubuntu is admirable. The Western Cape Sports School continues to be our pillar of strength with regard to pre-season accommodation for our student athletes. All these support structures deserve a huge share of every bit of success that comes our way.

I THANK ALL THESE PARTNERS because

Adrienne has taught us to be honest and grateful for every little help that we get and that we must honour and thank one another while we are still alive.

THE YEAR AHEAD PROMISES to be very

busy. With all sports activities now allowed to take place, we will face many USSA national competitions, continental competitions as well as the biggest of them all, the World University Games. Some student athletes will also face the prospect of attending face-to-face lectures for the first time in three years. While some serious reorientation and academic support interventions will undoubtedly be needed, I always believe in our students’ resilience and I know they will surpass all expectations.

IN CONCLUSION, we must constantly remind ourselves that COVID-19 is still around. The excitement that comes with our country’s reopening of all economic sectors must not push us to levels of recklessness. I wish everyone a very safe, wonderful and responsible first semester.

I Am UWC. B+G

ADRIENNE GALAGATSI HAS TAUGHT US TO BE HONEST AND GRATEFUL FOR EVERY LITTLE HELP THAT WE GET… THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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the official uwc sports magazine

ISSUE 8

1O

AQUATICS ON THE CAPE FLATS

BY ROBIN ADAMS

THE LINE-UP

28 NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED 14 A NEW ERA OF HIGH PERFORMANCE

BY ROBIN ADAMS

BY LYNNE RIPPENAAR-MOSES

1 WORDS FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR

16 VARSITY CUP SUCCESS FOR

BY PROF TYRONE PRETORIUS

UWC WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

31 HISTORIC VIP ROOM ENHANCED

BY UPGRADE BY LYNDON JULIUS

BY JOSHUA HENDRICKS

33 MEET THE HPC TEAM BY FATIMA AHMED

18 IT’S ALL GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN

BY JOSHUA HENDRICKS

35 RESEARCH INNOVATION THROUGH SPORT BY PROF JOSÈ FRANTZ

2 DVC’S CORNER BY PROF PAMELA DUBE 4 FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

BY MANDLA GAGAYI

2O READY TO KNUCKLE DOWN

38 VOC ENSURING SPECTATOR SAFETY

7 EDITOR’S NOTES BY MYOLISI GOPHE

BY LYNDON JULIUS

BY LYNDON JULIUS

8 OPERATION ROOM FACELIFT COMPLETED BY DUMISANI KOYANA

22 THE FASTEST MILER IN SOUTH AFRICA BY BUNTU GOTYWA

40 THE JOY OF DANCE

1O AQUATICS ON THE CAPE FLATS

24 HONOURING OUR SPORTING HEROES

42 THE LOSS OF A REAL TROUPER

BY ROBIN ADAMS

BY MYOLISI GOPHE

BY GASANT ABARDER

12 UPGRADED FACILITIES ENCOURAGE

26 FANS, PLANS AND MANY HANDS

46 IT HAS BEEN AN HONOUR!

HIGH PERFORMANCE

BY ROBIN ADAMS

BY X-NITA STUURMAN

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BY LYNNE RIPPENAAR-MOSES

FROM THE

EDITOR

disadvantaged, It is developments and investments like these that help UWC to level the playing fields and stand shoulder to shoulder when competing against other top universities in the country and on the African continent.

IN THIS ISSUE, we highlight the facelift

given to our swimming pool, which is reportedly the only indoor heated Olympic-size pool (50m) in the country and one of only two in Africa (see page 10). The pool hosts top-class training sessions and events and is also available to external users for hire.

FOOTBALL AND RUGBY are the biggest

EDITOR’S

Myolisi Gophe

NOTES

sporting codes in the world by numbers and are equally popular on campus. Categorised among the six high-performance sporting codes, the two have enjoyed remarkable successes in the past, with UWC Football having produced the likes of Tapelo Sixishe and Siphosethu Meveni, now plying their trades in the GladAfrica Championship (formerly National First Division). Now that the UWC Sports Stadium pitch has been upgraded to professional standards (see page 12), hosting professional football matches in the Operation Room will go a long way to inspiring our footballers to follow suit.

STUDIES HAVE LONG PROVED that sport has

significant benefits in human capital, both socially and economically, with physical activities contributing to forming a healthier society. Skills and abilities developed through sport promote people’s well-being and directly improve their physical, mental and psychological performance, producing a better quality of life.

Top-class sports facilities play a huge role in not only enticing and motivating athletes to participate in sport, but also aiding them to reach their potential. It is for these reasons that the University of the Western Cape’s sports infrastructural developments and investments in recent years should be lauded.

Despite being historically

MODERN SPORT is not only about having the best playing facilities. It is also about offering athletes support through sport-specific training, strength and conditioning, nutrition, physiotherapy, biokinetics and sport psychology services. The newly completed, multi-million rand HighPerformance Centre (see page 14) has the potential to take UWC to greater heights in sport in future.

UWC HAS PRODUCED TOP SPORTSPEOPLE

who have gone on to shine locally, nationally and globally over the years. With these kinds of infrastructural developments, the sky is the limit for current and future athletes of this university. B+G

the official uwc sports magazine

ISSUE 8 | MAY 2022 PUBLISHER: University of the Western Cape’s Department for Institutional Advancement PRODUCTION: Kult Creative PRODUCTION TEAM: INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT DIRECTOR: Professor Anesh Maniraj Singh UWC SPORT DIRECTOR: Mandla Gagayi EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Gasant Abarder EDITOR: Myolisi Gophe COMMISSIONING EDITOR: Nashira Davids MANAGING EDITOR: Nastasha Crow ART DIRECTOR: Michael Daries COPY EDITORS: Nazeem Lowe and Kariema Lowe CONTRIBUTORS: ASEM Engage/Varsity Sports, Jeffrey Abrahams, Robin Adams, Fatima Ahmed, Buntu Gotywa, Joshua Hendricks, Lyndon Julius, Christiaan Kotze, Dumisani Koyana, Je’nine May, Mlondolozi Mbolo, Skhu Nkomphela, Lynne RippenaarMoses, SA Hockey, John Thwaits, UWC Media

Proudly sponsored by Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages 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.

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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FA C I L I T Y

UPGRADE

OPERATION ROOM FACELIFT COMPLETED

BY DUMISANI KOYANA

HE ‘OPERATION ROOM’, as the stadium at the University of the Western Cape is affectionately known, has seen memorable victories, such as the men’s football team’s defeat of Tshwane University of Technology by two goals to one on 24 September 2015 to win their first-ever Varsity Football trophy.

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NIPPY MIDFIELDER, THANDO ZIWELE, was

part of that side and went on to represent University Sport South Africa at the Confederation of University and College Sports Association tournament held in Zimbabwe in 2016.

He says, “We created great everlasting memories at the Operation Room. Our die-hard supporters are the ones who came up with that name or concept. We had to win the trophy

for them as a way of giving back for their loyalty.

“It was a great feeling. One cannot describe it in words. It is the best highlight of my entire varsity career.”

MIDFIELDER THALEA SMIDT is another player known to surgically carve up the opposing defence. She not only won the Cosafa Cup and the inaugural CAF Champions League trophy but, after

We created great everlasting memories at the Operation Room.

THANDO ZIWELE

League is an important development.

“It definitely will create more exposure for the university, and students could use the opportunity not only to watch PSL games but use it as an escape from the harsh reality of academic stress or mental tiredness that comes with being a student,” says Smidt, who recently made her Banyana Banyana debut in a friendly against Zambia.

Smidt adds, “UWC has played an important role in where I am today, especially as a student athlete. They shaped me to be the person that I am today. Their aid in my sports and academics shaped me in maturing and attaining everyday skills that can be used on and off the pitch.”

ANOTHER SUPERSTAR who lit up the

Operation Room with his dazzling skills and goalscoring prowess is Siphosethu Meveni, currently playing in the GladAfrica Championship for Richards Bay. “Playing in the Operation Room was something else for me. I came there as a student athlete and I got to experience how the crowd would back us in every game that we played.

In 2019, when I played in the Varsity Football competition, we only lost one game (to North-West University) but it was a game that was to take us to the final. The support we got from our fellow students was out of this world and as someone who played ‘kasi’ football that was something I cherish even today. We would see masses of students gathering around and singing and that pushed us to do well but we could not reach the final. I still graduating with a BSc in Biotechnology, she captained Tuks and went on to win the Hollywoodbets Super League with Mamelodi Sundowns.

Smidt says, “I have amazing memories of the UWC team. I think my highlight has to be winning the Coke Cup, USSA nationals and SASOL WC league all in one season.”

The graduate says the stadium being approved by the Premier Soccer

have a love for the fans and how they were behind us.

