Share

New Varsity Cup champ awaits

Cape Town - There will be new champions crowned in the Varsity Cup this year after Tuks crashed out in a dramatic final round of league action before the semi-finals next week.

The defending champions were overhauled by three-time champions Maties who scored five tries after half-time in Stellenbosch to win 41-24 and set up a semi-final clash with Cape rivals UCT, whilst the table-topping NWU-Pukke will host NMMU who snuck into the play-offs in truly dramatic fashion.

A last-minute try from replacement hooker Martin Ferreira saw the Madibaz earn two bonus points in their 34-33 defeat to Shimlas in Bloemfontein which was just enough to put the Eastern Cape side through and break Shimlas hearts as they fell just short.

In a nail-biting final round of league action there were wins for Pukke and UCT who will host the two semi-finals next week, with Pukke coming from behind to beat UJ 24-20 in Potchefstroom and UCT proving too strong for Wits who went down 25-5 in their last Varsity Cup match before they drop back down to the Varsity Shield next year.

In the early match Shimlas looked to have booked their semi-final spot with a bonus-point victory before Ferreira's late try saw the Madibaz leapfrog them on the log.

The North-South clash in Stellenbosch - a replay of last year's final at the same venue - was effectively a quarterfinal, and a match-winning performance from Maties flyhalf Robert du Preez inspired the home team as they handed UP-Tuks their third consecutive defeat to knock them out of the competition.

Pukke continued the trend of comebacks in Potchefstroom as they fought back to score three quick tries which saw UJ slump to their fifth defeat of the season.

The Johannesburg side will have to play a promotion/relegation play-off with the team that loses the Varsity Shield Final, whilst Wits will be automatically replaced by the Varsity Shield champions after finishing on the bottom of the standings without a single win.

Wits have not won a game in their two seasons in the Cup competition, but any thoughts of a fairytale farewell for them were extinguished by UCT who ran in five tries to maintain their perfect away record and finish in second place, booking a fifth home semifinal in seven season of Varsity Cup action.

In the Varsity Shield there were wins for Fort Hare and UKZN who are the only two teams still in the running to face defending champions CUT in the final this season.

Fort Hare ran riot against UWC in Bellville, scoring seven tries as they recorded a big 51-29 win against former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers' side.

John Mitchell's UKZN Impi also had a big win, running in eight tries on their way to a resounding 55-24 victory over the TUT Vikings in Pretoria.

There was just one Varsity Young Guns match on Monday night with Pukke and Shimlas playing out a tense 26-26 draw in Potchefstroom which saw the Bloemfontein side squeeze into the semi-finals and ending Pukke's campaign.

In the Koshuisrugby Championships there were wins for Heimat from UFS, Purple Cobras from UCT and Medies from Maties as they all booked semi-final places.

Heimat beat Majuba from UJ 47-16 to stay unbeaten and top the Hi-Fi Corporation pool, with the Cobras' 34-13 victory over Humanities from Wits booking their semi-final spot, whilst in Stellenbosch Medies saw off the challenge from Onderstepoort to go through.

Results on Monday:

Varsity Cup:

Shimlas 34-33 NMMU
Maties 41-24 Tuks
Pukke 24 -20 UJ
Wits 5-25 UCT

Semi-final line-up:

UCT v Maties
Pukke v NMMU

Varsity Shield:

TUT 24-55 UKZN
UWC 29-51 UFH
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE