With the last round-robin matches of the 2024 Varsity Netball tournament set to take place at the Callie Human Hall in Bloemfontein on Sunday, 22 September and Monday, 23 September, UFS Kovsies are ready to dish up something special in front of their home crowd.
Traditionally packed to capacity, the Callie Human’s electric atmosphere adds an extra layer of excitement for the team, says Protea and assistant coach, Karla Pretorius.
“The support we get from our fans is like having an eight player on the court.”
Protea captain and assistant coach Khanyisa Chawane, KC for short, agrees. “There’s nothing like the energy from the crowd, it pushes us to give our best.”
Captain of the Kovsies team, Refiloe Nketsa, says the home support means everyhing to the players. “It’s an honour to play in front of our home crowd.”
Kovsies have one foot in the semi-final thanks to their position in the top four on the log. Not that they plan to lift their foot from the pedal, on the contrary, they thrive under pressure as the team believes it’s the fuel that drives them.
On the court, they’re not just playing to win, they are playing to build a lasting legacy. With a record of four Varsity Netball titles, former national coaches at the helm and a high-performance environment, the Kovsies are primed for another thrilling Varsity Netball campaign.
Pretorius says she is excited to watch the younger players rise to the occasion.
“I cannot wait to see what they achieve in the future.”
According to KC, this Kovsies team has the potential to make history with any of the players who could one day wear the Protea jersey.
“Our athletes are motivated by pressure. We prepare them not just to handle it, but to thrive because of it. It’s not about avoiding pressure but using it to sharpen our focus.”
This takes a lot of training and on the UFS campus, every session is held in a high-performance environment. The training camps on campus take a holistic approach, mirroring the professional demands of national-level competition.
“It’s about passing the torch to the next generation, we want them to carry forward the legacy of Kovsie netball,” says KC.
Nketsa believes the team’s preparation goes beyond drills and strategies.
“Our training camps have been crucial in defining our purpose. The legacy of this team, combined with the guidance from our coaches, gives us immense confidence. Pressure isn’t something we fear, it’s something we embrace.”
The match on Sunday between Kovsies and the University of Pretoria (Tuks) will take place at 13:00 in the Callie Human. Tickets cost R20. The game will also be broadcasted on Supersport on DSTV.
The Monday match between Kovsies and the Tswane University of Technology (TUT) will take place at 19:00.
The R20 ticket that is availiby online at varsitysportssa.com/tickets and at the gates, will also give access to the other games at the Callie Human on the day of the match. On Sunday it is the matches between the University of Stellenbosch (Maties) and the Nelson Mandela University (Madibaz) at 15:00, TUT and the University of Johannesburg (UJ) at 17:00 and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and the Northwest University (NWU).
The other matches are UP Tuks against Maties at 13:00, UP Tuks against UJ at 15:00 and Madibaz against Wits at 17:00.