“With the stadium being renovated, more fans will be going to the stadium to be entertained by the athletes, soccer or rugby. This will also help the ladies’ team that is playing in the Hollywoodbets Super League as now they will be able to face opponents in the Operation Room. Lastly, having been given the heads-up by the PSL, who knows, maybe one of our games might be played there against a Cape Town team. What a feeling that would be for me to make a return to the fortress that gave me a platform to be noticed,” says Meveni.

THE UPGRADED MULTI-PURPOSE FACILITY will

not only be used for prestige events like Varsity Football, Varsity Cup events and ladies’ football premier league matches, but even GladAfrica Championship teams have requested using the facility as it now meets the league’s requirements. The newly revamped UWC Stadium played host to the first game of the 2022 Varsity Rugby season as UWC took on the University of the Free State.

Along with the field upgrade, the track, originally laid in 1995, was replaced. Besides UWC’s own athletes, there has already been great interest by schools and clubs in surrounding communities in using the athletics facilities. B+G

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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W ATER

SPORTS

AQUATICS ON THE CAPE FLATS

BY ROBIN ADAMS

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WIMMING HAS LONG BEEN POPULAR at the

University of the Western Cape, but now rowing, water polo and even lifesaving are making a splash (pun intended). They may be fledgling sports on campus but some of those involved have lofty ambitions of one day producing Africa’s best aquatics stars.

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ONE OF THE DRIVING FORCES behind aquatic sports development at UWC is senior sports administrator, Derick Orderson. He is probably one of the most recognisable faces on campus, having worked here since 1986, a year infamously memorable for Diego Maradona having a hand in helping Argentina clinch the FIFA World Cup. It was also the year Orderson, without any special training and only access

UWC has the only heated and covered Olympic-size POOL in South Africa.

DERICK ORDERSON

to a public municipal pool, recorded a time of 25.81 seconds in the 50m freestyle (Tom Jager’s world record at the time was 22.40).

Even after 36 years, Orderson still has a fire in his belly to show

A key part of the plan already exists. “We have the only heated and covered 50m swimming pool in South Africa,” says Orderson.

The Olympic-size pool is part of a bid to “make swimming as viable and as accessible as possible for any person who would like to learn to swim. We give free lessons,” he says. Orderson is certainly qualified to teach. He’s a former South African swimming and lifesaving champion who won many medals in his competitive career. He is also ably supported by a dedicated team of coaches.

“I love working in this position as it is my passion to teach, and especially teaching young children and adolescents,” she says. “I plan to teach young swimmers stroke correction and to encourage them to join the competitive team and swim galas. I’m at the foundation phase where we build swimmers up to be competitive swimmers. Swimming is important at UWC as we have many good swimmers who have the potential to one day represent the university at higher levels of competition. Who knows, UWC might have the next Chad le Clos.”

ZOE-LLYN DE LA CRUZ, the coach of the

ROWER COLE JENSEN says, last year, hardly anyone knew the sport was on offer on campus or that the university had a rowing team.

“This year alone I’ve got six women and three men onto the team, which is fantastic, seeing as how last year our numbers dwindled to less than eight in total. And we’re pushing almost 20 now. I would love for UWC to be seen as a top competitor in the sport,” he says.

Of course, Jensen has no illusions about the enormity of the job at hand. “It will involve hard work and determination on the committee’s side. We’re looking to get a few more boats into UWC and create all the infrastructure, and getting UWC aquatics its own ergonomic room so we don’t have to rely on the HighPerformance Centre.”

women’s swimming team, boasts impeccable credentials, including being selected as the Western Cape Aquatics female coach at the interprovincial gala in Knysna in April 2021.

De la Cruz has been with the campus aquatics side since June last year and says she is most proud of running the ‘learn to swim’ programme.

LIFESAVING IS ANOTHER NEW ADDITION

the world UWC offers more than just quality academics. Sport also has its place in the sun and he’s all about promoting more opportunities at the university.

“A more sustainable aquatics programme” is part of that dream, he says. “We want top swimming people to venture here and those who aspire to continue with their swimming to come and study here.”

to the aquatics programme and Orderson says the classes are open to all body sizes. Plans are also in place to introduce diving on campus soon.

MANY OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS AQUATIC STARS started their professional

journeys at university or college. It’s early days yet, but Orderson and his team see no reason why the same should not be true of UWC in the coming years. B+G

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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ON

TRACK

UPGRADED FACILITIES ENCOURAGE HIGH PERFORMANCE

BY BUNTU GOTYWA

S

PORT HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE in the lives of

many individuals across the globe with few things impacting as much in promoting unity, good health and nationbuilding. The University of Western Cape has strategically invested in

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developing and upgrading sports facilities and improving academic support to talented sportspeople on campus. The recently completed R30 million revamp of the institution’s sports complex forms part of the plan to offer one of the best sporting environments available at higher education institutions today.

THE MAJOR CHANGES include a highperformance gym and upgraded athletics track that now qualifies to host big events such as the SA championships. The old athletics track had served for at least 26 years before the upgrade.

Glen Bentley, UWC Sport Administration Support Services Manager, says the track has a lifespan of about 12 years and met current international standards for competition.

“Having a high-performance facility for our athletes in close proximity becomes a one-stop-shop that allows them to give out as little energy and time as possible while in the same breath delivering at their academic spaces as well,” says Bentley.

+ 2o SPORTING CODES WILL NOW BE CALLING THE NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART SPORTS CENTRE THEIR HOME

A MAJOR ADDITION to the new facilities

is the Venue Operations Centre (VOC), which makes it easier to host medium-risk events. The VOC can host personnel from the police, disaster management and the medical team. There is a VIP area for hosting sponsors and potential partner institutions.

UWC HAS CONSISTENTLY PROVED to be very

competitive in different disciplines.

Their gold colours are easy to spot and constantly feature on the podium at sporting events around the country, with some athletes going abroad to raise not only the university flag but that of South Africa.

Twenty-year-old sprint sensation Luke Davids, who won gold in the 100m at the 2018 Youth Olympics, was overjoyed to see the new and improved athletics track.

He says, “It means a lot to us athletes, you know. Now we can enjoy what we do even more knowing we have the proper facilities and equipment to bring out the best performance in us.

“As athletes and coaches, we made do with what we had, [which] wasn’t much but we made the best of it. Now that we have everything we need, I’m looking forward to seeing how we improve in the future,” says Davids.

OUR 3000M STEEPLECHASE SPECIALIST,

Ashley Smith, says the upgrades are a wonderful sight given the depth of sporting talent that UWC boasts. He says the institution has produced great athletes and having the new multipurpose facility will make it much easier for the upcoming generation to excel in their chosen fields.

IN LINE WITH THE INSTITUTION’S GOAL

of being the university of choice for athletes, the facilities will be made available to the surrounding communities and schools of the Western Cape.

UDUBS HAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED good working relations with schools in the Western Cape and with the upgrade completed, athletes are assured many sporting opportunities on campus.

Bentley stressed that while athletes strive to become the best and the athletes have been given the best facilities possible to do so, this did not take anything away from the primacy of their academic work.

“They are competitive and we compete with the best teams in South Africa. Having the best facilities just enhances the competitor that you are.

“It’s all about the athletes achieving their full potential and achieving even beyond that if possible,” he says.

UWC WANTS TO BUILD A STRONG ALUMNI GROUP OF ATHLETES who will be proud of their colours and assist other alumni to transition into the working world.

The sporting facility has cricket, football and rugby fields. More than 20 sporting codes will now be calling the new state-of-theart Sports Centre their home. And the upgraded fields even have the potential to host National First Division football matches.

“We need to be this machine that is constantly running and improving.

That will allow us to also make a huge contribution to South African sport in the broader scheme of things,” says Bentley. B+G

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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SPORT-SPECIFIC

TRAINING CENTRE

A NEW ERA OF HIGH PERFORMANCE

case of hit-and-miss. Some years we excel and others, due to changes in players or coaching staff, we don’t.

The High-Performance Centre is an avenue for all sporting teams and players to consistently achieve at a maximal level.”

BY LYNNE RIPPENAAR-MOSES

strength and conditioning, nutrition, physiotherapy, biokinetics and sport psychology services. Student athletes can utilise the centre’s services and gym for an annual fee of R1 000.

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HE NEW HIGHPERFORMANCE

CENTRE (HPC) of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) opened in January 2022. The project is led by Associate Professor Barry Andrews from the Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science Department (SRES). “The history of high performance at UWC is centred

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around individual sporting codes.

‘Richer’ sports like cricket, rugby and soccer do more in terms of high performance because of their status in South Africa and the revenue that they bring in, making more resources available to sports players,” says Prof Andrews.

“Those three sports have a really good track record at UWC in terms of successes, but it has also been a

THE HPC OFFERS sport-specific training,

IN 2017, physiotherapist Brent Hess

and performance (strength and conditioning) specialist and sports scientist Keenan Watson were tasked

by Prof Josè Frantz, Deputy ViceChancellor: Research and Innovation, to investigate the level of institutional support for high performance.

