The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has had a fantastic start to the Varsity Netball 2025 tournament, winning their first two matches against two of the country’s top teams. In a strong showing during the opening Bumper Weekend in Stellenbosch, the Orange Army overcame Stellenbosch University (SU Maties) and the University of Free State (UFS-Kovsies), despite being down in the first halves of both games.

UJ started the tournament on Sunday, August 24, 2025, against the hosts, SU Maties, with a decisive 54-39 victory. They followed up with a nail-biting 53-51 win against UFS-Kovsies the next day. These victories reflect the team’s focus on taking “each game as it comes,” as expressed by captain Cornelia Mupenda. This strategy, instilled by Head Coach Bongiwe Msomi, helped them achieve their goal of winning both away matches in the Western Cape.

“Good results will come as we progress if we do what we’re asked to do. We do not want to think too far from the current fixtures, so, we take each game as it comes. We have done well thus far, our focus now shifts to the next match against Varsity College at North-West University in September, said Mupenda.

Two UJ players were recognized for their outstanding performances. Tarle Mathe and Mupenda were each named the FNB Player of the Match, earning a cash prize of R1,500.

Looking ahead, UJ’s Senior Women’s Netball Team will continue their tournament on the road, with their next match against Varsity College in Mahikeng in the North-West province.

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