"Legends are not only remembered for the goals they score, but for the lives they continue to shape long after the final whistle." Marks "Go Man Go" Maponyane continues to prove that some of football's greatest victories happen long after the final whistle has blown.

The South African football legend recently joined forces with the North-West University's (NWU's) Potchefstroom Campus soccer club - Tawana - and the newly launched Excel Youth Academy in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, to inspire, mentor and develop aspiring young footballers.

For decades, bodybuilding has been regarded as a male-dominated sport, with men often taking centre stage in competitions. However, a new generation of women athletes is challenging that narrative by proving that strength, discipline and excellence have no gender boundaries.

By Michelle Hammann

Danielle Verster has been in the running game for most of her life. She is currently a North-West University (NWU) student-athlete and has been sponsored by Nike for five years. She has been to numerous countries for athletics championships, mostly for the 1 500 m or 800 m, and for cross-country events. 

Ten years ago, a young lad from Thabazimbi made Varsity Cup history in the NWU 10 jersey by scoring the competition's first-ever nine-point try.

A decade later, Benhard Janse van Rensburg is once again making headlines – this time with the opportunity to earn his first Test cap for England against Fiji this weekend after being named in Steve Borthwick's squad. Should he pull on England's famous white jersey, he will become the first rugby player from Thabazimbi and Hoërskool Frikkie Meyer to represent England at test level.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus bodybuilding and CrossFit team has once again demonstrated its sporting excellence by securing the Overall Team Championship at the 2026 University Sport South Africa (USSA) National Bodybuilding and CrossFit Championships. 

NWU athletes showed grit and determination during the 2026 SA Road Running Championships in Gqeberha (Nelson Mandela Bay) on Saturday, 27 June.