HESS, now the manager of the HPC,

has worked as a physiotherapist and a consultant to Ajax Cape Town, several franchise clubs and individual athletes, and worked with provincial, national and Olympic athletes for seven years at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA).

WATSON is a retired national athlete

who represented South Africa and the university internationally before starting a sports consultancy and later an academy that ran sport science programmes to develop school athletes. He returned to UWC to implement similar programmes in the athletics department and other high-performance sporting codes.

“Before implementing a strategy, we had to complete a needs and SWOT analysis of high performance at the university. We interviewed various UWC role-players, including Prof Frantz, the Director of Sport, sports administrators, student athletes and organisations affiliated with some sporting codes at UWC,” says Hess.

THE TWO ALSO VISITED high-performance

centres at Stellenbosch University, the University of Cape Town and the Nelson Mandela University, and travelled to KU Leuven and Gent University in Belgium to evaluate international best practices.

“KU Leuven’s high-performance programme impressed me the most,” says Watson. “They can analyse student athletes’ performance in their biomechanics laboratory and get a 360° view of performance. They also had a movement platform that analyses how a player would move when, for example, side-stepping or changing direction on the ice when skiing. With this data, they can show the athlete how to move more efficiently without adding physical stress or risking injury.”

Hess says: “Each university has a unique manner in which they establish their high-performance centres. The centres at the institutions we visited

Our centre gives student athletes the tools that they will need to thrive and achieve at a professional level. had abundant funding. Therefore, the infrastructure, design and equipment that they had were ‘top class’. At UWC, much more thought went into the design and implementation of the centre because, as a historically disadvantaged institution, we had to adapt and work with what we have, but still attain the results of a fully functional high-performance centre.”

WATSON, HESS AND BIOKINETICIST ANGELO NELSON were already working with UWC Sport and providing some high-performance services when Prof Andrews became project leader in 2018. Zoleka Bavuma joined as the administrator in the same year.

PROF ANDREWS says: “I realised that we did not have an identity because all the areas we were using to do our work were borrowed areas. Another big flaw was that we had no women staff to work with women athletes.”

With funding from a Historically Disadvantaged Institution (HDI) Development Grant from the Department of Higher Education and Training, Prof Andrews brought in biokineticist Kirsten Muller and Robyn Phillips, a physiotherapist who works with SA Netball, to provide women athletes with access

to high-performance services offered by women.

Space was identified on campus to establish a dedicated centre and highperformance gym with funding from the university. While the HPC was being developed, the team worked from temporary premises at the university’s stadium and started offering highperformance clinics for athletes from all sporting codes. Dietitian Carinne Adams and a consultant sports physician, Dr Janesh Ganda, added more expertise to the team.

“HIGH PERFORMANCE IS A LIFESTYLE. It

encompasses what you eat before training, the amount of sleep that you get, post-injury rehabilitation and prevention of injury, gym workouts and sports psychology. Athletes who want to go professional and do not get high-performance training when they are between 18 and 25 – which is when new talent develops and is spotted – will struggle to make it at a professional level,” says Prof Andrews.

“Our centre gives student athletes the tools that they will need to thrive and achieve at a professional level and our hope and goal is that they take the tools and skills that we give them and grow to become a success in their chosen sports.” B+G

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

15

WOMEN’S

FOOTBALL

ON THE RISE!

VARSITY SPORTS SUCCESS FOR UWC WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

BY JOSHUA HENDRICKS

U

WC WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

is on the rise. A strong, resilient team has emerged from participating in the Varsity Football Cup, as can be seen in the team’s improvement from sixth to third position on the HollywoodBets Super League table and victory in the Varsity Cup in 2021 after four consecutive years as losing finalists.

The team beat Tuks 4–3 on penalties on Tuks’s home ground.

COACH THINASONKE MBULI says, “We

started the season very well. What worked for us was that the majority of the players that were playing in Varsity Football were playing in the national league too. We didn’t have two different teams but used the same

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BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 8 2022

players. Those HollywoodBets games acted as preparation in the build-up to the Varsity Cup.” However, playing back-to-back games in three different competitions can take its toll on the body and injuries were one of their biggest challenges. The coach says huge credit is due to the medical team who ensured that the players were in peak condition leading up to the final.

DESCRIBING THE STRATEGY adopted for

the HollywoodBets Super League campaign, Mbuli says: “We sat down as a team and set our own goals. One of those goals was to do better than last season and another was to win the Varsity Football Cup. We tried so many times. We had the motivation and it pushed us to improve our

position. The moment we won’t forget was when we were welcomed by Prof Pretorius, Prof Dube, Mr Gagayi and the UWC students at the airport.

That was something that had never happened. It was a good morale booster after winning the Varsity Football Cup.”

The players now know the winning feeling and we simply have to defend our title.

THINASONKE MBULI

ROAD TO VICTORY Mbuli says being the first team outside Gauteng to take the Cup is something the university and the team are proud of, along with their improvement in the league. Now the challenge is to maintain the momentum.

“If we win it once it will be seen as a fluke, so we want to do it again. The players now know the winning feeling and we simply have to defend our title.

The standard has been set and we now have the experience and hunger to do it.”

As an assistant coach at Banyana Banyana, Mbuli says coaching the national team and the club are not the same but she gets the benefit of international experience and working with players from different provinces or clubs.

CAPTAIN AMO MOTAU has an unusual take on leadership. She says, “I view leadership as servanthood. I use it as a chance to serve my teammates in small moments and big moments on and off the field. It’s a great asset to me because I can make my teammates also believe that they are leaders within themselves. If we all step up on the field and there is no particular captain, everyone feels that when the team needs them they need to show up and they do that.”

She says her most memorable moment of the Varsity Cup final was the sound of the whistle ending normal time and signalling that the outcome would be settled by penalties. Although they had not won it yet, the players were all on the same page and confident of grabbing the trophy. Motau admits she struggles to balance being a student and a footballer.

“I’ve never found a balance. I’ve been doing this since high school. I was at a sports school and played for the junior national team while at high school. We travel a lot so we have our laptops out on the road, trying to catch up. Sometimes school struggles while we are at the Varsity

vs UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG ROUND 1 29.09.2021

Cup or sometimes you need to neglect football so that you can focus on your studies. You just need to do what is needed and grind through so you can get the results that you want,” says Motau.

TEAMMATE SIBULELE MSAWAWA HOLWENI,

vs NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY ROUND 2 30.09.2021

vs UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO ROUND 3 30.09.2021

vs WITS UNIVERSITY SEMI-FINAL 02.10.2021

who was made Player of the Year at UWC, is ecstatic about winning this prestigious award.

Holweni says, “First, I would like to thank my teammates and our technical team. Their support made it possible for me to win this award.

It was a wonderful feeling. I still smile when I think about that moment. But this is also a motivation for me and my teammates that there’s always room for improvement.”

Like most of our female footballers, Holweni hopes to play abroad, dreams of competing at the Olympics and the World Cup and also hopes to contribute towards the upliftment of the community. B+G

(UWC WIN 4-3 ON PENALTIES)

vs UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA FINAL 04.10.2021

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

17

FOOTBALL

FOCUS

IT’S ALL GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN

BY JOSHUA HENDRICKS

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BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 8 2022

2o

FIKILE VANESSA MAGAMA

BORN:

2002-01-19

COUNTRY:

SOUTH AFRICA

NATIONALITY:

SOUTH AFRICAN

POSITION:

DF (DEFENDER)

CURRENT CLUB:

UWC LADIES

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE:

SOUTH AFRICA U17 SOUTH AFRICA U20

U

WC FULLBACK FIKILE MAGAMA

regards joining the University of the Western Cape as one of the best decisions she has ever made as it has played a major role in her development on and off the field. She says playing football kept her focused while growing up, especially when her family was going through problems.

“I started playing football when I was seven, mostly playing with boys at home. My grandmother then decided to take me to Cape Town Roses.

I remained there until 2017 but then I moved to Dangerous Heroes in Philippi. In 2018, I started playing for the national under-17 team. When I got matric I had to come to UWC to study.”

BY 2019, she had started playing for UWC. Describing the assistance she received from the university, Magama says, “I didn’t do well with my matric results so they helped me better my results. I wouldn’t still be here at UWC if it wasn’t for this institution. All I can say is they have helped me in more ways than one.”

IN 2021, she received a call-up to join Basetsana, the national under-20 women’s football team. She says: “It was easy for me to play with other players within the national team structure. At UWC the standard is of a high intensity. They even challenged me to play at left-back because I started as a right-back and I could not kick with my left foot. It was difficult in the beginning but UWC helped me to adapt.”

I started playing football when I was seven, mostly playing with boys at home.

FIKILE MAGAMA

She says it was a very nervous beginning but having had the experience of participating in an under-17 camp, there were familiar faces at the camp which made it easier to be herself and just play the game.

