CHRIZAAN PRETORIUS
TuksUltimate is one of the many sports offered for the #StripeGeneration. Correspondingly, it is a sport that draws attention when students hear about this interesting phenomenon, involving the traditional “Frisbee”. Edna Stander, who leads this dynamic team, told PDBY that “Ultimate is known internationally as an International Olympic recognised sport and quite popular in countries such as the USA and Netherlands”. TuksUltimate was established in 2014 with a proper student foundation and is currently working on expanding its student numbers.
As a less popular sport in South Africa, they still compete in tournaments such as the Gauteng Summer League and Rocktober against various universities ranging from Stellenbosch, UCT and the University of the Free State. They are also regular contributors to the annual RAG of Hope day. The team names range from Disk Hazards, Altitude and Rangers competing in these various events.
“Absolutely no equipment is needed, except a disc and a few cones, which makes it very accessible to everyone.“
Marco le Roux and and Naldo le Roux, two members of TuksUltimate added that this is a great sport in all aspects. After Marco accidentally stumbled upon it, he could not stop his fuelling passion for this sport. TuksUltimate told PDBY that “Absolutely no equipment is needed, except a disc and a few cones, which makes it very accessible to everyone.” The sport has seven players on each side within mixed gender teams where you must get the disc into the defense’s end zone to score a point. There is no referee, which also makes it a sport based on individual honesty and communication.
Ultimate is known for its “Spirit of the Game”, which contributes to the universal feeling around teams when they compete against one another. Naldo told PDBY that “It is completely different than other sports, since there is always a friendly atmosphere between players and a high-level of respect”. Ultimate certainly is a sport that stands out above others and involves continuous development of communication skills.
As a sport that is not widely known by most students, Stander told PDBY about their vision for 2020,“We hope to give more students the chance to explore this sport, since it is a completely different experience than other sports and costs to gear is minimal, which makes it accessible to a wide variety of students”. TuksUltimate offers the perfect experience to join a team and become part of the diverse arrays of sport at the University of Pretoria. After all, “Frisbee” as it is known by most students is clearly not just a fun activity, but an opportunity to engage with a sport on a more serious level and to #UPYourSportingGame.
Illustration: Cassandra Eardley
