Madibaz incorporate Judo in preparation for Varsity Shield
SPOTLIGHT: Judo sessions and daily workshops on team standards and culture have become the norm for Madibaz rugby coach David Manuel’s charges while preparing for the annual Varsity Shield season.
The students kick off their 2025 campaign against Varsity College in Durban on Valentine’s Day (February 14) and they have been at it from dawn to dusk to avenge their nail-biting semifinal defeat to last season’s surprise package, Varsity College.
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As is the Manuel way, there is a lot of love within the squad – albeit of the tough variety – and the players are certainly feeling it.
They have been up at 6.30am every day since assembling for their pre-competition camp on January 12 and, outside of breakfast, lunch and dinner times, have been living rugby and little else.
“We have our Judo sessions in the afternoon to get our guys mentally-resilient and physically tough.
“I think we’ve sometimes missed that on the field,” he explained.
“Our 11.00am workshops are to make sure that everyone is clear on our standards and cultural pillars as Mandela University.
“There’s a lot of education on what our weeks will look like during the season and how each player prepares.”
Manuel starts the year without 10 of the mainstays who served him so well in the past few years.
Players graduating comes with the territory, however, and the coach has been extremely strategic in replacing them with recruits who can fill their boots effectively.
He explained that those fresh out of school were not always suited to playing senior rugby.
Accordingly, he has targeted first-years who either have national academy experience or have played at provincial U21 level.
Many of these players had played senior club rugby as well, he said.
“I need to make sure I’m on the money in terms of having guys who have played in different environments.”
Manuel acknowledged that this year’s Madibaz squad was very young – the average age is 22 – but the more he saw of them the more he believed he was on the right track.
Madibaz have had the added advantage of training with and playing against the Eastern Province senior team, now coached by former Springbok mentor Allister Coetzee.
On Sunday, the students managed to put one over the provincial outfit, winning 29-24.
While they lost their opening warm-up game against the SWD Eagles at Mandela University’s George campus a week earlier, Manuel said he had got what he wanted out of these fixtures.
He added the recent humid conditions in Gqeberha had been a blessing in disguise since his players could expect much of the same in Durban when they faced the Comets on February 14.
“The boys are tired but they are a bunch of warriors.”
