Latest news with #Madibaz
The Herald
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Madibaz netballers ready to ‘embrace the moment' at home USSA tournament
The Madibaz women's netball team will feed off the energy of home support to lighten the weight of expectation at the University Sports SA tournament that gets under way in Gqeberha on Monday. The annual student event, which will be played on the indoor and outdoor courts of Mandela University's South and North campuses, features 35 women's and 20 men's teams. The host institution's women will compete in the Super and the men in the Premier section of Division A. Women's coach Jeanie Steyn said it was the first time since 2014 that the university would host the tournament and that there was a sense of expectation in the camp. Their 'wide network of supporters' did not often get the opportunity to watch them and they are 'thrilled' to be able to do so, the former Protea said. While there was usually pressure on the hosts to perform, Steyn said they viewed it as an opportunity instead. 'We're ready to embrace the moment.' Herself a former USSA player, she highlighted the benefits of competing in familiar surroundings. 'There's comfort in knowing the surface, the venue and the weather. 'It removes the uncertainty and allows the players to focus fully on their own game, the team and their performance.' Despite these advantages, she is under no illusion about the tough week ahead as the women are grouped with the top six teams in the country. The NWU Eagles will be more familiar with the local conditions than most, as they have competed in the Madibaz Netball Tournament for the past three years. 'That's one of the matchups our players are especially looking forward to,' Steyn said. By all accounts, the preparation of the Madibaz squads have been smooth sailing. With six of the university's 12 players involved in the Telkom National League, it has afforded the coaching staff the freedom to develop the more junior members of the team. In addition, they have the luxury of being able to field a variety of combinations for different styles of play. 'This is a huge benefit from a coaching perspective,' Steyn admitted. Seven of the current squad have USSA experience. 'Our senior players have really stepped up, setting the standard while guiding and encouraging the younger ones to raise their game. 'What the newcomers may lack in experience, they more than make up for in enthusiasm and eagerness to grow,' Steyn explained. 'It's an absolute pleasure to coach them.' She described the event as a 'fantastic opportunity for our players and netball fans in the region'. 'We don't often get to host elite university teams in Gqeberha,' Steyn said. Kaylin Coetzer's swansong will be one of the emotional highlights of the week. 'It will be a special occasion for her, playing her last USSA tournament in front of family and friends. We're hoping to make it one to remember.' — Full Stop Communications
The Herald
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Hosts underdogs going into USSA squash championship
Madibaz's squash elite are present and correct for their biggest test of the year when they take on their peers at the University Sports SA tournament in Gqeberha from Sunday. The event, which takes place at Crusaders Squash Club, will welcome more than 100 student-athletes and officials from across the country for a week of high-octane competition in individual and team formats. The last time Mandela University hosted the competition, in 2018, the Gqeberha team finished runners-up to UJ. Coach Jason le Roux said even though they might have less depth than back then, a top-five finish remained their goal. He expected it to be tough going against defending champions UP-Tuks and NWU. 'But it is an excellent opportunity for the players to test themselves,' he said. Even so, with Zunaid Lewis coming in to provide stability at No 3, he said there was already a noticeable improvement within their ranks. 'The guys have worked incredibly hard and we're hoping that extra year of experience will count in our favour,' Le Roux said of his charges, who will no doubt enjoy underdog status. Mike Donaldson, at No 1, will lead the men's squad with Luke Muller, Lewis, Stewart Frieslaar and Adrian Mitchell playing the supporting roles. Donaldson, originally from East London but now one of Eastern Province's top players, will be key to the team's fortunes even though he will face stiff competition at the top of the order. The late withdrawal of Nicole Heuer from the women's side due to unforeseen circumstances is a blow. This means the team remain unchanged from 2024. Despite this setback, Le Roux remained upbeat. 'The experience they gained last year means they know what to expect. They've prepared well and are ready.' Tanith Moreton, Savannah Barron, Bianca Lansdown and Michaela Hill make up the women's contingent. Looking at the tournament as a whole, Le Roux predicted a fierce battle between UP-Tuks and NWU for team honours. 'Much will depend on how those squads have developed since last year. 'Tuks had a young team who won the title, so you'd expect them to be even stronger.' Though North West might not have made a forward step as significant as the team from Pretoria over the past 12 months, he said they were always tough to beat. 'Then you have teams like UJ and Maties. They'll be in the mix, depending on their consistency throughout the week.' New individual champions are guaranteed as 2024 titlists Tristen Worth and Helena Hudson are not in the field. NWU's Gareth Craigen tops the men's seedings, while 2024 runner-up Lara Patrick of UP-Tuks heads the women's draw. Individual competition is from Sunday to Tuesday with the team event following from Wednesday to next Friday. — Full Stop Communications The Herald
The Herald
24-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Eastern Cape USSA derby a high-stakes affair
