Home to 2018 Commonwealth Karate Championship Gold Medallist Carmen Cloete, SPAR Proteas player Monique Reyneke, Jo-Ané van Dyk who obtained sixth place at the 2019 FISU Universiade in Napoli for Javelin and not forgetting the Varsity Hockey Champions. With several world class coaches in various sports codes and excellent facilities, Pukke Sports strive to deliver quality and competitive teams.
A number of initiatives have been launched to promote a sporting culture more conducive to the involvement of women, and as more women are needed to be role models for the next generation of sports leaders empowering women has always been one of the main goals of Pukke Sport who have women participating competitively in 19 to 24 active sporting codes.
“I think we are doing exceptionally well and we have always focused on trying to build and improve women’s sport, I think we have a well-balanced environment with many women’s teams that are successful. We are working hard within the framework of the NWU to increase women staff and in one year we have employed several new members and support staff,” says Pukke Ladies Sports Manager, Heléne Botha.
The numbers of participants grow every year as more and more ladies take up sport that are not necessarily part of university sport. Botha further elaborates on their vision as far as women’s sports is concerned.
Pukke Sports Vision
Equal participation and completion or establishment of programs by 2024 which will see increasing focus on:
* Women’s sporting codes including Golf, Rugby & 7’s Rugby, Cricket and E-Sport;
* Women’s Staff and Coaches since 2018;
* Continuous development and skills development
* Associated growth areas like Bio Kinetics, Sport Science, Physio and other supporting services;
* Continued support in developing University sporting codes at USSA and Varsity Sport; and ensuring that
* Transformation remains a focus point and area of growth
The university has established full programs for all 19 – 24 sporting codes which include a full establishment of women’s golf with their own possible event helping to bring women’s golf into USSA in 2020, Women’s Rugby programs being established and strategic planning in place to grow interest and establish a team in the near future, Women’s Cricket program being established and strategic planning in place to grow interest and establish a team in the near future.
E-sport is a new addition to NWU and this growth is collectively being developed as a new sport to universities – it is not really gender specific but heavily dominated by males and they are trying to understand the needs, requirements and all the platforms that this sport will encompass. Due to its newness they are still learning aspects about the sport involved and developing a strategy and plan for this rapidly growing sport.
A testimony of the support and development of Pukke Sport is evident in their accolades. Badminton were crowned USSA winners in 2016 and 2019 and were the runners-up in 2017 and 2018. Their basketball team were North West Dr Kenneth Kaunda winners for the first time in 2019. In gymnastics, they have been USSA Champions from 2016 to date. Karate they have been defending the USSA Championships for the last two decades, what a historic achievement.
Hockey is growing both at hostel league as in the official squad and they are currently the Varsity Hockey Champions of 2019. They delivered players to the National Hockey Team the likes of Sulette Damons, Kistty Adams, Charné Maddocks, Courtney Du Preez and Mishka Ellis whom are all in the current Olympic squad.
Their football team qualified for Varsity Football and are performing well in their respective local league which is a huge step up in a male dominated sporting code. Two tennis players represented Team SA at the Summer Universiade in Italy and are the TSA Top Gun winners in North West, as well as the swimmers who are competing well and are in the top three university teams in South Africa.
Athletics being the flagship in 2019 at NWU are reining Varsity. The women have played a major role in the vast successes of the NWU-Athletics club. Some of these remarkable women include Sunette Viljoen, Justine Robbeson, Soe-Zin Lion Cachet, Jo-Ané van Dyk (all javelin), Hestrie Cloete (high jump), Ariane Nel (sprints), Danél Holton (400m), Lana van Heerden (400m) and Letitia Janse van Vuuren (hammer throw).
Photo 1 Caption: North West University product, Monique Reyneke, in action as a SPAR Proteas player Photo: @the_NWU (Twitter)
With editing by gsport
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