Tuks put the seal on prefect season
MATCH REPORT: Scoring 15 tries to three, UP-Tuks ran rampant and beat Varsity College 95-21 in the Final of the 2024 Varsity Shield in Pretoria.
That added yet another trophy to their cabinet.
The new champions finished the season unbeaten and will return to the Varsity Cup next year.
Playing at home, with the clear objective of a spotless campaign and to be crowned the champions, the Stripe Generation opened the scoring through captain Ethan Burger.
The rest of the first half was a one-sided affair with more tries by Kamohelo Tlome, Cayno February, Henry Till and Marco Venter.
Five minutes before the break, the home team were leading 38-0.
Varsity College finally registered points on the board on the stroke of half-time through flyhalf Frederick Marx who dotted down and converted his own try, the score 38-7 at the break.
Tuks came back and continued their demolishing act on their opponents who didn’t have any answers to the onslaught.
Bayanda Ngubane was the first to cross the try line with Ambesa Zenzile shortly following.
Varsity College then pulled one back through Benjamin Field while Michael Horak also managed a five-pointer for his team.
Then it was more of the same from the Stripe Generation with Kyle Cyster scoring a brace as well as tries by Ruan van Blommestein, Haydn Kemp, Jacobus Louw and Tharquinn Manuel.
SCORERS
For UP-Tuks
Tries: Ethan Burger, Kamohelo Tlome, Bayanda Ngubane 2, Cayno February 2, Henry Till, Marco Venter, Ambesa Zenzile, Kyle Cyster 2, Ruan van Blommestein, Haydn Kemp, Jacobus Louw, Tharquinn Manuel
Cons: Jean-Pierre Wentzel 8, Walter Visser 2
For Varsity College
Tries: Frederick Marx, Benjamin Field, Michael Horak
Cons: Frederick Marx 3
Player That Rocks: Kyle Cyster (UP-Tuks)
TEAMS
UP-Tuks: 15 Kyle Edward Cyster, 14 Bayanda Sinele Ngubane, 13 Tharquinn Thane Manuel, 12 Kobus Janse Van Rensburg, 11 Ambesa Zenzile, 10 Jean-Pierre Wentzel, 9 Chad-Lee Valentine, 8 Marco Venter, 7 Cayno Douglas February, 6 Kamohelo Tlome, 5 Roald Hattingh, 4 Johannes Wilhelmus Mare, 3 Dian Stephan Coetzee, 2 Henry Edwin Till, 1 Ethan Lance Burger.
Varsity College: 15 Tshegofatso Ramaloko, 14 Sivuyisiwe Mpendu, 13 Mbasa Nkonki, 12 Macmillian Mudara, 11 Nkazimulo Mzolo, 10 Frederick Marx, 9 Abande Mthembu, 8 Mandisi Nkutha, 7 Enzo Van Niekerk, 6 Juan Steyl, 5 Werner Coetzee, 4 Robert Everson, 3 Siyabonga Dube, 2 Jacques Marais, 1 Sonwabo Maseko.
SEASON awards
Player That Rocks: Tharquinn Manuel (UP-Tuks)
Back That Rocks: Tharquinn Manuel (UP-Tuks)
Forward That Rocks: Ethan Burger (UP-Tuks)
Rookie Of The Year: Jean-Pierre Wentzel (UP-Tuks)
