Three Maties ultimate frisbee players were chosen to represent South Africa in the mixed under-24 team at the Ultimate Frisbee World Championships in June. This is according to Tshepo Thaela, Wild Dogs’ head coach.
Nathan Misdorp (21), a fourth-year BEng (Mechanical) student at Stellenbosch University (SU) and Wild Dogs’ team captain, Aloise Wepener (22), a fourth-year BEng (Civil) student at SU who plays as a handler, and Petra Crafford (20), a third-year BEng (Civil) student at SU who also plays as a handler, accompanied the Wild Dogs team to compete against 21 teams from 21 to 28 June in Logroño, Spain, said Thaela.
From left to right: Aloise Wepener (22), a fourth-year BEng (Civil) student at Stellenbosch University (SU), who plays as a handler for Wild Dogs, Nathan Misdorp (21), a fourth-year BEng (Mechanical) student at SU who plays as a cutter and is team captain for Wild Dogs, and Petra Crafford (20), a third-year BEng (Civil) student at SU who plays as a handler for Wild Dogs. The three students were recently chosen to represent South Africa at the Ultimate Frisbee World Championships. PHOTO: Kyla Laing
The game consists of a mix between American football and netball, said Crafford.
Players are trying to catch the frisbee and throw it to the endzone, according to Misdorp, who said that when a player has the frisbee, they cannot move and have 10 seconds to throw it to another player.
“There’s a lot of man-to-man marking,” said Misdorp. “The team with the disc wants to score and the team without the disc is working really hard to mark the downfield players.”
United on and off the field
Held every two years, 2025 marked the fourth year of Wild Dogs competing at the world championships, said Thaela, adding that they previously placed 14th out of 16 teams in 2023.
SA placed 19th out of 26 teams in 2025, said Crafford.
While the team wished to place higher than previous years, an equal goal is to make the experience worthwhile for each individual team member, and to use the experience to help grow the ultimate frisbee community in SA, according to Thaela.
“At the end of the day, it’s an amateur sport,” said Thaela. “You have to pay money. You’re not getting this for free and we’re not paying you like other sports.”
Players were selected from regional trials at four different training camps in South Africa: Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western, said Crafford.
Aloise Wepener (22), a fourth-year BEng (Civil) student at Stellenbosch University (SU) who plays as a handler for Wild Dogs, and her Maties ultimate frisbee teammate, Ella Vorster (21), a Visual Arts student at SU, demonstrating a pivot. “Pivoting is used when you have the disc and want to throw to a teammate, but there is a defender in front of you,” said Wepener. “You then ‘pivot’ around that person to throw past them.” PHOTO: Kyla Laing
The Wild Dog teammates are well spread across the country, allowing everyone on the team to bring something unique, said Misdorp, who added that blending with each other on and off the field creates a sense of family in the team.
“You’re going to have good games and some really bad games,” said Misdorp. “It’s important to feel connected. You’re not playing as an individual, but need to have unity as a team.”
Growing the game
Ultimate frisbee is a niche sport in SA and a small community in the world, according to Thaela.
However, he said that he feels there is potential for the sport to grow in the country.
“The sport requires the least barriers for entry,” said Thaela. “You just need a disc and some space, a lot of energy, and running.”
Petra Crafford (20, right), a third-year BEng (Civil) student at Stellenbosch University (SU), plays as a handler in a friendly game of ultimate frisbee with fellow Maties. Maties also has a competitive ultimate frisbee team that practices twice a week and, during the competitive season, plays against Cape Town clubs, said Aloise Wepener (22), a fourth-year BEng (Civil) student at SU. PHOTO: Kyla Laing
Playing for your country is a lot of pressure, said Crafford, but added that she is excited to learn from players from different countries.
“When you have the badge on your shirt and your name on the back, you have so much more to play for,” said Misdorp.
A map showcasing the 21 countries participating in the mixed under-24 division of the Ultimate Frisbee World Championships this June. This is according to the Logroño, Spain, tournament information website. INFOGRAPHIC: Kyla Laing