BLOEMFONTEIN – It was so close, yet so far for the University of the Free State (UFS) netball team as a sixth Varsity Netball title eluded them after their heartbreaking 54 – 57 loss to the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in the semifinal on Monday 21 September at the Callie Human Hall.

Luck did not favour the Kovsies as they were unable to fully exploit the advantage of playing at home when it mattered most in extra time of the fiercely contested fixture.

The five-time champions UFS targeted a sixth title as the perfect fairytale farewell gift for the Kovsies’ outgoing and longest-serving mentor, Burta de Kock. She is retiring at the end of the year after a milestone career spanning more than two decades. The internationally respected coach has guided the team to five titles from seven finals in the Varsity Netball competition.

De Kock’s legacy includes winning the coveted trophy in the inaugural edition in 2013 and successful defence in 2014.

The UFS had hoped to atone in this edition, having finished as runners-up last year after losing 49 – 57 to defending champions North-West University (NWU) Eagles. The holders will face UJ in the grand final on Monday 28 September at the NWU Mafikeng Great Hall, following their narrow 52 – 50 win against the University of Pretoria (UP-Tuks) in the other semifinal played in North West.

The UJ team is chasing their maiden trophy while the Eagles are searching for their fourth title and have won it two times on a trot – 2015 and 2016.

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