“Being in a new environment, with new coaches and a new style of play, I had a lot to learn and a lot to adjust to. It wasn’t easy,” says Magama. But the player nicknamed Kanté by her teammates (after N’Golo Kanté, her male No. 7 counterpart at Chelsea) was determined to make her mark and did well.

ELMIEN CLOETE, the women’s football

administrator at UWC, says she was “elated” at the inclusion of Magama in the Basetsana team late last year. Cloete says UWC took on the challenge of developing female footballers of the future and sees the university as a breeding ground for well-rounded individuals whose main focus was not just football but also maintaining a great level of academic achievement.

“We are extremely proud and it tells us about the depth in the team as far as our youngsters are concerned. It’s proved to us that what we are doing at UWC Football to support the young players of this country is working. We are almost becoming a recruitment ground for the national teams.

“For UWC, of course, it raises the image and we are proud to contribute to that. We want to become the hub for women’s football and specifically junior football in this country. I think we are on track with that with the way we look after our young girls, especially with the academic support, as well as the sport imperative. We can proudly say that we are on our way to enriching those goals.”

AS FOR KANTÉ, she says proudly: “I’m about to do a Bachelor of Arts at UWC. Last year, I did a bridging course, so the assistance has been good.” B+G

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

19

HOCKEY

PROFILE

READY TO KNUCKLE DOWN!

BY LYNDON JULIUS

R

YAN JULIUS was born

a few weeks after the famous Springbok 1995 Rugby World Cup victory. While many of his peers wanted to don the Green and Gold of the Springboks while emulating Francois Pienaar’s men in rugby, Julius tried baseball, tennis, cricket and football before settling on hockey.

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BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 8 2022

Julius picked up a hockey stick for the first time at the age of 13 while attending St John’s Christian Brothers College (CBC) school in Parklands, Cape Town. He credits Reverend Garry Lawrence with introducing him to hockey at CBC and still feels a strong connection to his mentor.

“I haven’t been in contact much with Rev. Lawrence of late,” Julius says. “I do sometimes send him articles and

he will in turn also send me stuff that he comes across. My relationship with him has always been one that leaves me inspired while also motivating me to do better. He always found a way to deal with my energy in the classroom and just directed it straight into sports, which helped me a lot.” He did so well at CBC that Bishops Diocesan College, one of Cape Town’s most prestigious schools, recruited him.

Julius says, “I was very blessed to receive a bursary to complete my Grade 11 and 12 at Bishops. During my time at Bishops, I played firstteam hockey and cricket.”

The Proteas hockey star says his time as a student-athlete at UWC was “tough, rewarding and strenuous”. He is currently completing his BCom degree with majors in Industrial Psychology and Management at UWC. “My best UWC memory would probably be winning USSA,” Julius says. “We also got promoted a couple of years ago from the C to the B-section while I was captain. Playing in and leading the university team is something that I cherish and is very special to me.”

JULIUS HAS SOME SOUND ADVICE for athletes wanting to further their aspirations on the sports field and academically.

He says, “It was during my time at Bishops that I learned the discipline and resilience that I carried over to UWC. The solution has been to study part-time and play my sport full-time.

UWC has been very helpful – they recommended that I study part-time.

The university has been influential in

my professional career. I studied with students who graduated two years ago but I’m only graduating in May. My journey is unique in that regard.”

Julius’ prowess caught the eye of European scouts and he signed a deal with Netherlands club, Almeerse.

However, with more than 40 caps, he regards representing South Africa as among his greatest achievements, especially at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. The Games were held in 2021, due to the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is something many athletes set their sights on, and I was very privileged and blessed to be able to be part of Team South Africa. The process that goes along with that is so rewarding and you always just try and leave the (Proteas) badge in a better place.”

Horne, a veteran Protea with more than 70 caps, respects Julius as a player too.

“He is tremendously talented and quite adaptable, rises above every challenge that is thrown at him, and is a great guy to have in the team environment,” says Horne.

RYAN’S PARENTS WERE STRONG MENTORS

to himself and his younger brother, Myles. Athletes often recount rising above their own challenging circumstances but for Julius, growing up in such a stable environment meant he could focus on his academic and sports activities.

“My parents have always been very involved and helpful when it comes to my decision making. They are my biggest cheerleaders but also my toughest critics,” he says.

KEENAN HORNE, a long-time friend and

THE PROTEAS WERE CROWNED AFCON

teammate, says: “I’ve known him for years, actually since school, and have seen him coming through the South African hockey ranks. From my perspective, he’s a very level-headed boy. He comes from a very stable and structured family environment.

He gets along with everyone and has exceptional social skills.”

2022 champions earlier this year after beating Egypt in Accra, Ghana.

The Proteas next faced an uphill battle against extremely strong opposition when they took on India, Netherlands and France in an FIH (Fédération Internationale de Hockey) quadrangular series for the first time. B+G

Playing in and leading the university team is something that I cherish and is very special to me.

RYAN JULIUS

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

21

STEEPLECHASE

SPECIALIST

THE FASTEST MILER IN SOUTH AFRICA

BY BUNTU GOTYWA

L

IFE CAN BE A BIT TOUGHER

for athletes having to juggle trying to be the best in their discipline while equally working on excelling academically. Those who have walked this path say that it is not easy but definitely not impossible, especially with the right support staff around you.

22

BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 8 2022

Twenty-five-year-old track star Ashley Smith knows this all too well.

The 3000m steeplechase specialist recently graduated from the University of Western Cape (UWC) with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in politics and history.

The well-known runner’s athletic abilities have taken him across the globe. With his academic work behind

him, at least for now, Smith has set his sights on qualifying for the Olympic Games.

The Games are still at least two years away and he is returning to serious training in March in preparation for competitive running.

In the meantime, he’s been trying to keep physically and mentally fit by taking part in road running events.

photograph ©USSA/SKHU NKOMPHELA

AS ONE WOULD HAVE GUESSED, the competitor in him was not going to treat those as just practice runs and he actually won the recent Spartan Harriers Firgrove 15km challenge.

Smith credits UWC Sport Administration Support Services Manager and manager of the UWC Athletics Club, Glen Bentley, for ensuring that he excels both on track and at his academic pursuits. He says it was Bentley who helped him to get into a UWC programme that allowed him to pursue his degree alongside his running career.

“We always had a very good understanding with him and he and the institution always wanted what’s best for the athletes. So it was easy for me to become an even better athlete than I was when I entered UWC because of the support we had,” says Smith. “Mr Glen was always on our case and made us aware that because we will alway have time to focus on sport, we didn’t have to forget about the academic side of things.”

3:58:63 THE FASTEST MILE RUN IN SOUTH AFRICA IN 25 YEARS

DURING HIS TIME AT UWC, Smith was part of a group of fiercely competitive athletes that included stars like Anthony Timoteus and Duran Faro who were pivotal in UWC being regarded among the best in the country in their specific events.

Smith says he is happy that his team maintained a winning culture on the track that resulted in many medals won locally and internationally.

He says, “We started just wanting to be the best at the university but the work that we put in made us excel and be noticed by the rest of the country.

“I want to take it one day at a time and not get carried away like I did a year ago because the glimpses were there of me being even faster.

“I got carried away and the objective for me going forward is to take control of my training and just take each day and each race as they come. When the time is right, the hard work will be rewarded.”

Among Smith’s recent athletics

achievements before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the athletics calendar were being voted UWC Sportsman of the Year for 2019 and winning a bronze medal at the World Student Games in Naples, Italy, in the same year. He is the reigning 3000m steeplechase champion after taking the title at Athletics South Africa’s senior national championship in 2021.

ALSO IN 2021, Smith became a member

of an elite group of middle-distance athletes to have run a mile in under four minutes – the so-called Dream Mile. Since Roger Bannister first did it in May 1964, achieving this feat has been the benchmark defining the cream of the top athletes in the world. Smith did it in a time of 3:58:63, recording the fastest mile run in South Africa in 25 years. Incidentally, Smith ‘beat’ Bannister by just 77 hundredths of a second!

Although not coming from a sporting family, Smith says his running talent had always been there but sharpened during the time he spent at UWC. Smith says he looks forward to pursuing further studies and hopes to achieve a teaching qualification as he wants to work with children to pass on the knowledge he has acquired.

“I continue to have lots of support systems, hence I now understand better this concept of ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. That is what I want to be able to offer in the future once all of this is done,” says Ashley. B+G

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

23

SPORTS

AWARDS

HONOURING OUR SPORTING HEROES

BY MYOLISI GOPHE

P

LAYING A SPORT AMID COVID-19 has been

a strain but many sportspeople at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) soldiered on and took full advantage of any respite from the COVID-19 pandemic to do what they love most – to play – with some enjoying outstanding results.

UWC SPORT ADMINISTRATION hosted

the annual Sport Awards recently to recognise the outstanding achievements of the campus sportsmen and women in 2021.

