Five University of Johannesburg (UJ) Sport Clubs are set to compete in the 2025 University Sport South Africa (USSA) Winter Championships, taking place across four cities from Sunday, 29 June to Friday, 4 July 2025. Both men’s and women’s teams will vie for top honours in Netball, Squash, Hockey, Rugby, and 3×3 Basketball.
Locations of the championships:
- Gqeberha (Nelson Mandela University): Netball and Squash
- Stellenbosch (Stellenbosch University): Hockey
- Pretoria (University of Pretoria): Rugby
- Johannesburg (Wits University): 3×3 Basketball
Defending champions and strong contenders:
UJ’s 3×3 Basketball men’s team is looking for a three-peat, returning as two-time defending champions. The women’s 3×3 team is also aiming for gold after securing silver in 2024. Their dominance was further highlighted last year when Sbongakonke Mkhwanazi and Nyeleti Nyathi were named the tournament’s All-Star Male and Female Players.
Aiming for gold across all codes:
Ms. Nompilo Zondi, Senior Manager: UJ Sport Clubs, extended a heartfelt message of support, commending the student-athletes and support teams for their unwavering commitment, discipline and unity ahead of the start of the USSA championships. Speaking at the send-off ceremony, Ms Zondi praised the teams for their rigorous preparation and the values they continue to uphold on and off the field.
“Our student-athletes and support staff have demonstrated remarkable resilience and grit over the past few months. Balancing rigorous training schedules with academic responsibilities is no small feat. They’ve shown that true strength lies not only in power, but in persistence. Just as a river cuts through a rock, not because of its strength but because of its persistence, our teams continue to move forward with focus and determination.”
Ms. Zondi highlighted the outstanding performances from previous championships and expressed confidence in the teams’ ability to build on their successes. Discipline and camaraderie, she noted, have been the cornerstones of each team’s journey. She urged the teams to compete with pride, uphold the university’s values and draw strength from one another. “The teams will travel in the coming days, proudly wearing the UJ colours and carrying the hopes of a university known for excellence, resilience and heart. We wish them the very best in their respective competitions,” said Ms. Zondi.
Building on past performances:
UJ’s teams have a strong foundation to build from their 2024 performances:
Netball: Both the senior men’s and women’s teams earned silver medals at last year’s tournament held on home soil. The UJ Women’s 2nd Team finished in fourth place. This year, three UJ Netball teams (two female and one male) will compete for the top spot in Gqeberha.
Hockey: The senior men’s hockey team secured a third-place finish in 2024, improving from fifth place in 2023. The women’s team successfully avoided relegation, finishing in seventh place.
Squash: Both the men’s and women’s individual Squash teams will also be competing in Gqeberha. Selected players performed well at the 2024 FISU World University Championship Squash in Johannesburg.
Rugby: In Makhanda, Eastern Cape Province, the UJ women’s 10s team finished in 1st place after a stellar showing in the tournament with a 22-10 win over the University of Fort Hare. The men’s 15s team finished in 6th place.
Paving the Way for International Competition:
These USSA games are a crucial precursor to the FISU World University Games, which will be held in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, from 16 to 27 July 2025. Some of the UJ student-athletes have already been named to represent South Africa in codes such as athletics, basketball, and staff in management and medical teams.
The five teams met at the UJ Astro in Melville for an official send-off ceremony on Friday, 20 June 2025.
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