The TuksHockey Women’s team completed a unique double over the weekend when they managed to beat the University of Johannesburg in the final of the South African Universities (USSA) Tournament. The team is also the Varsity Champions. 

A proud Inky Zondi, Tuks head coach, could not praise his players enough after their 1-0 victory and with just reason. It is quite rare for a team in any sports code to win both university tournaments in the same year.

“It is unbelievable. I don’t think what we have achieved has sunk in yet. All credit should go to the players who played with such passion and dedication throughout the tournament. They were a team on a mission from the first touch of the ball.”

Zondi was equally impressed by the Tuks men’s team who finished third.

“They might not have won but they can honestly claim that they made a proper game of it each time they took to the field. The play-off against Wits was, without a doubt, one of the best games of the tournament. It was a classic scenario of snatching victory out of proverbial jaws of defeat. There is not many a team who will come back from a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3. The Tuks men did. It was just an awesome display of courage.” 

The men’s team lost to the University of Johannesburg in the semi-finals while the Johannesburg team went on to win the tournament. 

Zondi ascribed the women’s team success to the fact that they manage to resist the temptation to think about any possible playoffs.

“Because there was such a short turnaround from the Varsity Tournament to the South African Universities Tournament we realised the importance of taking things one game at a time. Our only goal was to get as close as possible to execute what we had practiced to perfection. It worked.”

In their first game, the Tuks Women’s team managed to beat Nelson Mandela University 2-0. In the second game Tuks drew 1-1 against Wits, they then went on to beat Maties 4-1 before beating the University of Northwest 1-0 in the semi-final. 

As has become Natalie Esteves, the captain again impressed with the way she led from the front. She is the personification of the “Duracell Bunny” on the field rushing from the one “battle zone” to the next. 
Esteves refuses to take any credit. 

“Our success is due to a 100% team effort. Every player did what was expected of them and more which makes it easy to captain the team.”

Esteves is not sure whether she will still be playing for Tuks in two years’ time when the next Varsity Tournament for women takes place.

“It will all depend on my studies, but I don’t think it really matters whether I am still playing or not as we got a nice balance of senior and junior players so the core of this year’s team will still be playing.”

It is interesting to note that none of the Tuks team players who won the Varsity and USSA Tournaments have been selected to play for South Africa in the Hockey World League Semi-Finals that start over the weekend at Wits. 

Nicolene Terblanche, Celia Evans and Phumelela Mbande are the Tuks players in the national squad.