Rough time for Rhodes basketball and netball teams at 2026 USSA winter games

Rhodes University’s men’s and women’s netball and 3v3 basketball teams had a difficult 2026 USSA winter games campaign, with more losses than wins overall, though some progress stood out. The University Sports South Africa (USSA) Championships were hosted by the University of Free State in Bloemfontein for netball, where the men’s netball team reached the semi-finals and then lost the bronze-medal match to the University of Fort Hare 37–35, finishing fourth; they had previously fallen to Durban University of Technology 51–44. On the basketball court, the men’s 3v3 tournament ran from 26 to 28 June at Wits University, starting with a 21–14 win over the University of Pretoria, but followed by setbacks against multiple teams. Captain Nkululeko Zuma earned a call-up to a national selection camp and will compete for a final squad rumored to go to Croatia later this year. The women’s 3v3 team lost its opening match to TUT 15–9 and struggled to win, finally beating North-West University (Vaal) in its last game.