The growing influence of the North-West University (NWU) Soccer Institute in national university sport was underscored this week when institute manager Dr Vuyolwethu Sambo was elected secretary general of University Sport South Africa (USSA) Football, a body responsible for coordinating football competitions across higher-education institutions in the country.
NWU sprint hurdler Franco le Roux delivered a standout performance at the World Athletics Indoor Championship in Poland On Saturday 21 March. He set a new time of 7.50 seconds in the men’s 60 m hurdles, surpassing Shaun Bownes’ record of 7.52 seconds, set in Belgium in 2001, and thereby wrote his name in the history books of African athletics.
Competing in his first Indoor Championships, Le Roux broke the continental record set by his coach, Shaun Bownes, one that stood untouched for 25 years. In a moment of rich significance, the student surpassed the teacher.
The sound of machinery and the dust in the air will soon go away as the North-West University (NWU) Vanderbijlpark Campus prepares to unveil its newly constructed astro hockey field. This state-of-the-art turf signals a new era for NWU Hockey and is set to transform the institution’s sporting landscape.
Developed as part of the university’s’ ongoing commitment to the holistic development of its students, the new pitch is expected to raise the standard of competitive hockey on campus while strengthening the NWUs’ edge in university sports.
The FNB NWU Eagles maintained their impressive form by defeating the FNB UP-Tuks 30-22 in Monday night's Varsity Cup encounter at the Fanie Fortress, thereby climbing to the top of the Varsity Cup log.
The NWU Eagles set the tone early on, scoring a polished try and adding a penalty conversion in the seventh minute to establish an early lead in front of a cheerful home crowd. UP-Tuks attempted an immediate response, but the Eagles stood their ground and protected their lead.
The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus officially launched its highly anticipated Inter-Res Tournament, ushering in a season of competition, social awareness and strengthened student unity.
The Inter-Res League officially kicks off in the third week of March and will run until August. This year’s tournament will feature soccer, netball and e-sports, with each residence fielding teams to represent their communities.
After both sides suffered defeats in their previous away fixtures in the Varsity Cup and Young Guns competitions, respectively, the FNB NWU Eagles and FNB Young Guns bounced back in style.
The Eagles fell short in the City of Gold, losing 35-29 to FNB UJ, while the YGs suffered their first home defeat of the season against FNB UCT YGs. Both sides responded with commanding performances on the road with the Eagles FNB Eagles securing a hard-fought win in Bloemfontein and the YGs claiming bragging rights in the Jacaranda City.
A rainy afternoon at the iconic JB Marks Oval on 4 March 2026 may have brought play to a halt, but it did little to dampen the significance of the moment as the North-West University (NWU) and North West Cricket (NWC) marked the strengthening of their partnership during the One Day Cup clash between the North West Dragons and the DP World Lions.
While the match itself was cancelled due to rain, the partnership launch went ahead, emphasising the shared commitment that extends far beyond a single fixture.
The NWU Eagles demonstrated their strength and attacking prowess by dismantling Emeris 63 – 15 at the Fanie du Toit Sportsgrounds on Monday, 23 February. This victory saw the Eagles climb to the top of the table with ten points, level with second place FNB-UP Tuks after match day two of the 2026 varsity Cup season.
The landscape of football talent identification is being transformed by data analytics, and the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Soccer Institute at the Mahikeng Campus is positioning itself at the forefront of this high-tech evolution.
According to Upidkumar Patel, the institute's head of performance and data analysis, leveraging modern data is key to unearthing the stars of tomorrow.
In an energetic round one clash of the 2026 Varsity Cup, the NWU Eagles delivered a statement performance in the City of Roses, overpowering CUT 59-42. Played at the CUT Stadium, the fixture saw the hosts desperate to overturn their recent poor results against the Purple Army, including a previous loss at the 2025 USSA Games.