The Shimlas beat Tuks 48-35 in Pretoria, earning a crucial bonus-point victory to keep their title defence alive.

Meanwhile, North-West University Eagles annihilated the Central University of Technology Ixias 117-19 in Potchefstroom, but this emphatic win was not enough to see them sneak into the semi-finals.

In Pretoria, the Shimlas struck first when Jacobus Bezuidenhout scored, with Bradley Giddy successfully converting. Tuks responded swiftly as Edwin Till crossed the whitewash, levelling the score at 7-7. The Shimlas regained the lead in the 25th minute when captain Nkoka Ngobe scored a converted point-of-origin try. Kirwin du Preez added a third try for the Shimlas, giving them a 23-7 lead at half-time.

???? The bomb from Giddy, the lucky bounce and Kirwin Du Preez with the stinky leg!@UFSweb playing with intent!#NxtLevel #RugbyThatRocks pic.twitter.com/gtzVO3ldwN

— Varsity Cup (@varsitycup) March 31, 2025

In the second half, the Striped Generation were the first to score when eighth-man Hayn Kemp secured a point-of-origin try, followed by an effort from Bayanda Ngubane to narrow the gap. However, the Shimlas remained dominant up front, and tighthead prop Ben Pitout scored the crucial bonus-point try.

The Shimlas weren’t done yet, as winger Siviwe Zondani and loose forward Ramon Uys also crossed the whitewash to seal the victory and book their semi-final clash against Maties.

Following the win in the capital city, Shimlas captain Nkoka Ngobe expressed his confidence in the team.

“No, listen, we knew it was going to be a very difficult game because, looking at the log, this was like a quarter-final,” said Ngobe.

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“Our mindset was that of knockout rugby, and I think it showed today that we had to focus – not just focus, but actually do our job.

“We knew that everyone had to do their job and give their 100%, and when we do that, things like this happen. We play as one, we have synergy, and that’s what it’s all about. We wanted to make it a challenge by doing it away from home.

“I think this year we’ve shown perseverance because we’ve played all the so-called big games away from home. To get this result in our last away game before the playoffs is really special. The guys are special, but we know that the job’s not done yet – it’s never done.”

Luan van der Walt - ASEM Engage

At the Fanie du Toit Stadium in Potchefstroom, the NWU Eagles needed a bonus-point win against the Ixias to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals. They also had to rely on the then-unbeaten Tuks to defeat the Shimlas in Pretoria.

The Eagles certainly did their part on the field, with Luan van der Walt scoring a hat-trick of tries, while Naiden Jaarts, Tian van Zyl, Chyle van Zyl, and Matthew Fortuin all bagged a brace.

Additionally, Ntobeko Shezi, Indiphile Tyeda, Guhan du Bois, Sean Roulston, and Sanele Zungu all crossed the whitewash, helping NWU record the highest score and largest winning margin of the season.

Unfortunately for NWU, the bonus-point try scored by the Shimlas denied them a semi-final spot. Had the team from Bloemfontein not scored four or more tries, the Eagles would have advanced to the last four instead.

Naiden Jaarts. Photo: ASEM Engage

While the Ixias suffered a heavy defeat in Potchefstroom, there is a silver lining: they will not be relegated or be required to participate in the promotion-relegation playoff this season.

Maties secured a 47-7 victory over Wits in Johannesburg, which meant that Wits finished at the bottom of the log and were relegated to the Varsity Shield. Meanwhile, UCT Ikeys overcame a determined UJ side 49-31 in Johannesburg. As a result, the Orange Army finished second last and will have to face the NMU Madibaz in the promotion-relegation playoff.

On Monday at 16:45, Tuks will take on the Ikeys in the first semi-final in Pretoria. Later, at 19:00, Maties will host the Shimlas at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch for the second semi-final.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg