EXCLUSIVE: The Varsity Cup side turning heads with their big scalps

INTERVIEW: Tuks are in a strong position to host a Varsity Cup play-off thanks to their recent wins against former champions UCT and Shimlas.

The NWU Eagles hammered Emeris 63-15 in Potchefstroom on Monday afternoon, before UCT thrashed CUT 83-34 on the Green Mile.

UJ led Maties at half-time, but were eventually beaten 39-19 in Stellenbosch.

Up in Bloemfontein, Tuks claimed one of the most important results of the round when they overcame Shimlas to secure a 38-22 bonus-point victory.

After two rounds, the Eagles and Tuks are neck and neck at the top of the Varsity Cup table, having banked maximum log points from their respective fixtures.

Thanks to their superior try tally, the Eagles (18) are marginally ahead of Tuks (10).

That pecking order may change, however, in the coming weeks.

While the Eagles have laid down an early marker in terms of points and tries, they are yet to beat one of the top dogs of the Varsity Cup.

The NWU outfit thumped CUT in the first round, before putting newcomers Emeris to the sword this past Monday.

By contrast, Tuks have played some of their toughest fixtures first – against an Ikey side that won the tournament season and more recently against a Shimlas team that lifted the trophy in 2024.

If Tuks come through their next game against Maties – another traditional powerhouse of the Varsity Cup – they will be well placed to qualify for the play-offs and potentially host a final.

Coach Dewey Swartbooi told Rugby365 that this Tuks side is yet to reach its potential, having lost 15 players at the end of the 2025 campaign, which ended in a semifinal defeat to UCT in Pretoria.

That said, they came into the 2026 tournament with the intent to make a statement in the first three matches against UCT, Shimlas and Maties.

“We were stoked to come through that first game against UCT with a big [38-22] win, Swartbooi told Rugby365.

“If we had lost, it would have been three losses in a row to UCT, and what really hurt last year was how we lost to the Ikeys on our home turf.

“It was important to get the result against them at our own house and start the season on the right note.”

Swartbooi was at the helm of Tuks when they were relegated to the Shield in 2024.

It was a humbling experience for a team that has won the Cup five times before, and the coaches and players endeavoured to regain premier league status as soon as possible.

Tuks rejoined the Cup competition in 2025 and managed to beat leading sides such as the Eagles and Maties, despite competing at a lower level in 2024.

More is expected of Tuks now that they’ve had a season to acclimatise to the Cup.

“We’re still treating every game as a final,” said Swartbooi.

“We always knew that these first three games of the campaign were going to be like mini-finals. If we could win two or even three against UCT, Shimlas and Maties, we knew it would be massive for our campaign.

“If you look at the schedule, it’s almost a case of half the job being done [if they go on to beat Maties].

“Obviously, we are taking it one game at a time, as one swallow doesn’t make a summer.”

After hosting Maties in Pretoria next Monday, Tuks will face CUT, the Eagles, Emeris and UJ in subsequent weeks.

On current form, the Maties and Eagles represent the biggest threats to Tuks’ winning streak.

The Eagles’ schedule will only get tougher.

After tackling UJ in Johannesburg in the third round, NWU will play Shimlas, Tuks, Maties and UCT.

With Varsity Cup trialling several law and rule changes, Tuks have had to adapt.

This season, tries scored rather than points-difference will separate two or more teams that have the same number of log points – which is why the Eagles are ranked first and Tuks second.

Only Shimlas (nine) have scored fewer tries than Tuks over the first two rounds of the 2026 tournament.

Those figures may change, of course, once Tuks come through this block of marquee fixtures and play some of the less-established teams.

Nevertheless, Tuks are determined to become a more rounded outfit and have shown signs of progress in the early rounds.

“We won’t go away from our strengths; we want to be a strong set-piece team and to physically dominate opponents,” said Swartbooi. “That will never change.

“But you saw how the Boks have evolved in recent seasons, and in the same way, we want to be known as an all-round threat.

“I think we are moving in the right direction.”