“This has been a very challenging year, but we are grateful that we were able to play sport,” said Mandla Gagayi, UWC’s Director of Sport.

24

BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 8 2022

“We lost many friends and family members to the pandemic. Therefore, we must always be grateful that we are still here doing what we love.”

Gagayi saluted the support services teams, including the drivers, medical support, security and facilities and sports administrators, for ensuring that sports events could take place.

He gave a special thanks to the Risk and Compliance Division for all the advice and support received with COVID-19 protocols.

“It is through their guidance that UWC was among the few universities to go back to playing sport in October 2020,” said Gagayi.

He also thanked student athletes and coaches for their bravery in choosing to play sport against

opponents when they were sometimes unsure of their COVID-19 status.

“We must make it our mission to ensure that we encourage our friends and families to vaccinate so that we can stop living in fear and we can go back to having our supporters come to the Operation Room (the UWC Sports Stadium),” said Gagayi.

IN HIS KEYNOTE ADDRESS, UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tyrone Pretorius, noted that it had been wonderful seeing athletes return to the field of play this year after the restrictions of 2020 and, “even better, the many successes that they have had.”

“What has made me more proud is seeing the enthusiasm with which

all our teams and individual athletes returned to the field, some of whom were called up for duty on provincial and national teams. Well done to all of you,” said Prof Pretorius.

“It must have been a very challenging time to play with the fear that you might contract the virus if you started practising sport again. This we saw with our teams who had to travel to Pretoria to play in bio-bubbles with regular COVID-19 testing and no one in the stadiums to cheer them on.”

PROF PRETORIUS PAID TRIBUTE to the “extraordinary efforts” of the Women’s Football team for bringing home the Varsity Women’s Football Cup title, saying holding the trophy when he welcomed the team at the airport “was one of the highlights of my year”.

He said he was just as proud of all the other sporting achievements, including the women footballers’ good showing in the Hollywoodbets Super League, the athletics team’s fourthplace finish at the USSA cross country

We at UWC are so proud of your academic and sporting achievements, and thanks to everyone for working so hard and not giving up during these troubling times.

X-NITA STUURMAN

race, the netball team’s brilliant run in the inaugural provincial Twizza competition – where the men’s team won and the women’s team finished as runners-up. He also lauded the two medals that UWC won at the USSA Online Karate Championships and the selection of four basketball players to the CUCSA national squad.

Prof Pretorius also congratulated Gagayi for leading the way by being nominated for the FISU Gender Equality Champion Award and being appointed to serve on SASCOC’s Policy Development Commission.

“This shows that we have depth on

and off the field and I’d like to thank all the players, coaches and sports staff for their efforts and commitment to UWC sport,” he said.

UWC SPORTS COUNCIL CHAIRPERSON X-NITA STUURMAN congratulated the award

winners and said their achievements are proof that “you can do anything if you set your mind to it.”

She said, “We at UWC are so proud of your academic and sporting achievements, and thanks to everyone for working so hard and not giving up during these troubling times.”

B+G

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

25

RUGBY

VARSIT Y CUP

FANS, PLANS AND

MANY HANDS THE RECIPE FOR RUGBY SUCCESS

BY ROBIN ADAMS

T

HE YEAR PRECEDING

a Rugby World Cup is always a big one for players around the world, who strive to deliver their best performances because they want to be noticed by selectors. This is

26

BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 8 2022

pretty much top-of-mind for UWC’s rugby players in the Varsity Cup this season. With growing media interest and a significant spike in television viewership, it was their time to haal uit en wys. First-team coach Paul Treu explains what this means for his players. “It is such a great opportunity

for players to impress the franchise teams. Next year we have the World Cup, and these guys want to go all out and make an impression on those coaches and try and secure a professional contract, like some of our other players did last year.”

THERE’S AN ADDED INCENTIVE THIS YEAR.

The return of supporters, albeit a reduced number, means players heard the roar of adoring fans in the stadiums again.

“It’s one of the things we missed for the last two-and-a-half years,” says Treu. “Living and playing in a bubble was tough, with a quick turnaround in games and no spectators. And it is just awesome to be back at UWC in the Operation Room.

“The guys have been looking forward to playing in front of their home crowd and have their fellow students cheer them on.”

There’s been a lot of media attention on this squad of players but Treu is more impressed with their academic performances than their celebrity.

This year, the team boasts six players who have returned to complete postgraduate studies. Treu couldn’t be more proud.

He says, “Our priority has always been to prepare players for life after studies, and that is what we’ve always managed to do. The academic support has been excellent. We have so many players coming back for postgraduate studies.”

FIRST-TEAM CAPTAIN LYLE HENDRICKS

has registered to do his honours in business administration. “It’s an amazing opportunity which the university gave me. They gave me a bursary to study and I couldn’t say no to it. And it’s just amazing to further my studies while playing rugby at the same time. And meeting new people, including friends who have since turned into family.”

TREU AND HIS MANAGEMENT TEAM are

determined to get the best out of their players and staff dietician Carinne Adams is on hand to ensure there are no gatsby’s and masala steak sandwiches or sneaking in Friday night fish and chips parcels.

She says, “The biggest stumbling block is unlearning behaviour and habits advised by people who aren’t specialists in nutrition, like fitness instructors. And it is also changing mindsets and eating habits in terms of nutrition. Vegetables are important. Just getting a rugby player to eat a piece of broccoli has been difficult. We’ve changed some of those habits already. What I am hoping to achieve is growing a group of young men who want to perform better, but also change their lifestyle habits and make a lifetime commitment to eating nutritious meals. My role is to make sure the boys are refuelled, rehydrated and recover optimally.

The mood within the squad is amazing and there is a real brotherhood among the boys.

ANEESAH ADAMS

“THERE ARE MULTIPLE STEPS when it

comes to nutrition, but the main focus at UWC is to make sure they are offered nutritious and balanced meals. We are feeding their bodies for performance, whether it be on the field or for training.

“I physically prepare the meals myself with a team of interns from the UWC Dietetics Department. We cook for the boys on training days and game days. I make sure they have a balanced meal with proper hydration and I keep track that they are on course for their nutrition profiles and the positions they play.”

SPORTS ADMINISTRATORS’ ASSISTANT

and Young Guns manager, Aneesah Adams, says, “The mood within the squad is amazing and there is a real brotherhood among the boys.”

Skipper Hendricks agrees. “The team spirit and energy are high. And with fans being allowed back and playing at our home stadium after more than a year, it adds that extra motivation for the players. The performances come out when there is a crowd. We’re excited about the challenge ahead of us this season.

The beauty of the Varsity Cup is that you’re exposed to so many scouts and agents, that you don’t know where you might land up. The boys are excited about this tournament and playing their best. Their ambitions are obviously to reach the next level of rugby.”

THE PRIORITY RIGHT NOW is staying in the Varsity Cup. Unlike last year, relegation looms. The points from last season will be added to this year’s tally and the two worst-performing teams will be out of the competition. Treu and his talented team are going all-out to avoid that fate. B+G

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

27

EMERGING SPORT

W AT E R P O LO

NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED

BY ROBIN ADAMS

W 28

ATER POLO has been described as the toughest sport in the world. A sometimes brutal combination

BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 8 2022

of strength, stamina, speed and endurance, the sport first debuted in the United States in the late 19th century.

Few would have predicted the speed with which it would take off globally.

IN SOUTH AFRICA, however, a country obsessed with football, cricket and rugby, where the majority of the population have little access to basic amenities, let alone a swimming pool, the aquatic discipline has long been fighting for recognition. Water polo only made an appearance at the University of the Western Cape in the last few years and is still a workin-progress. One of the star players is Chad Roman, a self-confessed water polo nut, having been involved with the sport for nearly 15 years.

After narrowly missing out on the rescheduled Tokyo Games last year,

men’s side. With regards to it being a rather exclusive sport, he says: “I think we are on the move towards inclusivity where disadvantaged schools will be able to play water polo, with the various resources that are given to them.”

Raffie says they can build a formidable squad on campus too.

“The goal is to create awareness and recruit players and make UWC known for water polo as well. That is what we are striving towards. Building upon the existing resources.”

Water polo is a great way to stay fit and make new friends on campus.

CHAD ROMAN

“As one of the players in the national setup, I always try and share my experience and knowledge of the game to cultivate and improve all the players involved with UWC water polo. I always try and encourage those that are more advanced to join the league as it is a way for them to get regular fixtures and further improve their game.” he’s working towards qualification for Paris 2024. As first-team captain and coach, Roman is hard at work promoting the sport on campus.

“We’re in a building phase at the moment,” he explains. “We suffered quite a blow with COVID-19 restrictions and difficulties with pool access. Right now we are trying to grow and promote water polo and welcome players of all skill levels to come and try out, those that have played at high school or those who are comfortable in the water. It’s a great way to stay fit and make new friends on campus.

