CARLO COCK
As a first year, one of the most exciting parts of your university experience, especially if you’re in res, will be sport, whether it be sitting next to the field at Varsity Cup matches chanting “Tuks of Niks!” or sweating it out playing your favourite sport for your res or day house. Unless you choose to completely bury yourself in books, sport is sure to be a part of your Tuks experience, be it as a spectator or a participant.
With several Tuks athletes set to represent their countries at the Olympics, AmaTuks fighting it out for promotion to the Absa Premiership and Tuks being among the favourites in the Varsity Cup, TuksSport is poised to have a great year in 2012. However, 2011 was a memorable year in itself for several reasons. Since you missed it, Perdeby has decided to give you a run-down of last year’s highs and lows as well as our sport predictions for 2012. Here are the official 2011 Perdeby TuksSport Awards.
Team of the year: Tuks1 – having had its best season to date in the Varsity Cup and finishing as runners-up to UCT, the Tuks1 rugby team then went on to have an outstanding year, rounding it off by winning the Carlton Cup. Tuks1 was by far the most consistent Tuks team in 2011.
2012 Prediction: TuksAthletics team – having dominated at the USSA championships last year, a number of its members including Caster Semenya, Khostso Mokoena and Andries van der Merwe, could be returning from London with Olympic medals. It’s pretty hard to trump Olympic gold.
Top performers of the year: Warwick Tecklenberg – few Tuks sportsmen had a better 2011 than Warwick Tecklenberg. Nominated as one of the top three players in the 2011 Varsity Cup, the tough-tackling loose-forward went on to secure a regular starting place in the Blue Bulls Currie Cup team and has also made the Bulls’ Super Rugby squad. Making his achievements even more remarkable is the fact that prior to 2011, he was sidelined for almost three years due to a serious knee injury.
Oscar Pistorious – Tuks athlete Oscar Pistorious had an exceptional year in 2011, qualifying for the 2011 IAAF World Championships with his time of 45.04 seconds in the 400 metres at a small meet in Italy. This is a great achievement for any athlete with two legs, let alone a double amputee.
2012 Prediction: Caster Semenya – she will regain her fitness and form to once again blow away the field and win gold in the 400 metres in London. A half-fit Caster was good enough to take silver at last year’s IAAF World Championships. A fully fit Caster is surely unstoppable.
Flop of the year: AmaTuks – after a promising start to the 2010/2011 National First Division, AmaTuks once again failed to impress. They managed to secure a play-off place only because Black Leopards were docked points for allegedly playing an unregistered player. When Leopards’ appeal was upheld and the docked points reinstated, AmaTuks were condemned to another year in the second tier of South African football. AmaTuks also failed to make significant inroads in the Nedbank Cup.
2012 Prediction: AmaTuks – with notable changes to the playing personnel but no changes to the technical staff, Steve Barker’s men will once again fail to seal promotion and will lose in a promotion play-off. Will Barker’s team ever shake that “nearly-men” tag? Perhaps, but not this year.
Make sure you follow TuksSport closely this year to see if our predictions are oracle-like or way off the mark. Follow Perdeby on Twitter (@perdebynews) for the latest TuksSport updates.
Photo: Mpho Tsuari
