The release of the 2026/27 Motsepe Foundation Championship fixtures has shifted the focus of North-West University (NWU) FC from promotion celebrations to preparations for its first season in professional football ranks in South Africa.

After earning promotion through the ABC Motsepe National Playoffs in June, the club has reshaped its squad and intensified preparations as it readies for the demands of the second-tier professional league in the country.

A skin problem turned from an obstacle into an opportunity for Thamia Kganedi, the USSA Table Tennis captain and NWU honours student in Human Movement Science.

One of the most renowned cricketers in the Vaal Triangle has shown that talent, temperament and a love for the game can take a player to great heights. Wikus Botha, the former NWU Vanderbijlpark director of Cricket, was named the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Rural Player of the Year at the 2026 awards ceremony.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus is set to reignite its vibrant football culture with the launch of the 5-Aside Fridays programme, a nine-week inter-residence football tournament aimed at promoting student wellness, residence pride, talent identification and campus vibrancy.

The North-West University (NWU) Soccer Institute capped a landmark season by claiming three of the province's top honours at the 10th North West Sports Awards. 

The institute was named Team of the Year, head coach Nkululeko Malgas received the Coach of the Year award, and captain Aphelele Sibisi was crowned Sport Star of the Year.

Before dawn breaks and long before most students open a textbook, Dylan Pienaar is already at work – honing techniques, pushing through punishing training sessions and chasing a dream that stretches far beyond the walls of the North-West University (NWU).

What began as a personal search for direction has developed into a series of bodybuilding titles for North-West University (NWU) student Bokang Matsetela. In just two years, the fourth-year economics student has progressed from entering her first competition to standing among the country's top university bodybuilders, proving that discipline can shape more than physical strength.

For most rugby players, winning one major title in a season is a career-defining achievement. For former North-West University (NWU) student Divan du Toit, 2026 has been nothing short of extraordinary.

The North-West University's (NWU’s) striking rise into South African professional football has been followed by another decisive move off the pitch. As the club prepares for life in the Motsepe Foundation Championship, the university has established a dedicated company, Eagles Sporting Excellence (Pty) Ltd, to oversee the professional operations of the NWU Football Club and lay the foundation for a planned Premier Soccer League (PSL) campaign by 2029.