Rugby
NWU Eagles claim more than bragging rights at Fanie─── MORGAN PIEK 08:37 Tue, 11 Mar 2025
The North-West University Eagles claimed more than just bragging rights in the Varsity Cup on Monday night as they thumped their old rivals, the University of the Free State Shimlas, in round four of the competition.
The Eagles ran in eight tries at the Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds in Potchefstroom, hammering the defending champions 59-14 to secure back-to-back victories in the tournament.
Stehan Heymans opened the scoring with a third-minute penalty, but Shimlas kept the Eagles under pressure for the next 15 minutes. NWU extended their lead when Nico Liversage crossed the whitewash after an offload from Matthew Fortuin, with Heymans adding the conversion.
Stehan Heymans. Photo: ASEM Engage
Ricardo Fourie’s try just before half-time made it 15-0.
The Eagles ran riot in the second half, with tries from Guhan Du Bois, Tian van Zyl, Isrome Phatudi, Schalk van Schalkwyk, and Indiphile Tyeda. Heymans slotted seven conversions, sealing a commanding 59-14 victory.
Shimlas fought back with tries from Nkoka Ngobe and Liam Shamburg, but the Eagles were simply unstoppable, outclassing their old foes to claim a dominant win on home soil.
Munashe Dukuswa. Photo: Hannse Naude/ASEM Engage
Meanwhile, it was a tough night in Bloemfontein for the Central University of Technology (CUT) Ixias, who the University of Pretoria Tuks hammered. The five-time champions opened the floodgates in the second half, storming to a 63-29 victory after leading by a narrow 19-14 at the break.
The opening half was a tightly contested battle, with the lead changing hands multiple times. Tuks struck first with a penalty try from a driving maul, but CUT hit back through hooker Tokelo Ntaopane.
Munashe Dukuswa’s try restored Tuks’ lead, only for Clive Hartzenberg to respond with a brilliant point-of-origin try. Just before half-time, Tuks hooker Edwin Till powered over to give his side a 19-14 advantage.
Mckyle Volmoer. Photo: Christiaan Kotze/ ASEM Engage
The Striped Generation shifted into another gear in the second half, with Dukuswa and Till completing their braces, while Chad-Lee Valentine, Kobus Janse van Rensburg, and Lilitha Matsiliza also crossed the line for the visitors. Despite tries from Leon Franzsen and Jordan Davids, the Ixias had no answer for the five-time champions, who ran away with a resounding win.
Over at the Green Mile in Cape Town, the University of Cape Town (UCT) Ikeys cruised to a convincing 73-17 victory over Wits, securing back-to-back wins after their triumph over Tuks the previous week.
Meanwhile, in Johannesburg, the unbeaten log leaders, Maties, claimed their fourth consecutive victory with a 25-7 win over the University of Johannesburg’s Orange Army.
