NMMU no second-season pushovers
It took a nail-biting 33-28 victory over Fort Hare University for the Men from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) to realise just how close they were to losing out on participation in the 2009 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International.
The Men from Port Elizabeth had the wooden spoon thrust into their hands in the 2008 instalment and had to compete in two promotion/relegation play-offs against their neighbours from Alice for the right to be the Eastern Cape’s representative in this year’s tournament.
They responded with an emphatic 50-7 second-leg victory, which team manager Denver Brandt believes will be the springboard for a much better performance in 2009.
“The confidence that the guys took from that victory has certainly showed in our preparations for this year’s tournament,” says Brandt to varsitycup.co.za. “Our team is hungry for success and the dedication that the players have shown has been remarkable.”
Brandt, however, says that Varsity Cup participation is not only important for player morale, but also for the long-term prosperity of the club. “Our club rugby scene has never been particularly attractive to prospective players,” he explains.
“The standard is sometimes mediocre and there are only five to six really competitive games in a season.”
The situation also undermines the strong junior rugby system, where many reputable rugby schools such as Grey High and Dale College fall under the province’s jurisdiction.
However, Brandt explains that many promising schoolboys are often lured away by other provinces – leading to a considerably smaller pool of players for the university to draw from.
“It meant that even with the first year of Varsity Cup rugby we still struggled to recruit players. We definitely had a bit of a problem with our depth,” he says.
Despite their poor showing in 2008, the success of the tournament in general has impacted positively on recruitment for the club.
“The Varsity Cup has made it much more desirable for new players to come and join our club. What is particularly pleasing is the number of first years who are keen to join the club. That allows us to develop a bigger pool of players to choose from, which increases our resources and ability to compete,” says Brandt.
On the technical front, the club has followed in the footsteps of their colleagues by also appointing high-profile consultants. Old UPE boys and Springboks, André Vos and Hennie le Roux, have come on board as technical advisors, while former Eastern Province stalwart Jonathan Raath will assist in the skills department.
Brandt admits being very excited and expectant of the team and even harbours hope for a semi-final place.
“We have the potential to advance to the last four. Our preparations have been excellent and the players really believe that our campaign can be successful. We can’t get over-confident but I feel if we take it game by game we will be fine,” he says.
Yet the question marks remain at the conclusion of the tournament. It is then back to business as usual for NMMU as they line up against the powers of the Eastern Cape clubs. Brandt, however, takes a philosophical stance.
“Indeed it remains a worry that after the tournament we struggle to find fixtures that makes us compete against really good opposition,” he says. “For now though, our focus is on the Varsity Cup and who knows what can happen to NMMU rugby if we do well?”
By Heinz Schenk
