Clean slate for defending VC champs
Shimlas were always a competitive side in the competition, although their play-off form suggests otherwise, and 2015 proved to be their breakout year. Under the guidance of current Cheetahs coach Franco Smith, the Bloemfontein-based students remained unbeaten and went on to claim to their first-ever title.
That has made the task ahead a lot harder for the former Springbok flank, however, he remains fully focussed on maintaining the team's culture.
"There's always pressure on us. We have always done well in the competition, maybe not in the play-offs, but that pressure will always be there. There is certainly more pressure now that we are the defending champions.
"The team culture will be the same as it has been for the past few years. We don't have big name players and our focus is to work towards getting the best out of every individual in our ranks and try to make the team our first priority," Scholtz told rugby365.com.
Varsity Cup has become a breeding ground for the next generation of professional players and that has hit Shimlas hard, with a number of their 2015 squad members having moved into the senior ranks.
"We have lost a lot of guys and are not privileged enough to have a lot of last year's senior players as they moved up the ranks into the Currie Cup setup and they are certainly in contention for spots in the [Cheetahs'] Super Rugby squad. But that's the way it should work. You should play Varsity Cup and the next step should be to play Super Rugby.
"Players need to be developed for the senior teams and if that's how this year turns out, then we have succeeded in reaching the main goal.
"I guess you can say that we starting a new chapter but that's the nature of the competition. We have talented players in Bloemfontein and there are a lot of them coming through the system. We have identified a few guys from our local competition who will be joining us for the competition," he added.
The hard work has just begun for Scholtz and the Shimlas as a recent pre-season encounter, which saw him field two squads as part of a trial game, did not go according to plan but it is something he expected ahead of a very tough Varsity Cup draw.
"The warm-up game was your typical pre-season match, a real stop-start affair where no-one could really get going.
"We know we have a massive challenge on our hands this year with the draw we have been given. We play UCT-Ikeys, Maties, UP-Tuks and NWU-Pukke away – after hosting them last season – but that's something we look forward to.
"It's an opportunity for young, unknown guys to put up their hands and make a name for themselves. The younger guys have seen how quickly you can make the step up into senior rugby," Scholtz stated.
By Tauriq Ebrahim
