BLOEMFONTEIN – The five-time champions of the Varsity Netball, the University of the Free State (UFS), suffered their first defeat while their local counterparts, the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, secured their first win in round four of this year’s edition of the competition.

The Kovsies lost narrowly (48 – 50) to arch-rivals and defending champions, the North-West University (NWU) Eagles, in a fierce rematch of last year’s final at the Callie Human Hall.

The UFS team went into this high-stakes fixture looking to avenge last year’s narrow loss of 49 – 57 to the Eagles in the final at the same venue. However, the visiting Eagles replicated their stunning performance when they dethroned the UFS 57 – 49 — crushing the Kovsies’ prospects of a sixth title. The NWU players stood firm in the last segment of the match played yesterday, holding off the hosts until the final whistle.

The win propelled them to third spot on the log with 12 points, while the result left the Kovsies still in second place with 13 points, behind the leading University of Johannesburg (UJ) – the only undefeated team in the tournament. The Gauteng side boasts 16 points at the top and will put their clean record on the line against the UFS in the upcoming round five of the series, to take place at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) Sports Hall on Sunday 6 September.

The CUT fought gallantly to record their first-ever win, beating the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) Madibaz 41 – 36 in a match that was a must-win for both, given they were desperate to end their losing streak. Led by Martha Mosoahle-Samm, the CUT now boasts five points while hoping to consolidate their standing on the log in the remaining fixtures of the series. The Eastern Cape team remain winless at the bottom of the log.

With the competition in its crucial phase, powerhouses are tightening their grip as they target semifinal berths. Following the completion of round four of the series staged in Bloemfontein, favourites include defending champions the Eagles, last year’s runner-up the UFS, UJ and the University of Pretoria (UP-Tuks), as well as Wits.

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