AASHIQ RAFFIE from East London is a

final-year social work student at UWC and another star water polo player.

His passion for the sport dates back to Grade 4.

“It was love at first sight when I saw what it was about,” he recalls. “I just enjoy the whole dynamic of the game.

It really showcased itself to me. Water polo as a whole creates friendships because you bond with your teammates. You learn to understand their style of play and what they are about as well.” Raffie has represented Border and also played for the SA

ROMAN MEANWHILE DREAMS BIG. He says,

“In five years’ time, I hope to see both the men’s and women’s teams from UWC compete at top events like USSA (University Sport South Africa). We’d also love to see UWC have teams in the local league to give our players a chance to train and play matches all year round and also an opportunity for our top players to try out for the national side for events like the World Student Games. [We should] also establish a culture where UWC is hosting matches at our lovely venue and the students, alumni, family members and people who are keen to watch come and support our teams.”

DERICK ORDERSON, the head of the

aquatics programme at UWC, is 100% on board. “For now, we’ll participate by arranging friendly matches against other institutions and clubs, just to get things started. But the idea is to make it viable for players to compete at a league level.”

Roman adds, “I’ve coached at Pinelands for the last few years and it is one of UWC’s big feeder schools with regard to water polo. So it’s also about building a relationship there as it is important to encourage and motivate those learners to continue their studies, but also progress to varsity polo and take their game to the next level. I hope we can expand on this as the feeding system is big and we need more players to choose UWC to study and play polo.” B+G

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Annual Golf Day Fundraiser 2022

I N V I TAT I O N

DATE: VENUE: FORMAT: TEE-OFF TIME: COST:

Tuesday, 2nd August 2022 Killarney Country Club, Johannesburg Four-Ball Better Ball Stableford 11:00am R6 600 per four-ball (incl. VAT and R4 000 donation)

PLATINUM SPONSORSHIP – R100 000 • Acknowledgement as the platinum sponsor of the event • Company logo on all event promotional material for website, radio, digital and print advertising • 2 four-ball entries • Opportunity to address the attendees at the prize-giving event • Sponsorship of one watering hole • Personal recognition from our Rector at the prize-giving presentation • Display of company signage at the clubhouse (exclusive) • Exhibition table at the clubhouse or Hole 1 (exclusive)

SECONDARY SPONSORSHIP – R60 000 • Acknowledgement as a secondary sponsor, i.e. radio, digital and website advertising • Watering hole exhibition of your choice, excluding Hole 1 • Recognition from our Rector at the prize-giving event • 2 four-ball entries

PRIMARY SPONSORSHIP – R36 000 • Four-ball entry • Watering hole exhibition FOUR-BALL ENTRY – R6 600 per team • Tee-off at Hole 1 or 10 • Watering hole exhibition WATERING HOLE EXHIBITION – R7 200 • Watering hole exhibition of your choice PRIZE SPONSORSHIP Two similar prizes. Voluntary monetary contributions are welcome. We will acknowledge and receipt your donation (accompanied by an 18A tax certificate).

FA C I L I T Y

UPGRADE

HISTORIC VIP ROOM ENHANCED BY UPGRADE

BY LYNDON JULIUS

T

HE NEWLY UPGRADED UWC STADIUM, aka the

‘Operation Room’, has hosted many prestigious sports events for more than three decades.

As importantly, it had a unique association with non-racial sport and the anti-apartheid struggle.

After initially rejecting sport at ‘bush colleges’ in principle, SACOS (South African Council on Sport), the organisation that led the

struggle against apartheid in sport, was persuaded by sportspeople themselves that UWC’s involvement in sport in black communities and its students’ consistent activism placed the institution clearly on the side of non-racialism.

Many UWC athletes, administrators and teams were also active in the organisation of non-racial sport, including Brian O’Connell, an extremely talented Western Cape cricketer who later became Vice-Chancellor, and the

stadium became a base for several sports codes after apartheid.

The VIP section was built when the stadium was completed in the mid-1980s and it was never upgraded apart from minor touch-ups.

Glen Bentley, UWC Sport Administration Support Services Manager, is well pleased with the newly renovated and upgraded VIP and entertainment area.

“This has been something that we are all very proud of,” notes Bentley. >

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FA C I L I T Y

UPGRADE

“We upgraded the playing surface, and we now have a VIP section that matches our world-class playing field.

This will allow the administrators and UWC sports clubs to continue to excel, not only on the field but also when they need to host their counterparts and esteemed sporting leaders.”

AMONG THE IMPROVEMENTS to the VIP

section are three high-definition bigscreen televisions with a connected sound system that were installed to allow away games and events to be watched in style and comfort. A

new outside staircase allows guests direct access rather than using the potentially confusing older staircase that leads to both the Venue Operation Centre (VOC) and VIP/media section.

ANDREW WRANKMORE has been a UWC

sports administrator since 1987 and witnessed the growth of UWC Sports along with the physical expansion of sports facilities and amenities over the last thirty years. He says the newly upgraded section has its own interesting history that had nothing to do with VIPs.

Wrankmore says, “The facility has often been used for our staff meetings, and at times other departments used it for functions, workshops and important presentations.” Wrankmore added proudly, “At one stage, the room was used to house student athletes who had accommodation issues.”

BOTH BENTLEY AND WRANKMORE NOTED

that one person who would have been very proud of the developments and upgrade to the VIP section at the UWC Stadium was their mentor and sports administrator, Edwin Wyngaard, who unfortunately passed on in 2021. Wrankmore and Bentley worked with Wyngaard for many years and say his personality and organising ability particularly suited him to hosting VIPs in the room.

“Mr Wyngaard was perfect as the gentleman host of VIPs for Varsity Sport and Varsity Cup events. He loved socialising, was an amazing people person, and he conducted himself as a VIP. He set the required high standards for the treatment of important guests for the rest of the administrators,” says Wrankmore, describing Wyngaard as a “perfect administrator”.

“IT WAS MR WYNGAARD’S THING,”

agrees Bentley, “to host people and important guests. There were many events and functions where he would be the one to take the lead. He would no doubt have been proud of this beautiful facility.” B+G

We now have a VIP section that matches our world-class playing field.

GLEN BENTLEY

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SPORT AND

H E A LT H S C I E N C E S

MEET THE TEAM AT UWC’S

HIGH-PERFORMANCE CENTRE

BY FATIMA AHMED

U

WC RECENTLY OPENED

the doors to its first High-Performance Centre (HPC). The team appointed to deliver the multidisciplinary project has a wealth of experience in sports and health sciences. The project is headed by Dr Barry Andrews. Brent Hess, the current physiotherapist at

the HPC, has been involved with the project since it began and took on the role of overseeing all the logistical issues, including space allocation and the high-quality equipment required for the gym. Prevention and management of sporting injuries are key services offered by an HPC. Now that the HPC is up and running, Hess, who has a Master’s in Physiotherapy

and is busy with his PhD at UWC, will focus on physiotherapy and treating patients as needed. Robyn Phillips has joined the team as a second physiotherapist to help with the workload and adds a great deal of experience with women’s netball among other codes. Hess also brings considerable experience of working with teams at high performance levels. >

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SPORT AND

H E A LT H S C I E N C E S

KEENAN WATSON, who has just completed his undergraduate degree at UWC in Sport Science, was also one of the team’s early members.

Having run a successful gym of his own, Watson understands exactly what a high-performance gym requires. Watson is the current strength and conditioning specialist, which means he focuses on different performance traits such as speed, agility, endurance, power, strength and flexibility. Watson is involved in the planning, monitoring and management of these performance traits to help the athletes improve while ensuring they avoid injury as far as possible.

ANGELO NELSON contributes a lot of

experience from private practice in the field of biokinetics. The biokineticist’s role is to apply clinical exercise therapies to improve the athletes’ physical condition for

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both preventative and rehabilitation purposes. Because a high workload in this discipline is expected, Kirsten Muller joined as a second biokineticist.

Muller has already “come in and done some good things”, says Dr Andrews.

Nutrition is of vital importance in sport, so UWC brought in dietician Carrine Adams, who is pursuing her Master’s at UWC. Good nutrition has been shown to enhance an athlete’s performance and Adams will ensure that all the athletes that she attends

PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF SPORTING INJURIES ARE KEY SERVICES OFFERED BY AN HPC.

to will receive advice on how to follow meal plans that meet their unique needs and provide the vitamins, minerals and protein required to keep them fit and healthy.

COMPLETING THE TEAM is sports medical doctor Dr Janesh Ganda who is available on contract when needed by the team. He has extensive experience with sports-related injuries having served as team physician to several prominent teams, including the Women Springboks, Boland Cavaliers and junior Springboks, and as a consultant to Varsity Sports, Goliath Gaming (e-sports) and Western Cape Tornado’s (netball).

