EXCLUSIVE: Gauteng traffic fails to derail plucky Tuks

SPOTLIGHT: Tuks coach Dewey Swartbooi has hailed the tenacity of his charges after they overcame a significant pre-match setback to win their Varsity Cup comeback match on Monday.

The 2025 Varsity Cup kicked off earlier this week, with Maties edging 2024 champions Shimlas 41-37 in Stellenbosch.

Up in Johannesburg, CUT claimed an important 29-13 win against UJ, while the match between UCT and NWU –  initially postponed due to protest action at Cape Town University – was played on Tuesday where Ikeys secured a 32-23 win.

Over at Wits, newly-promoted Tuks romped to a 35-8 bonus-point victory in their first Varsity Cup fixture since 2023.

While that scoreline suggests that Tuks had everything their own way, Swartbooi reveals how the coaches and players were thrown a curve ball in the hours leading up to the game.

“We actually got stuck on the highway on the way to Wits, and the kickoff was delayed by a couple of hours,” Swartbooi told Rugby365com.

“It wasn’t ideal in terms of preparation, but in a way, it calmed the nerves a bit. By the time we arrived at Wits, the boys were in high spirits.

“We went through a few challenges in the Varsity Shield last year, and that brought us closer together as a group.

“There was actually a similar incident ahead of our first Shield game against UFH, where the game was delayed by more than an hour, so it wasn’t exactly a new experience.

“There are a lot of players who have come through those challenges in the Shield, and are still part of the team for this Cup campaign,” Swartbooit added.

“In a sense, that helped us to deal with what happened on Monday before the clash at Wits.

“Looking at how things turned out, we couldn’t have asked for a better start to the campaign. The boys gave it everything, and I was pleased with the performance.

“A few calls went our way, and sometimes you need the bounce of the ball.”

Last season, Swartbooi observed the difference in conditioning levels between the Cup and Shield tournaments.

With that in mind, the Tuks coaching staff has spent a lot of time preparing the players for the intensity and speed of the Cup.

“That’s been a massive focus for us in the preseason, because make no mistake, there’s a big gap between the two competitions,” Swartbooi confirmed.

“I must give credit to the conditioning coach for the work he’s done with the boys. It was tough at Wits, and we know that there will be more challenges to come this season, but we’ve made a great start.

“We’ve said it from the outset, our goal is still stay in the Cup.

“You see it happen in the English Premier League, when a team goes up, but then goes back down to the Championship the following season, because they’re not ready for that higher level.

“We have to make sure that we stay here, and even though it’s a cliche, we’re taking it one game at a time.”

Tuks will face UJ next Monday in what should be another fiercely contested Gauteng derby.

Both teams will desperate to bank points, with their overall campaign in mind.

Come the end of the season, a single point could mean the difference between finishing in the top six or in the relegation zone.

The seventh-placed side faces the second-placed team in the Varsity Shield in a promotion-relegation playoff, while the last-placed side is automatically relegated to the second tier.

Swartbooi reiterated that Tuks’ priority is to remain in the top flight.

Talk of pushing for a semifinal spot will have to wait until they’ve secured participation in the Varsity Cup for at least another season.

“Every game was a final last season, and we know how important every match will be in the Cup over the next couple of months,” Swartbooi said.

“UJ are going to throw the kitchen sink at us. I think that every other side in the Cup views us as ‘the Varsity Shield team’ this year, and will really want to target us.

“We haven’t forgotten about what happened the last time we met, in our final game of the 2023 Varsity Cup season.

“We had already been relegated by that stage, and were playing for pride, but UJ came away with the victory.

“So make no mistake, this is a game we dearly want to win.”

*Photo credit: Varsity Cup