The Madibaz are preparing for a high-stakes clash against Fort Hare in their opening fixture of the University Sports SA rugby tournament later this month. The Eastern Cape derby, scheduled for the opening day on Monday June 30, in Pretoria is expected to be one of the highlights of the week. The goal will be a spot in the B-section final on the Friday and therefore stealing an early march over the opposition will be hugely advantageous. Second-round matchups on the Wednesday will be determined by the day-one results, adding further significance to this explosive opener. The Gqeberha team's head coach, David Manuel, said their primary objective was to gain promotion to the A section but also emphasised that they wanted to showcase Mandela University's broader rugby vision. 'Our goal is definitely promotion but it is also the perfect platform to show that you can attend a university known for academic excellence and still develop as a rugby player.' The Madibaz are keen to maintain their momentum after a strong Varsity Shield campaign, in which they lost the promotion-relegation match against UJ by a paltry three points. 'We've been drawing attention from some of the country's top rugby schools,' Manuel said. 'Performing well at events like the USSAs is critical to our long-term ambitions.' He noted that many parents were now viewing the university as a serious option for talented young players. 'That shift in perception helps our recruitment efforts.' One of their core values was to leave the jersey and the club in a better place, he explained. 'That's the legacy we're building.' Madibaz defeated UFH 32-16 in their Varsity Shield encounter earlier this year but that result does not necessarily give Manuel a peaceful night's sleep. 'These types of games become mental battles. A win for either side gives a significant boost heading into the next season,' he said. Matches between the two tertiary institutions always turned out to be fiercely contested and therefore they are ticking all the boxes to ensure they are at their very best come game day, the Madibaz mentor said. He said the B section, where teams such as NWU-Pukke added serious quality, would be highly competitive. 'They missed last year's tournament, so they're in the B section this year. If we get the chance to face them, it'll be an excellent test of where we stand.' Manuel said that though the squad would be a mix of youth and experience, he had brought in several experienced players who were ineligible for Shield duties, 'which strengthens our hand'. As with any university, academic responsibilities always influence preparations to a certain extent. 'The players need to earn a certain number of credits to qualify for next year's Shield, so we gave them time to focus on exams,' Manuel said. He said every player had a personalised fitness and gym programme and that the on-field sessions had been ramped up in recent weeks. 'We're confident we'll be ready to perform in Pretoria.' — Full Stop Communications
The Herald
22-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Weideman keen to extend golden run at USSA karate champs
Gqeberha karateka Luchay Weideman hopes to kick on from where she left off 12 months ago when she puts her body on the line at the 2025 University Sports SA tournament. The Nelson Mandela University student claimed four of her team's 18 gold medals at the 2024 edition and is confident she can deliver a similarly impressive performance. 'My goal is to maintain that standard, both personally and for the team,' the 22-year-old said. 'Achieving that level of success does bring added pressure, but I see it as a privilege to be in that position.' The human movement science student is well aware that each year brings new opposition and with it new challenges. 'It motivates me to work harder and find new ways to elevate my performance,' Weideman, who is studying towards her master's, said. She tracks her physical progress while constantly refining her technique to ensure she is at her peak when it counts. However, mental fitness was equally important, she said. 'You have to stay composed.' Believing in your ability and not cracking under pressure or when intimidated were crucial traits if you wanted to reach your goals, she said. The Madibaz champion has already made her mark in 2025 by winning silver in the kata (a choreographed pattern of movements) and a team gold in kumite (sparring) at the Afro-Asia World Open in Nelson Mandela Bay in April. She competed as a team member of the Hillside dojo, which received a special invitation to the event which doubled as the SA championships. Now she is keen to replicate that form against the country's top student-athletes at the Durban University of Technology on June 28 and 29. Madibaz won 28 medals en route to claiming gold in the full-contact and bronze in the semi-contact disciplines in 2024. Those and other recent successes have sparked a surge of interest in the sport locally, which means there will be several new faces in the squad for KwaZulu-Natal. 'It will be exciting to see how they perform and contribute to the growth of karate,' Weideman, who believes the rise in numbers has opened many doors for the club, said. She said 2024's gold rush had given the Madibaz momentum going into 2025 and credibility as serious contenders in university karate. Her older sister Adré, who mentors the semi-contact team, is confident they, as well as the full-contact team coached by Sango Mbinyashe, are in with a shout. 'I definitely believe both teams are in a great position to achieve top results.' — Full Stop Communications
The Herald
05-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Madibaz miss Cup promotion by barest of margins
The Madibaz came within a whisker of returning to the FNB Varsity Cup competition in 2026 after pushing the University of Johannesburg all the way in a thrilling promotion-relegation clash in Pretoria on Monday. A pick-and-go by Orange Army utility forward Josh du Toit in the 74th minute ultimately proved to be the difference between the sides as the men from the City of Gold regained the lead for the last time to seal a 24-21 victory. It was heartbreaking stuff for the Nelson Mandela University students, who rallied back from a 12-0 deficit to go into the halftime break two points ahead. Tries by wing Jaden Witbooi and centre Lwande Davane in the final 10 minutes of the first stanza gave them just the momentum they needed on a blisteringly hot day on the highveld. Fullback Layron Milborrow was on song all morning, converting each of his side's three five-pointers. The lead changed hands repeatedly in the second half, a sure indication that the match was going to go down to the wire. A penalty-try in the 54th minute, resulting from immense forward pressure by UJ, could easily have put Madibaz on the back foot, but the Gqeberha students hit back almost immediately. Madibaz skipper Leon van der Merwe, playing his last season of Varsity Rugby, crossed the whitewash after some muscle-flexing of their own in the UJ red zone. That put them 21-19 ahead with just over 10 minutes to play. They managed to withstand the UJ assault until Du Toit got on the back of a rolling maul to give his side the win that kept them in the Varsity Cup. While Madibaz will be disappointed that they will not be returning to student rugby's premier competition in 2026, they have enjoyed an excellent season. They reached the Shield final where they gave a powerful Varsity College unit a real run for their money and have now gone toe-to-toe with an experienced Cup team. This, despite losing 10 senior players at the end of 2024. Van der Merwe said it was a tough game for his charges. 'UJ really brought it to us. But I am still very proud of the boys. 'It was a great fight out there. It was a long, hard season and to finish it off like that makes me really proud of everyone.' — Full Stop Communications
