A bonus point win is non-negotiable when UP-Tuks 1 kicks off its Varsity Cup campaign on Monday 4 February against the CUT Ixias at the Tuks Stadium (18:30 kick-off).

“We cannot have a repeat of last year’s shameful performance, when we finished 7th. We owe it to ourselves, our supporters and the University to at least make the semi-finals of the 2019 competition," says UP-Tuks Head Coach Nollis Marais.

For this to happen, UP-Tuks will have to make a great start against CUT: “Good beginnings usually make good endings, and to win the Varsity Cup you have to be invincible at home. We need to make a statement that we mean serious business in 2019,” Marais says.

“I never lose sleep over what the opponents will bring to the battle, as I cannot control that. What I can control, however, is how effectively we play to our strengths. I said at the start of our preparations way back in November that, as we will field a young and rather inexperienced side, we have to revert to being ingenious in everything we do. We will have to be accurate, clinical, disciplined, patient and ruthless. Doing the small things right the first time will make the end result inevitable.”

UP-Tuks’ next home fixture will be against defending champions and arch-rivals Maties on 18 February. On 11 February, UP-Tuks play UJ in Johannesburg.

Come watch two of the games with your fellow alumni and reconnect over a light dinner, where a cash bar will also be available. The events, which are jointly hosted by Tuks Rugby Supporters Club (TROK) and the Alumni Relations Team, will take place at the Athletics Club House. The R160 fee covers the dinner and entrance to the game. R10 from the fee will be donated to a scholarship fund.

On Monday 18 February Allan Zondagh, the new Director of Rugby for the Blue Bulls, will be the guest speaker at the Tuks vs Maties game. The dinner starts at 17:00 and the game at 19:00. An invitation will be sent soon, so be sure to RSVP!

The Tuks vs Ikeys game will take place on 25 March. The dinner starts at 17:00 and the main game at 18:30. If you have any queries contact Henriette Minnaar by emailing her at [email protected] or phoning her at 012 420 3980.