The internal sports scene of the first quarter was unconventional for the students and the campus of UP. The kick starters in the sporto-sphere were postponed due to the striking action and inclement weather, which left the Rag Farm and Hillcrest Campus bare for the first weeks in February (save the male residences who were online and on-campus). These delays may have also kept the wider UP community out of the loop on the triumphs and losses that occurred when campus returned to normal. So, PDBY has captured the quarter 1 results for the tournaments and internal leagues to give you the 411 on which of your favourite residences, faculty houses, day houses and societies are ahead of the 2024 game.
As mentioned before, Rag of Hope Day has been postponed to quarter 2 and will take place on 4 May. Students can look forward to goal ball, touch rugby and their HCs or ECs getting down and dirty in tug of war at the iconic Give Back Market Day. Until then, results are pending. Who are your favourites to win Rag Sports?
Despite the delay of Rag Sports, first-years still received exposure to UP’s vibrant student life via the first-year tournaments hosted by Student Sport. These tournaments create opportunities for bonding, building up a structured team and spurring on that competitive spirit which will drive the rest of the sport season. Below are the results for the first-year tournaments that took place:
First-Year Ladies’ Tag Rugby Tournament
– 21 February
- House Mags
- House Khutso
- Respublica Hatfield Square
First-Year Valentine’s Basketball Tournament
– 5 March
Winning team for
Ladies’: Nerina
Winning team for
Men’s: Mopane
First-Year Football Tournament
– 16 March
Men’s
- House Education
- Commercii
Women’s
- Vividus x Tuks Village
- House Ikageng x House Education
The first-years were not the only sporty students breaking a sweat, as the senior students were locked and loaded for the internal leagues. In quarter 1, Student Sport commenced several of their internal sporting leagues. This included cricket, squash, badminton and the first rounds of rugby. The cricket and rugby leagues are ongoing, but the results for the squash and badminton are as follows:
Squash Group Winners
Men’s
Group 1 – OP Village
Group 2 – College
Group 3 – Tower 2
Group 4 – Blossoms Delight 2
Group 5 – House Tau 2
Ladies’
Group 1 – Curelitzia
Group 2 – Erica 2
Group 3 – House Khutso
Badminton Winners
Men’s
Winners – Blossoms Delight
Runners up – House Ukuthula
Ladies’
Winners – House Nerina
Runners up – House Erica
From the above results, there is no clear standout on the sports field yet. However, we must give a congratulations to those structures with a few wins under their belts already. All of UP’s student structures – whether residences, day houses or faculty houses – have their game faces on and are in it to win it this 2024 season. At the start of quarter 2, many leagues across various sporting codes are already underway, and there are two major sporting events on the calendar: Rag Sports and UPlympics. Who will emerge victorious? Which structures will take the cup? We will just have to wait and see what more 2024 has in store.