A strong breeze and a sunny sky were the perfect recipe to enjoy the Wits’ Annual Night Run.
The Run started at the Wits Club on West Campus, where dozens of runners convened to get their hearts pumping and blood rushing in the 5km event. The sound of feet against concrete, music blasting and the excitement of Wits’ Kudu mascot set the tone for an evening of fun and excitement to kickstart the new year. The running trail spanned across the university’s large campus, ending right back where it started at the Wits Club. The first runner to make a dash past the finish line was Rebaone Obotseng who finished his run in 17 minutes and 27 seconds. “I’m definitely coming back, especially since next year is my last year at the university, I want to run faster next time and finish under 15 minutes.” Following him shortly after was the first female runner to cross the finish line, medicine student Thering de Bruin who finished with an impressive time of 25 minutes and 37 seconds. “I joined with my hockey team, because I play hockey for Wits, and I enjoyed it. I think it’s nice having these races because in Joburg there aren’t many chances to run, so having university runs in a safe environment is quite nice,” she said.
The run was open to anyone within the Wits community, from first-years to postgraduates and staff, there were no limits to Witsies who could join. Fezeka Sibisi, a functions and events coordinator at Wits Sports joined the run with her daughter to prepare for their future sporting events this year, and to connect with the Wits community. “As sports people, we know the importance of community, and outside the classroom and family, knowing there are people you keep active with and socialize with on a different level. It’s important for community building and to ensure that we are well-rounded individuals who grow holistically,” she said about the significance of these events at the university. These events are a great opportunity to socialize and enjoy time with the university community prior to the hustle and bustle of the academic year. This year’s event was held in partnership with Campus Central, aQuellé and Suzuki, among others. A representative of aQuellé spent her afternoon giving complimentary drinks to all runners who finished the race. “There are lots of students involved and it is a nice community event, so we thought it was worthwhile investing in this event,” she shared of the company’s motivation to sponsor the run. Likewise, one of Campus Central’s representatives, Refentse Masia, a fourth-year law student, shared her thoughts on the importance of the event and the company’s partnership with the event. “We wanted to show the incoming first-year students and returning students that there is community in varsity, and that community can be found at Campus Central… sport gives you a community of people who share the same values as you and that can be really hard to do in such a big university, so these types of events make it easier,” she said. The significance of community and activity cannot be understated, especially in a university context. The Wits Night Run is one example of bringing these two worlds together and allowing the students to thrive in this new world.
Wits has spirit, yes, they do!
-
Face paint, blue shirts and posters adorned the Wits Rugby Stadium in celebration of this year’s Wits Spirit Game.
Music blasted and cheers rang across the stadium as the Wits football team took on Orlando Pirates in their annual opener of the academic year. The day was filled with festivities, activations and excitement to usher in the new academic and footballing season. Tensions were high with both teams creating thrilling chances in the first half. The game went to half-time with a score line of 0-0 before Pirates secured a lead early in the second half. This goal granted the Buccaneers some confidence, allowing them to showboat to their hearts content. This excitement subsided when Wits scored an equalizing goal that led the game into a penalty shootout. The penalty shootout was equally filled with drama and excitement as both sides had their share of goals, misses and saves. Wits was trailing in the shootout, but it ended in a 7-6 to victory on home ground, a testament to their skill and their goalkeeper’s abilities after he saved numerous goals. The Wits football team gave their all on the pitch, from trailing in regulation time to solidify a win, due to the team’s tactics, preparation and a bit of luck in the penalty shootout.
“Pirates led due to the changes we made at halftime so there was a bit of a disconnect, but as soon as we regrouped, we pushed and got ourselves back into the game; we piled onto their center-backs and that is how we managed to get our goal. Penalties are a lottery and all we could do was hope for the keeper to make his saves and he managed to do that and give the team some hope, which put us back in the game,” said Kgaboditsebe, Wits’ first team’s assistant coach about the structure of the game and the teams’ performance. This was a game filled with numerous ups and downs, making it a treat for the supporters, and a welcome way to bring in the new year and revel in the Wits Spirit.
Wits team manager, Langelihle Biyela shared his thoughts on the significance of these types of games in welcoming new students every year. “This game serves as the introduction to the culture of the university and the Wits football culture, it’s good to come to the stadium and even as a first year with no friends, you can come here and meet a friend, which is the importance of games like this.” In addition to the class football, the day was filled with celebrations and activations by various partners including aQuellé, Steers, Campus Central and Suzuki. In addition to the stellar football, one of the most showstopping moments was an appearance by the Orlando Pirates first team captain Thapelo Xoki, who took some photos with some lucky winners of the activations as a treat to the audience. This was a unifying event before the closing of O-Week and a showcase for new students of the fun and exciting culture that is part and parcel of the Wits University experience.
Wits Rugby Take on the Varsity Shield!
-
The Wits Rugby Team has taken off with a dramatic start against Walter Sisulu University in the 2026 Varsity Shield campaign.
The Witsies charged forward and secured a draw after coming back from behind against the home side. The game ended with split points between the two teams after a 27-27 draw at Sisa Dukashe Stadium. Tensions are high and the excitement is palpable as the second-round dawns on the team, and captain Latica Nela shared his thoughts on the campaign.
Nela is the first team captain and full back of the of the rugby team. He captained the club through their preparations and first game of the tournament and he handled this role with the precision and care that it needed. Him and the team took the prep time seriously and used it to ensure that they were a well-oiled machine prior to the first game.
“The preparation was extremely hard. We had a 4-and-a-half-month preseason which challenged the boys both physically and mentally. Having said that, the boys took the challenges that were given and worked extremely hard at becoming better individually as well as within the team setup,” he said.
The team showed this preparation by completing their first clash with a draw, after trailing at halftime. This show of character is something they are hopeful to bring forward into their future games. They committed themselves to relying on discipline, work rate and attention to detail over just talent, and this was their recipe to finding their footing in the campaign.
“Our takeouts from the game last week Friday were that if we aren't on top of our game every single minute of every single match, we'll find ourselves chasing a lot of the games. Having said that, I have to give credit to my boys for how they fought back in that last 20 minutes, it showed a lot of character and determination to not accept the situation we were in. The way we fought back in that last 20 minutes is exactly what people can expect from us going forward for the remainder of the tournament. That was a big wake-up call and trust me, we woke up.”
Prior to the clash against Fort Hare University, the team is feeling enthusiastic and prepared. Having noted their areas of concern and rectifying them, they are ready to take on the challenge and highlight their expertise and training.
Nela and his team aim to take on their competition with tenacity and passion, showcasing their own unique brand of rugby and forcing their opposition to join them. They have solidified their vision and they are dead set on staking their claim in this Cup and the ones that follow. We wish them luck ahead of their future clashes at the Varsity Shield and beyond.
