The inaugural NWU Sports Awards brought the cream of the crop of sporting talent from the university’s three campuses into the spotlight at a glittering awards ceremony at Feather Hill on Wednesday, October 14.

Franco le Roux, the African indoor 60m hurdles record holder, took home the Senior Sportsman of the Year award. It was a deserved accolade for Le Roux, who also finished fourth at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Ané Janse van Vuuren (hockey) and Amy Ackerman (badminton) shared the Senior Sportswomen of the Year award. Both athletes enjoyed an outstanding year representing their countries at international level. Janse van Vuuren represented South Africa at the FIH Senior World Cup in the Netherlands, while Ackerman won gold at the African Badminton Championships in Botswana and represented South Africa at the Badminton World Championships in India.

Another track-and-field athlete, Jan-Hendrik Heymans, won the Junior Sportsman of the Year award after claiming gold in the javelin at the World Athletics U20 Championships in the USA.

Javelin again took centre stage as Mariné Grobler won the Junior Sportswoman of the Year award. She finished sixth in the javelin final at the World Athletics U20 Championships in the USA.

Team of the Year went to NWU Aerobics, which won both the USSA title and the 2026 SASAF national championship.

The evening also featured 2007 Rugby World Cup winner and former Springbok captain Victor Matfield as the keynote speaker.

Matfield inspired the student-athletes with insights drawn from his experience at the highest level of sport. He emphasised the importance of discipline, having a dream and working harder than the person next to you.

Major annual award winners

• Team of the Year: NWU Aerobics
• Junior Sportswoman of the Year: Mariné Grobler (Athletics)
• Junior Sportsman of the Year: Jan-Hendrik Heymans (Athletics)
• Senior Sportswomen of the Year (joint winners): Ané Janse van Vuuren (Hockey) and Amy Ackerman (Badminton)
• Senior Sportsman of the Year: Franco le Roux (Athletics)

Merit awards

CUCSA Games (Botswana)

• Athletics: Marnus Jonker
• Basketball: Nthabeleng Mokele and Koketso Mafate
• Football: Amogelang Matsoai, Kagiso Ratshefola, Reatlegile Kgosithebe, Aphelele Sibisi, Lucas Seromo, Lucky Letwaba, Thapelo Letsholonyane, Thiko Maganda and Xolani Masethi
• Table tennis: Thamia Kganedi

CAA African Athletics Championships (Ghana)

• Righardt Stander (bronze, discus)
• Mihlali Xotyeni (bronze, 200m)
• Valco van Wyk (gold, pole vault)

Cricket (USSA XI triangular series against CSA Emerging and Bangladesh Emerging)

• Corné Prinsloo
• Ludwich Schuld
• Lleyton Troskie

Hockey

• Nuriyah Bell (represented South Africa in the Test series against Canada)
• Tara Myburgh (represented Namibia in the Test series against South Africa)

Squash (FISU World University Championship, India)

• Jordan Phillips and Reuel Videler (Team South Africa finished sixth)

Excellence awards

Athletics

• Christopher Swart (fourth in the 4x2km relay at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in the USA)
• Daniel Briel and Bradley Maponyane (4x400m mixed relay at the World Athletics Relays in Botswana)
• Viwe Jingqi (part of the 4x100m relay team that broke the national record at the World Athletics Relays in Botswana)
• Rogail Joseph (4x400m mixed relay at the World Athletics Relays; gold in the 400m hurdles at the African Athletics Championships in Ghana)
• Bertus van der Linde (1500m at the World Athletics U20 Championships in the USA)
• Andrea Steynberg (800m and 1500m at the World Athletics U20 Championships; 34th in the 6km at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships)
• Werner Gouws (reached the 800m semi-finals at the World Athletics U20 Championships in the USA)
• Mariné Grobler (sixth in the javelin final at the World Athletics U20 Championships in the USA)
• Jan-Hendrik Heymans (gold in the javelin and an U20 world-leading throw of 80.5m at the World Athletics U20 Championships in the USA)
• Ethan Olivier (represented New Zealand; fourth in the triple jump at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland)
• Bradley Nkoana (silver in the 4x100m relay at the World Athletics Relays in Botswana; silver in the 100m at the African Athletics Championships in Ghana; competed at the Commonwealth Games)
• Franco le Roux (seventh in the 60m hurdles at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland, setting a national and African record; fourth in the 110m hurdles final at the Commonwealth Games; set a national U23 record in the 110m hurdles)

Badminton

• Amy Ackerman (gold and team gold at the African Badminton Championships in Botswana; competed at the Iceland, Swedish and Estonian International Opens, the BWF Thomas & Uber Cup in Denmark and the BWF World Championships in India)

Bodybuilding (IFBB World Bodybuilding Championships, Saudi Arabia)

• Francis Motsileng (10th in the men’s physique under-174cm category)
• Thapelo Leputu (11th in the men’s physique over-174cm category)

Hockey

• Thabelani Metu (FIH Junior World Cup, Chile)
• Germarie Spershott (FIH Junior World Cup, Chile)
• Mia Karsten and Marike Neethling (represented Namibia at the FIH Junior World Cup in Chile and in the Test series against South Africa)
• Nomsa Mzizi (represented South Africa in Test series against Canada and Namibia, as well as at the FIH Junior World Cup in Chile)
• Ané Janse van Vuuren (represented South Africa against Canada, Namibia and Scotland; captained South Africa at the Junior World Cup in Chile; competed at the FIH Senior World Cup in the Netherlands)
• Jaydon Brooker (FIH Junior World Cup, India)

Para award

• Liezel Gouws: Seventh in the long jump at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland; set a new South African and African long jump record in the T37 category at the Winelands International.

Coaches’ awards

• Goodwill Sefume: Aerobics (winner at SASAF national and USSA tournaments)
• Shaun Bownes: South African hurdles coach at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
• Thuso Moiloa: Head coach of the South African women’s basketball team at the CUCSA Games in Botswana
• Brady Barends: Head coach of the USSA XI cricket team in the CSA triangular series
• Nkululeko Malgas: USSA football coach at the CUCSA Games in Botswana; SAFA Motsepe National Championship play-offs runners-up
• Elsunet du Plessis: U19 Proteas caretaker coach (third appointment)

Special awards and recognition

• Terseus Liebenberg: Recognised for more than 40 years of elite javelin coaching, most recently coaching Jan-Hendrik Heymans to U20 world gold.
• Jean Verster: ASA team leader at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
• Tracey Olivier: ASA team manager at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland and the Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
• Raphael Ntumba (posthumous, received by his son, Alphonso Ntumba): Bodybuilding coach to Francis Motsileng and Thapelo Leputu at the IFBB World Championships.
• Nelson Komane (Nel): South African women’s hockey video analyst and assistant coach.
• Shaun Hulley: Canadian women’s hockey assistant coach.
• Colin Powell: U21 and senior Proteas netball strength and conditioning coach.
• Piet Kgomotso Ribane (Marketing and Communications Award): Recognised for national and international sports photography, videography and media coverage, including the FISU World University Games, Varsity Football and Netball, and FISU World University Rugby Sevens.
• Helene Botha (Special Recognition Award): Honoured for 24 years of distinguished leadership, service and commitment to the NWU and the advancement of netball.

NWU leadership special discretionary awards

• Varsity Cup Rugby Team
• Varsity Netball Team
• NWU Football Club

Team category champions

The following teams were nominated for Team of the Year:

• Aerobics: 2026 SASAF national and USSA champions
• Dance: 2026 USSA Dance champions
• Football: Promoted to the PSL National First Division
• Squash: 2026 USSA champions
• Athletics: 2026 USSA Cross Country champions