Eagles feel the heat after UJ loss
REACTION: The NWU Eagles will be desperate for a win in Bloemfontein next week as their campaign reaches a key phase.
After three rounds, the Varsity Cup play-off race is starting to take shape.
Tuks thumped Maties 33-17 on Monday to maintain their unbeaten run in this year’s tournament.
Shimlas hammered CUT 71-19, UCT beat Emeris 32-10, and UJ claimed a shock 35-29 win over the NWU Eagles.
The upshot is that Tuks have taken a three-point lead over the Eagles at the top of the Varsity Cup table.
The next set of fixtures will be crucial, as each of the eight teams look to improve on their respective log positions.
The Eagles started the campaign in the best possible manner, claiming back-to-back bonus-point wins against CUT and Emeris.
Last Monday’s loss to UJ, however, has placed them on the back foot.
“We were very disappointed with what happened on Monday,” Eagles coach Burger van der Westhuizen told Rugby365.
“We fought back from 14-28 down at half-time, and regained the lead, but couldn’t get over the line.
“We came away with two bonus points, which may help us in the long run, but we aren’t happy with our performance.”
Coaches often highlight the challenge of the Varsity Cup schedule, with seven round-robin clashes staged in as many weeks before the competition progresses to the play-offs.
For the Eagles, the 2026 schedule is particularly tough.
They’ve come through less challenging fixtures against CUT – who’ve never made the play-offs – and Emeris – who are making their Cup debut this season – with maximum log points.
They would have targeted a win against UJ, given that the Johannesburg outfit has been one of the less successful teams in recent years, and narrowly escaped relegation in 2025.
Following the recent result, the Eagles will have it all to do against some of the traditional powerhouses in the last four weeks of the league phase.
After facing Shimlas in Bloemfontein, they will battle Tuks in Potchefstroom, Maties in Stellenbosch and the reigning champions UCT at home.
“We’re into the business end of the tournament now,” said Van der Westhuizen. “There’s no doubt about it.
“You could say it’s not going to get any easier, but that’s the nature of the competition. If you want to win it, you need to beat those teams.”
The Eagles understand better than most how it feels to miss out on the play-offs by the narrowest of margins, after finishing fifth in the league last season.
“We’ve spoken about that and how we want to keep destiny in our own hands.
“It’s no easy task playing Shimlas in Bloem. They understand the Varsity Cup well and have a well-balanced side, so we will need to be at our best.”
