The UP-Tuks rugby team secured a Varsity Cup home semi-final on Monday with their impressive 34-0 win against UJ in Johannesburg. Their opponents for the semi-final, which will take place at the Tuks Stadium on 30 March, will only be known after completion of the group phase on 23 March.

UP-Tuks will go into their last match of the group phase, against the NNMU Madibaz in Port Elizabeth, as log leaders with 25 points. The UFS Shimlas, the only undefeated team in the tournament, also have 25 points but UP-Tuks’ greater points difference (144 versus the Shimlas’ 108) places them at the top of the log.

‘Our win proved beyond any doubt that we are a team with the kind of big-match temperament that distinguishes champions from mere participants. In the first half we absorbed everything UJ could throw at us with our rock-solid defence, the trademark of a proud team with the right attitude. In the second half, we continued to defend well but were also more clinical in our attack,’ commented UP-Tuks coach Pote Human.

‘Our work is, however, far from being done. We are sure of playing at home in the semi-finals, but that will not put us at ease in our preparation for the last group fixture against the Madibaz.

‘We want to finish first on the log and that makes an emphatic win against NMMU non-negotiable. We are almost there, but “almost” does not guarantee championship titles. The foundation for a most memorable season has been laid; we must now build on this with clinical precision in order to achieve the outcome for which we have all been working so hard,’ added Human.