{"id":306194,"date":"2026-03-11T14:58:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T12:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T16:53:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:53:50","slug":"teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/","title":{"rendered":"Teams bound to improve as tournament enters\u00a0the\u00a0crucial stage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BLOEMFONTEIN<\/strong> – The Shimlas, the men’s rugby team of the University of the Free State (UFS), are under pressure to improve their position in the Varsity Cup tournament and secure a slot in the semifinals. The Kovsie lads are among the potential semifinalists, but need at least two wins to advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They are in a stiff contest with the Maties of Stellenbosch University (SU) and the University of Johannesburg (UJ). All three are tied at 11 points after four tournament rounds. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Shimlas find themselves in a predicament following a 34 \u2013 45 loss to the second-place Eagles of the North-West University (NWU) in the round-four match played on Monday 9 March. This was the Shimlas’ second loss following their 22 \u2013 38 defeat inflicted by the University of Pretoria (UP-Tuks) two weeks ago.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Going into round five of the competition on Monday 16 March, the Shimlas are looking for a tie-break win that will improve their prospects to qualify for the semifinals. The important win could be at the expense of the UJ in a fixture that is equally important for both sides. The crucial match will be played in Johannesburg.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\nHope Seyaga of the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, during a match against the University of Pretoria (UP) on 9 March. PHOTO: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The Shimlas’ two remaining matches are against the Ikeys Tigers of the University of Cape Town (UCT) in Bloemfontein on 23 March, with their last match away against Emeris (formerly Varsity College) on 30 March.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With just two rounds to go to end this year’s competition, bottom-ranking teams like the Ixias of the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, are compelled to avoid relegation. They are yet to record a win in the competition, leaving them sitting second from the bottom of the log table with a mere two points. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their poor run saw them lose 17 \u2013 78 to the log-leading UP-Tuks in an away fixture, extending their losing streak to four. To escape the dreaded relegation, the Ixias boys are bound to win their three upcoming fixtures. They could start with fellow troubled opponent Emeris on 16 March in a match to be played in Durban. Their other two remaining matches are against UJ on 23 March, and then Maties on 30 March.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The going gets tough for teams in the rugby Varsity Cup as competition reaches a crucial stage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":306197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"57","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"30","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"3","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"[{\"keyword\":\"Varsity \",\"score\":81},{\"keyword\":\"Varsity \",\"score\":81},{\"keyword\":\"Varsity \",\"score\":81},{\"keyword\":\"Varsity \",\"score\":81}]","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"[\"\",\"Varsity \",\"Varsity \",\"Varsity \",\"Varsity \"]","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"22","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"1","article_feature_type":"normal","article_main_image_caption":"Hendrik Jacobus De Beer of the Shimlas (blue) tries to bulldoze his way through opposition defense Eagles of the North West University during Varsity Cup round four fixture played in Bloemfontein on Monday, 9 March. Photo supplied","article_media_icon":"1","article_template":"news","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"1","byline":"Teboo Setena","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"Teams must improve closer to crucial stage","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[""],"pongrass_image":["EXShimlas_P1|EXShimlas_P1"],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[22],"tags":[9324,9308,9061],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-306194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport","tag-cut-ixias","tag-shimlas","tag-varsity-cup"],"yoast_head":"\n
Teams bound to improve as tournament enters\u00a0the\u00a0crucial stage | BloemNews Express<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Teams bound to improve as tournament enters\u00a0the\u00a0crucial stage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The going gets tough for teams in the rugby Varsity Cup as competition reaches a crucial stage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BloemNews Express\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-11T12:58:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-31T14:53:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shimlas_70969-2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Teboho Setena\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Teboho Setena\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Teboho Setena\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/43a385fee12dd5baf7f0fb641c788185\"},\"headline\":\"Teams bound to improve as tournament enters\u00a0the\u00a0crucial stage\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-11T12:58:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T14:53:50+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":377,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Shimlas_70969-2.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"CUT Ixias\",\"Shimlas\",\"Varsity Cup\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Sport\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\\\/\",\"name\":\"Teams bound to improve as tournament enters\u00a0the\u00a0crucial stage | BloemNews Express\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Shimlas_70969-2.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-11T12:58:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T14:53:50+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Shimlas_70969-2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Shimlas_70969-2.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Sport\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/sport\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Teams bound to improve as tournament enters\u00a0the\u00a0crucial stage\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"BloemNuus\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"BloemNuus\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"BloemNuus\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/bloemnuus\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/bloemnuus\"],\"description\":\"BloemNews is a prominent newspaper in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province in South Africa. BloemNews serves the local community with coverage of regional news, events, and issues of interest. The newspaper provides updates on a variety of topics, including local politics, business, sports, and social matters, with a focus on the city and surrounding areas. Its publication is a reflection of Bloemfontein\u2019s vibrant community, catering to both English and Afrikaans-speaking readers. It also serves as an important platform for local advertising, businesses, and public announcements. In Bloemfontein, BloemNews is often considered a key source of information.