How WSU surged from near relegation to Varsity Shield Final
SPOTLIGHT: The game of rugby is cyclical, and it’s striking how quickly things can change over the course of a year.
Just last year, the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) side found themselves in a relegation battle, and scrapping to climb the bottom of the log in the Varsity Shield.
The East London side lacked aggression and intent, suffering a string of heavy defeats that threatened their status in the competition.
They survived by the barest of margins, and twelve months later, have made a remarkable turnaround.
They are set to face Wits in this year’s Final after beating UWC 42-32 in the semifinals.
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“It’s incredible how the boys have played this season after the campaign we had in 2025,” head coach Thembani Mkokeli told Rugby365.
“One of the challenges we faced in the past was that most of our players were young and first-year students.
“The majority of players we recruit come from rural schools, so that means their rugby background and level of understanding isn’t high.
“We worked hard throughout pre-season, and the guys gained confidence with the help of senior players in the side.”
During the off-season, WSU won the Brutten Top 10 Cup, which is a local competition in the Border region created to give clubs game time.
They used that campaign to identify areas of their game that needed improvement, and it paid dividends.
“In past years, we struggled a lot with our set pieces, and we had to address that during the Brutten Cup.
“We were a team known for playing coast-to-coast rugby, and our scrums and mauls would always get dominated.
“We worked on those and made a massive improvement, and it showed during the season. I think we’ve become a balanced team that can threaten from anywhere instead of just running the ball all the time.”
WSU have reached the Final twice before, in 2018 and 2021, but fell short on both occasions.
The side has carved out its own path in a Border region plagued by administrative issues and instability.
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The All Blacks, as they’re affectionately known, now have a date with destiny.
“We’ve been in the competition for 10 years and have nothing to show for it,” the coach added.
“Finally winning it would mean so much to the players and staff after all the struggles we’ve been through.
“It’s important for the University as well, and it would help us attract some quality players to come and study here.”
Wits will be tricky customers for the WSU All-Blacks after enjoying a stellar season.
The Johannesburg-based side finished the round-robin stage top of the log and secured automatic promotion to next year’s Varsity Cup competition.
They blew away Madibaz 68-10 in their semifinal, and WSU know what’s in store for them.
“They are not on top of the log by luck. As you can see, they are a team that’s dangerous with the ball in hand.
“Their skill set is very high, but what stands out for me is their tempo and the intensity they play with.
“If you can’t keep up with their tempo, you’ll find yourself behind the poles all the time, so we will need to match them.”
