The University of the Free State’s (UFS) women’s netball team dream for their fifth Varsity Netball title lives on. A berth in the semifinals taking place on Monday, 30 September, has brought them within reach.
Victory in the semifinal fixture will place them on the cusp of a historic fifth championship title.
The final is scheduled for Monday, 7 October. The Kovsies earned themselves one of four slots in the semifinal slots with emphatic wins against the University of Pretoria (UP-Tuks), 67 – 49 and 112-9 over lackluster Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in round six and seven of the tournament matches played in the Callie Human Hall at the UFS on Sunday, 22 September. The
Kovsie ladies exploited their home-ground advantage.
Among the four semifinalists is the University of Johannesburg (UJ), who suffered their first defeat, 48-56 against cross-town rivals, UP-Tuks in round seven of the competition. The UJ ladies impressive run in the competition makes them the favourites to win this year’s edition of the competition, and earn their first-ever Varsity Netball trophy.
Besides the players’ ability, the Kovsie team will further rely on their vastly experienced coach, Burta de Kock in pursue for fifth title. This member of the World Netball Coaching Advisory Panel (CAP) has been instrumental in the UFS’ historic netball feat, winning mostly gold medals in the Varsity Netball and University Sports South Africa (USSA) tournaments.
Burta de Kock, leading Kovsie netball women’s team to fifth title
Having led the Kovsie team to their inaugural championship in 2013, the influential De Kock’s aspires to continue their success by winning this year’s trophy and inspiring her new breed of future coaches – the current Kovsie assistant coaches Karla Pretorius and Khanyisa Chawane.
The pair have been equally instrumental in the Kovsie players’ achievement and also that of the Proteas netball team.
