The University of Johannesburg will be looking to emulate the feats of their male counterparts when they take to the astro in the latest Varsity Hockey event which gets underway in Potchefstroom from May 1-4.
Captain and National Ladies member Kaila-Ron Flemming is looking forward to another exciting tournament but feels there is some pressure to perform and establish UJ has the powerhouse of University hockey.
“We have prepared really well for the tournament and there is such a fun vibe among the girls. We would love to emulate the success of the boys and claim the title this year but we will have to see how it goes.
“We have a nice mix of inexperienced experienced players, although the inexperience is more of an age thing than performance but overall we have a nicely balanced team with some National Under-21 players,” she told varsitysportssa.com.
The 23-year-old is currently doing her Masters in Biokinetics and is amazed at how quickly Varsity Hockey has grown into being one of the biggest hockey tournament in the country.
“Varsity Hockey has really just exploded. I think back to the men’s final last year and the astro was packed to capacity. It just goes to show that wen sponsors come on board and gives hockey some exposure, the game can really thrive and go from strength to strength.
“The concept is really exciting and there is such a cool vibe at the events. I am really excited about being to be a part of this year’s competition,” she added.
Flemming has paid tribute to this tournament as it was back in the 2013 edition that helped to kick start her international career after giving a good account of herself in front of the National selectors.
“I remember back in 2013 after playing in the Varsity Hockey event receiving a call-up to the National Ladies setup. Sometimes you get lost in the crowd at Inter-Provincials and selectors don’t quite get enough time to see you, so it is awesome that Varsity Hockey has been established to provide us with another chance of catching the selectors’ eyes.
“It worked for me in 2013 and I am sure there will be many more National players who will emerge from Varsity Hockey in the near future,” she stated.
