UP-Tuks Captain, Ruan Steenkamp hopes that it will be a third time lucky when he leads the TuksRugby team in their first FNB Varsity Cup-encounter against Maties on 30 January 2017 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
This will be Steenkamp’s third Varsity Cup campaign and his second season as Captain and there is nothing more that he wants than to bring the trophy back to Tuks.
Steenkamp made his debut for Tuks in the 2015 Varsity Cup tournament. It did not take long for him to make his presence felt. In his second match appearance he impressed by scoring two tries which enabled Tuks to beat the defending Varsity Cup Champions, UCT Ikey Tigers by 39–24.
Unfortunately for him he suffered a posterior cruciate ligament injury which meant that he missed out on the rest of the Varsity Cup tournament.
Last year Steenkamp captained Tuks in their 2016 campaign. He is the first to admit that it was a season of definite highlights but also of some real disappointments. Tuks lost their first three encounters, but then “fought” themselves back into contention with four successive victories. Even putting on a “ton” against the Ikeys beating them 100-25, but then Tuks ended up losing 49-11 in the semi-final against Maties.
When asked about what the fans can expect from Tuks, Steenkamp said: “Playing Varsity Cup is always a tough challenge but I honestly believe that we can go all the way and make our supporters proud.”
Steenkamp’s confidence sprouts from the fact that seven of last year’s forwards are still playing for Tuks.
“That is a big plus because we already know each other’s strength and weaknesses as teammates therefore we know what to expect from one another during pressure moments.”
Being the captain is nothing new to Steenkamp. It would not be wrong to say that he was born to lead. Steenkamp has been leading from the front for most of the teams that he has played for. The SA Schools, SA under-20, Blue Bulls under-19 as well as Blue Bulls under-21 are just some of the teams that he has captained.
Steenkamp has a no thrills approach to leading a team.
“I don’t believe in making bold predictions before a game, as I have learnt over the years that it is what happens on the field that will tell the real story in the end. I try to lead by example by giving a 100% each time I play.
“I think for us to have a successful Varsity Cup Campaign will depend on whether every player is prepared to put his body on the line and elevate his game to the next level. From my own personal experience, I know that there is no such thing as an easy game when you play Varsity Cup. We are defending Tuks’s honour on the field which means that we have to win a lot of battles before we can think about winning the war.”
Apart from giving Tuks fans a reason too proud by winning matches Steenkamp sees the Varsity Cup competition as a stepping stone for young players who want to play professionally.
“Consistent good performances in Varsity Cup could lead to athletes getting a call up to join super franchises or to play provincial rugby. So my advice to any youngster making his debut in the series is to seize the opportunity.”
Tuks’s Varsity Cup fixtures: 30 January 2017: Maties (Loftus); 13 February 2017: NMU Madibaz (Tuks Stadium); 20 February 2017: University of Johannesburg (away); 27 February: Wits (Tuks Stadium); 6 March 2017: Cape Town University (Tuks Stadium); 13 March 2017: Shimlas (away); 20 March 2017: Ikeys (Tuks Stadium).
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