\",\"email\":\"bloemnuus@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"051-4047600\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/43a385fee12dd5baf7f0fb641c788185\",\"name\":\"Teboho Setena\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Teboho Setena\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/author\\\/teboho-setena\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Teams bound to improve as tournament enters\u00a0the\u00a0crucial stage | BloemNews Express","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Teams bound to improve as tournament enters\u00a0the\u00a0crucial stage","og_description":"The going gets tough for teams in the rugby Varsity Cup as competition reaches a crucial stage","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/","og_site_name":"BloemNews Express","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/","article_published_time":"2026-03-11T12:58:12+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-31T14:53:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shimlas_70969-2.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Teboho Setena","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Teboho Setena","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/"},"author":{"name":"Teboho Setena","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/43a385fee12dd5baf7f0fb641c788185"},"headline":"Teams bound to improve as tournament enters\u00a0the\u00a0crucial stage","datePublished":"2026-03-11T12:58:12+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-31T14:53:50+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/"},"wordCount":377,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shimlas_70969-2.jpg","keywords":["CUT Ixias","Shimlas","Varsity Cup"],"articleSection":["Sport"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/","name":"Teams bound to improve as tournament enters\u00a0the\u00a0crucial stage | BloemNews Express","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shimlas_70969-2.jpg","datePublished":"2026-03-11T12:58:12+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-31T14:53:50+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shimlas_70969-2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shimlas_70969-2.jpg","width":1200,"height":800},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/teams-bound-to-improve-as-tournament-enters-the-crucial-stage\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Sport","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/sport\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Teams bound to improve as tournament enters\u00a0the\u00a0crucial stage"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/","name":"BloemNuus","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization","name":"BloemNuus","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"BloemNuus"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bloemnuus"],"description":"BloemNews is a prominent newspaper in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province in South Africa. BloemNews serves the local community with coverage of regional news, events, and issues of interest. The newspaper provides updates on a variety of topics, including local politics, business, sports, and social matters, with a focus on the city and surrounding areas. Its publication is a reflection of Bloemfontein\u2019s vibrant community, catering to both English and Afrikaans-speaking readers. It also serves as an important platform for local advertising, businesses, and public announcements. In Bloemfontein, BloemNews is often considered a key source of information.","email":"bloemnuus@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"051-4047600","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/43a385fee12dd5baf7f0fb641c788185","name":"Teboho Setena","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Teboho Setena"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/author\/teboho-setena\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shimlas_70969-2.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":306260,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/local-university-rugby-teams-shimlas-and-cuts-ixias-battle-inconsistency\/","url_meta":{"origin":306194,"position":0},"title":"Local university rugby teams, Shimlas and CUT’s Ixias battle inconsistency","author":"Teboho Setena","date":"19 March 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Local university men's rugby teams continue to navigate tough course","rel":"","context":"In "Sport"","block_context":{"text":"Sport","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/sport\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CKZ_9202_22586-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CKZ_9202_22586-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CKZ_9202_22586-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CKZ_9202_22586-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CKZ_9202_22586-2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":306065,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/shimlas-stun-maties-in-varsity-cup-curtain-raiser-in-bloemfontein\/","url_meta":{"origin":306194,"position":1},"title":"Shimlas stun Maties in Varsity Cup curtain-raiser in Bloemfontein","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"18 February 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"UFS Shimlas announced their intentions with brutal efficiency, attacking the five-time champions with a 21-point blitzkrieg in the opening quarter.","rel":"","context":"In "Sport"","block_context":{"text":"Sport","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/sport\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shimlas1_71434.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shimlas1_71434.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shimlas1_71434.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shimlas1_71434.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shimlas1_71434.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"BloemNews Express","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=306194"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306194\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":306196,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306194\/revisions\/306196"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/306197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=306194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=306194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=306194"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=306194"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=306194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CUTrugga_13057-2.jpg\")