Shield shame to Cup glory: How Tuks flipped the script

REACTION: Coach Dewey Swartbooi reflects on how Tuks won a record-breaking sixth Varsity Cup title just two years after their relegation to the Shield.

Swartbooi apologises to Rugby365 for not returning a series of calls and texts in the wake of Tuks’ 31-3 victory in the Varsity Cup final on Monday night.

It’s been a crazy 36-hour period for the coaches and players, and when Swartbooi finally takes the call, it’s evident that the post-match celebrations are still going strong.

“The party hasn’t stopped since the final whistle on Monday,” the Tuks boss says with a chuckle.

“I had a look at the team WhatsApp group earlier, and the posts have been coming through at all hours.

“I caught up with the boys again [on Wednesday morning], and I can confirm that the celebrations haven’t stopped.

“It’s unbelievable to be in this position… and I think that a lot of us in this group know that we have to cherish the moment.

“Rugby has it’s ups and downs, and we’ve certainly had our downs.

“Now that we’re on top, we’re going to enjoy it.”

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History made!

Tuks beat the NWU Eagles to win their sixth Varsity Cup title – making them the most decorated team in the tournament.

Link to the match report in the comments. pic.twitter.com/C9wRR5IFl6

— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) April 13, 2026

For Swartbooi and some of the current players, the title-winning victory against the NWU Eagles marked the end of a much longer and challenging journey.

Tuks have been one of the leading teams in the Varsity Cup since its inception.

When they were relegated to the Shield on the back of a disastrous 2023 campaign, there was an outcry from the rugby community in Pretoria.

Swartbooi and company managed to bounce back in the coming months, winning all of their Shield matches by emphatic margins and securing promotion to the 2025 edition of the Varsity Cup.

But even now, with the Cup title secured and the team’s reputation restored, there’s a reason to reflect on how far they’ve come.

“Those were dark, dark days, and I was part of that, I was part of the management team that took Tuks down to the Varsity Shield,” Swartbooi admits.

“The university gave me the role of interim coach, and we plotted our way back to the Cup… and when we got there, it was a case of ‘Never again’.

“A team like Tuks, with all its history, should never be relegated.

“Even now, after winning the Cup, we talk about how quickly rugby can change, and we remind ourselves why we can’t let it slip like that again.”

There was a point during Tuks’ comeback season in 2025 where they appeared to be on course for a unlikely double – Shield and Cup titles in consecutive seasons.

Then Tuks were eliminated from the title race after losing to eventual champions UCT in the semifinals.

While many praised Tuks for hitting their straps in their first season back, Swartbooi worried that the window to achieve something special had closed.

“We lost 18 boys after last year. We had about nine from 2025 who were eligible for the 2026 campaign,” he explains.

“To be brutally honest, I felt that we were in a bit of trouble, and that it would be a matter of survival in 2026.

“But there is a burning flame of determination within the group, and as we went through the preseason matches, I started to think, okay, we still have something here.

“Then the boys started to show that spirit and character over the course of the campaign.”

Tuks won six of their seven league fixtures, with their only loss coming against the Eagles in Potchefstroom.

They played the most balanced brand of rugby over the course of the competition – ranking in the top two for most attacking metrics, while leading the way on defence.

When the final was staged in wet conditions this past Monday, the team produced a commanding all-round performance to overcome a dangerous Eagles side.

The group went into that decider with a ‘no excuses’ mentality.

“I recently read about the great New Zealand Sevens coach Gordon Tietjens, and his approach to coaching a squad,” says Swartbooi.

“It can’t only be about one or two star players or a specific starting combination. Every player in the squad must be able to do the job.

“We used 32 players over the course of our nine matches, and we were very tight as a group.

“The cohesion as well as the character were apparent from the preseason phase, and that only became stronger as the season progressed.

“I was very proud of the way we played in the final.”

Tuks became the first team in history to win both the Shield and Cup titles – and future records should reflect that they achieved the double in the space of three incredible seasons.

The win against the Eagles also marked Tuks’ sixth Varsity Cup title. No team has won more.

Is it too early to be talking about a run of consecutive titles?

The Pretoria-based side has gone back-to-back twice before – in 2012 and 2013, and in 2021 and 2022.

Why not in 2026 and 2027?

Swartbooi laughs when this is put to him. It may be a fair question, but the timing is wrong.

“To be honest, I haven’t thought that far ahead.

“We’ve got the league starting in the first week of May, so in a sense, there’s no sleep for the wicked.

“In terms of the Varsity Cup, we’ll lose a few boys who are finishing their studies this year, and so we’ll have to reassess ahead of next season’s campaign.

“This job has taught me that you can’t think too far ahead, because rugby can bring you to earth very quickly.

“And with that in mind, you have to make sure you celebrate your victories.”

One gets the feeling that the festivities in Pretoria will continue for several days yet.