MOST OF THE STAFF APPOINTED were inhouse personnel and it was a pleasing reflection of the depth of skills across the relevant disciplines at UWC that augers well for the HPC. B+G

ADVANCING

NEW KNOWLEDGE

Professor Josè Frantz, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation

RESEARCH INNOVATION W

THROUGH SPORT

WHEN THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN

CAPE (UWC) unveiled its 2016 – 2020 Institutional Operating Plan (IOP), a global pandemic was the last thing the institution’s management expected to contend with in the final year of the plan’s roll-out. >

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ADVANCING

NEW KNOWLEDGE

Yet, despite the challenges that universities faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UWC remained committed to increasing “its capacity to produce and advance new knowledge” through research that would lead to innovation.

thereby maintaining its outputs.

However, the inability of students and staff to collect data during different stages of the pandemic restrictions “delayed the finalisation of many projects”, says Prof Frantz.

RESEARCH IN SPORT was also affected.

THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH of the university’s High-Performance Centre (HPC) in January 2022 is one example of how research led UWC to establish a world-class centre for athletes at the institution.

“Sport was identified as a priority at UWC during the time of our relations with VLIR [the Flemish Interuniversity Council], which led to the establishment of our Interdisciplinary Centre for Sport Science and Development (ICSSD) in 2009. The aim was to make an impact on sport at UWC, nationally and internationally,” explains Prof Josè Frantz, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation.

IN 2017, Prof Frantz asked Brent

Hess, a physiotherapist and manager of the centre, and Keenan Watson, a performance specialist and sports scientist at the HighPerformance Unit, to investigate the level of institutional expertise on high performance in sport required to enable student-athletes to optimise their performance. Their investigation included visits to local and international high-performance centres to learn more about their structure and services. Thanks to Watson and Hess’s groundwork, UWC’s newly unveiled HPC offers sport-specific training, strength and conditioning, nutrition, physiotherapy, biokinetics, and sport psychology services to student athletes.

UNIVERSITIES were particularly hard hit with regard to research and innovation over the last two years.

UWC responded by implementing objective measures of looking at research output and publications,

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“Contact with athletes was limited while access to gyms and training spaces were restricted, and this ultimately impacted the effect the centre could have on high performance among UWC athletes and sports personnel,” Prof Frantz says. Despite these challenges, research and innovation at UWC maintained the upward trend of the past decade that saw the number of NRF-rated researchers increase from 65 in 2010 to 160 in 2020, and the number of SARChI research chairs increase from 3 in 2010 to 18 in 2018. The proportion of permanent academic staff with PhDs rose to 59% in 2018, among the highest of South Africa’s 26 public universities.

“We have provided additional support to researchers across the spectrum. Early career researchers are supported to complete their PhDs and mid-career researchers to expand their networks, while we are growing the number of leading researchers in faculties,” she says.

PROF FRANTZ says innovation has

also become part of UWC’s overall “social responsibility” focus. In 2021, the institution formed a social innovation partnership with Samsung that culminated in the development of the institution’s Future Innovation Lab where learners are trained to develop apps.

“This has seen us provide young people with employment opportunities and digital and social innovation skills for the job market.

“With the new IOP, we will build on our successes but aim to provide more opportunities for innovation by developing a UWC Innovation Fund to kick-start research. We would also like

to move our mid-career researchers to the next level and have created

UWC’S FOCUS ON RESEARCH AND INNOVATION EXTENDS FAR BEYOND THE SPORTS ENVIRONMENT. In 2017, the institution received R35 million from the NRF Strategic Research Equipment Programme to support the Gamma-ray Spectrometer for Knowledge in Africa (GAMKA) project, developing a “ball of detectors with high-end capabilities for gamma radiation” to study a “wide range of nuclear properties and phenomena” and contribute to the nuclear physics and nuclear astrophysics fields.

UWC has also recently developed economically significant innovations in the exciting field of bioscience, says Prof Frantz.

“During the last IOP, we were able to create our first spin-off company, Hyrax BioScience, moving research from an idea to innovation to industry.”

16o

NRF-RATED RESEARCHERS INCREASED FROM 65 IN 2010 TO 160 IN 2020

internal UWC Research Chairs to drive this. These are but a few examples of what we will be doing in the next IOP in general and as it pertains to sport,” says Prof Frantz. B+G

VENUE

O P E R AT I N G C E N T R E

VOC ENSURING SPECTATOR SAFETY

BY LYNDON JULIUS

S

PORT IN SOUTH AFRICA has been

severely impacted

by COVID-19 lockdown regulations and restrictions being enforced on sports events. The return of sports matches in the country was accompanied by many changes to what was perceived as the norm, not the least being events held with no spectators allowed inside the stadium or near the sports field. UWC Sport used

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this lockdown period to upgrade the playing surface and transform the VIP/Media section of the UWC Stadium into a world-class facility that will allow us to welcome and host amateur, semi-pro and even professional teams. The playing surface has been upgraded to meet the FIFA standards for professional football matches. Along with these changes, the Venue Operating Centre (VOC), which acts as the control centre for stadium events, was also upgraded. Glen Bentley, UWC Sport

Administration Support Services Manager and manager of the UWC Athletics Club, manages the UWC long-distance and marathon athletes. Bentley knows all too well the key roles played by the VOC and its importance to the athletes, players, coaches, management and even the vaccinated supporters who are now allowed to attend the sporting events.

“The VOC is a very important part of every home game and also events that UWC hosts in and around the sports facilities,” Bentley says. “There are so many things that need to be in place and with COVID also thrown into the mix, all possible scenarios must be considered when it comes to safety,” Bentley says.

UNSEEN BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC and student spectators, a lot of effort and energy are invested in ensuring a sports event is played in a safe, controlled environment. Bentley says, “The police will send a senior police officer well in advance of when the event is being staged so that we can get the correct grading in terms of safety and the size of the event. The police will do the grading of the event and based on this grading, a certificate will be issued which will then activate the next role-players. The ambulance and medical emergency response teams are set up as well. We have security personnel in and around the stadium, over and above the everyday campus security staff.

“WE DO NOT PLAY AROUND WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE’S SAFETY. All these

are put in place so that when an incident happens, for example, a section of the stadium collapses, plans for evacuation and exit points are already laid out and every

role-player is aware of their duties during a catastrophic event.

“Security cameras are streamed to the VOC where the police and security company representatives and myself will keep an eye on the camera feed to try and pick up on anything out of the ordinary and hopefully be proactive enough to prevent anyone from being harmed.

“It is always great when the VOC at the UWC Stadium is running so smoothly and effectively. But I do want to encourage everyone attending live sport or any event for that matter, to be on the lookout for anything suspicious that might cause harm to those in the stadium. Even if they see a part of the structure [building] that looks like it could break or crash, report it immediately.

in an age where everything goes on social media first before being reported, and I do understand that, but reporting something before thinking of making it ‘go viral’ could just save someone’s life.”

Bentley urges spectators to always be vigilant and mindful of keeping themselves and the next person safe, to again enjoy the live sport we have been deprived of attending for so long. B+G

We do not play around when it comes to people’s safety.

GLEN BENTLEY

“I WANT EVERYONE TO ENJOY LIVE SPORTS, especially those who will be enjoying it here at the newly upgraded Operation Room. We live

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DANCE

SPORT

THE JOY OF

DANCE

BY LYNNE RIPPENAAR-MOSES

DANCESPORT is one of the most successful sports codes at UWC. Since 2007, the DanceSport Club has consistently been crowned the overall winners of the University Sports South Africa (USSA) DanceSport tournament.

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photograph PEXELS-PIXABAY-270789

T

HE CLUB ALSO RECEIVED THE TOP CLUB AWARD

at the UWC Annual Sports Awards in 2007, 2010 and 2016.

One of the reasons for the club’s success is Cheslin Paris, the head coach of the club. Starting in 2006 when he was a first-year law student, Paris began training dancers at UWC under the guidance of former UWC Director of Sport, Ilhaam Groenewald, and the Sports Administrator, the late Edwin Wyngaard. Paris is now responsible for the recruitment, selection and development of dancesport athletes at UWC. THE CLUB OFFERS competitive ballroom

and Latin American disciplines.

Members can learn dance styles such as the waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, slow foxtrot and the quickstep, as well as the Latin American styles – the samba, cha-cha, rumba, paso doble and jive. In competitive dancesport, couples compete against each other simultaneously and are placed in order of merit by a panel of adjudicators. Placings are calculated using the ‘skating system’. This system uses formulae based on majorities to determine a winner.

“I have been involved in this sport for 28 years. Even though I have retired from competitive dancing, I spend most of my days coaching, judging competitions and serving on dancesport administration boards,” says Paris, who holds multiple provincial and national championship titles and is also a qualified judge and coach. As a student dancer between 2007 and 2010, he won 19 gold medals and one silver medal at the USSA Championships.

PARIS SAYS dancing, like other sports, has

physical, mental and social benefits.

