CUT docked points over ineligible player

OPINION: CUT Ixias have been stripped of five log points after it was found that they had fielded an ineligible player in the first-round victory against UJ.

The 2025 Varsity Cup has served up a few upsets over the past two weeks – as well as one moment of controversy.

CUT – the smaller of the two Varsity Cup sides from Bloemfontein – has stepped out of the Shimlas’ shadow to secure two important wins against UJ and UCT.

On Monday, they beat the Ikeys 23-19 to send shockwaves through the varsity rugby community.

At that stage, the plucky Free State side was on course to finish the round in third place on the Varsity Cup log.

Less than 24 hours later, however, it was confirmed that CUT had been punished for fielding an ineligible player in the 29-13 win against UJ, and that five points had been wiped from their tally.

As a result, CUT have dropped to fifth place in the Varsity Cup standings.

Following an investigation, it was discovered that Kgothatso “KT” Sono was ineligible for selection, as he did not complete the postgraduate qualification for which he was registered in the past year.

Helgard Muller, the deputy manager of CUT’s sports department, told Netwerk24 that the management had met on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the issue and that a further investigation would be conducted in due course.

It’s a blow for the plucky side from Bloemfontein, who have big goals for the 2025 campaign.

In the wake of the monumental win against UCT on Monday, coach Randall Modiba told @rugby365 that the result has given his charges a lot of belief.

While UCT has been perennial contenders for the title over the past two decades, CUT has yet to qualify for the playoffs since the inception of the tournament in 2008.

Modiba hopes that the class of 2025 will break the barrier.

“From the outset, we asked ourselves how we were going to change the status quo,” he said.

“CUT is always fighting to avoid relegation but is never in the playoff conversation. That needs to change.”

Their next fixture against Maties may well be their toughest.

Maties beat the Shimlas 41-37 in the opening round, before surviving a late scare to edge the NWU Eagles 29-27 in Potchefstroom.

In light of recent events, CUT should be more desperate than ever to come away from the match in Stellenbosch with some log points.