“It improves cardiovascular health, flexibility, leads to increased energy, better coordination, strength and balance, and helps with weight loss,” explains Paris.

“It is good for mental health as it can improve an individual’s mood, while moving and performing can ease depression and anxiety and help to minimise stress. It is also a good way to protect your memory function as you get older, because dancers must constantly remember routines and techniques. Individuals also develop social and soft skills, and self-confidence.”

in dancing once they graduated.

Unlike major sporting codes like rugby, cricket and soccer where sportspeople can build lucrative careers, dancing does not provide sustainable career opportunities.

The sport is still heavily underfunded and companies and sponsors are not lining up to fund high-performing athletes and dance-related projects,” explains Paris.

PARIS HAS PRODUCED hundreds of talented dancesport champions at UWC, including recently deceased Adrienne Galagatsi, who was the club’s sports administrator.

“Adrienne joined the dance club with the first intake of dancers we enrolled in 2006. She developed her dancing to an advanced level, winning numerous medals and trophies for the club over the years. This earned her a spot in the UWC DanceSport Hall of Fame,” says Paris.

“Being a dancer herself, Adrienne understood the needs of a dancer.

She went out of her way to ensure that no dancer was left behind – whether it be due to a lack of finances, transport, the ability to take leave from school or work or other obligations that prevented an athlete from participating in an event. She created job opportunities for dancers to earn some money to invest in their sport and to assist with their financial obligations. She fought for dance to receive the same benefits afforded to other codes and for the club’s sporting achievements to be recognised,” explains Paris.

MANY DANCERS are also expected to

perform and work for “exposure” while other professional sportspeople are paid full salaries to play their sport. Paris says, “It thus makes sense that dancers explore other career opportunities after they graduate to ensure that they have sustainable careers when they leave the dance school.”

Dancing improves social and soft skills, including self-confidence.

CHESLIN PARIS

“IN THE PAST, DANCE WAS CONSIDERED A RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY. Now it has been elevated to the status of a sporting code with its own budget. The club will never be the same without her.

“In my years of teaching dance at UWC, hundreds of dancers came through the doors who had very successful dance careers and achieved academically. But very few progressed to building a career

Anyone wishing to pursue a career in dance or join UWC’s DanceSport Club may contact Leah Brown on WhatsApp at 081 509 4845.

Training sessions take place in the Dance Hall at the UWC Stadium on Mondays and Wednesdays at 16h30 for beginner classes and at 17h30 for advanced classes. B+G

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IN

MEMORIAM

ADRIENNE

GALAGATSI 1987–2022

f

42

OREVER IN OUR HEARTS

BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 8 2022

THE LOSS OF A

REAL TROUPER

BY GASANT ABARDER

Thank you for blossoming as a student, a leader, an athlete, a volunteer and an activist.

ILHAAM GROENEWALD

IN JANUARY THIS YEAR, WE BID FAREWELL TO A SPECIAL AND MUCH-LOVED COLLEAGUE.

T

HE CAMPUS COMMUNITY

initially knew her as Adrian Haynes but now remember her in death as Adrienne Galagatsi. Adrienne was one of the first people you would encounter at the Sport Administration wing of the UWC Sports Centre. Her infectious laugh and her willingness to always find a solution to a challenge while the university was hard at work preparing to host a sporting event endeared her to many colleagues across the campus.

BUT THAT BROAD SMILE hid much pain

and heartache. Adrienne was one of us and we embraced her journey to becoming a transgender woman.

Outside the boundaries of the university campus, however, the rest of society was not as accepting.

Many who work and study at the University of the Western Cape knew only a dedicated individual who gave everything for the sake of UWC Sport’s success. To the outside world, Adrienne was an activist, a trailblazer, a dear friend and a woman with a heart of gold.

AT A POWERFUL AND POIGNANT memorial service hosted by UWC on 24 January 2022 at the Proteaville Recreation Centre in Bellville South, several of Adrienne’s mentors, peers and colleagues as well as those who spent time with her off-campus spoke of her impact on the different worlds she occupied. Many of her work colleagues and the students she mentored didn’t know of her prowess in the LGBQTI+ community. After winning a major Miss Gay Western Cape pageant she used her platform as an activist to support those who were being ‘othered’ because they were considered different.

UWC DIRECTOR OF SPORT, Mandla Gagayi, told the audience: “All of us at Sport had wonderful relationships with Adrienne.

She was always the centre of attention at all of our functions, whether on the road to an end-of-year function or organising the sport awards.

“I don’t know how many times we had shed tears in my office. None of those tears were for work. They were tears because Adrienne was struggling with many things in her >

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IN

MEMORIAM

be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”

ADRIENNE’S MENTOR and the former UWC Director of Sport, Ilhaam Groenewald, said she was more than a colleague but rather a dear friend.

“Thank you for blossoming as a student, a leader, an athlete, a volunteer and an activist. Most importantly, thank you for honouring your queen, your late mom, because you are with her now. Thank you for making choices that made you happy – even when you went through a tough time,” said Groenewald.

LIBERTY MATTHYSE, a transgender woman who represented Gender DynamiX and was a friend of Adrienne’s, told the gathering: “Indeed we are part of something much bigger.

She was a leader, an ambassador and a great contributor in the fields of sport and higher education.

LIBERTY MATTHYSE

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life. She was good about asking for help (at work). But there were circumstances that sometimes pushed her to fight her struggles on her own,” said Gagayi.

ALLUDING TO ADRIENNE’S STRUGGLE for

acceptance, Gagayi quoted from the Book of Matthew, Chapter Seven, Verses 1 to 3: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will

“AS A TRANSGENDER WOMAN myself, how many of us find ourselves in a world that keeps turning away from our existence? Sometimes in overt and harsh ways. Sometimes in covert and subtle ways. Then we must go back and make sense of it and ask, ‘Are we part of the bigger picture?’

“She was a leader, an ambassador and a great contributor in the fields of sport and higher education. This was groundbreaking. I don’t think the sports department knows how lucky you were to have her in a discipline such as sport that contests our belonging consistently.”

ADRIENNE TOUCHED MANY LIVES at UWC

and beyond – and not only in sport.

She will be fondly remembered for her excellent contributions in dancesport, netball, the UWC Varsity Cup rugby campaigns and in many other areas as a student, sports administrator and activist.

REST IN PEACE, GALLA. YOU MAY BE GONE FROM OUR SIGHT BUT NEVER FROM OUR HEARTS.

B+G

SPORT

TITLE

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45

FROM THE

SPORTS COUNCIL

A new year means new opportunities to do better, be better and pursue greatness.

X-NITA STUURMAN, CHAIRPERSON, UWC SPORTS COUNCIL

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IT HAS BEEN AN HONOUR! X-NITA STUURMAN, SPORTS COUNCIL CHAIRPERSON

WE ALWAYS HEAR people saying ‘new

year, new goals, new me’. But I want to challenge everyone to rather say ‘new year, let’s pick up where we left off and continue pursuing the dreams and goals we set for ourselves’. A new year means new opportunities to do better, be better and pursue greatness.

As the outgoing chairperson of the Sports Council, I am so grateful to be sending you this message. May this year be filled with love and happiness.

THE SPORTS COUNCIL would like to

especially welcome the freshmen and the new student-athletes. We wish each and every person at UWC all the best for 2021 and extend our congratulations to the 2022 graduates.

AS WE LOOK BACK ON 2021, we faced many challenges due to the pandemic and lost loved ones. I would like to send my sincere condolences to everyone who lost a loved one last year. We would like to take this time to thank all staff members who worked so hard to make remote learning possible and for enabling students to participate in sports last year. We commend you for your hard work as well as your families for allowing you to make this possible. We salute you.

I think we can truly say that we had a good year of accomplishments and successes. Congratulations to all the sports codes that participated last year during the pandemic. We are so proud of you for working so hard and coming so far. I think that it is always a major accomplishment to be able

to go out and play and come back to your responsibilities, which include academic work. It has been an honour to watch you all do this.

NOW, ON TO BUSINESS! To our students

and student athletes, let’s work hard!

Do those assignments and tutorials, you won’t regret it when you see your CAM at the end of the semester.

Academics will always be first. Try your best to keep it that way. It’s a new year to work even harder and give your best. Don’t give up as you won’t regret it once you get the reward.

Work hard and train even harder.

X-NITA STUURMAN

AS I SAY MY GOODBYES to one of the best

universities, I would like to encourage those starting their journeys at UWC. I always say work hard and train even harder. With patience, you will never go wrong when you work hard. Learn and listen, as you can learn from every person you meet. Thank you UWC, UWC Sports, our amazing staff and Mr Gagayi. I will not forget you.

REMEMBER TO WEAR YOUR MASK and keep

safe for yourself and your family. And please go and support our boytjies!

Good luck gents! B+G

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CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF

FORWARD THINKING HIGHER LEARNING VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE: WWW.UWC.AC.ZA