The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the FNB Varsity Cup tournament. 

Last year, the Varsity Cup tournament had to be cancelled midway through due to a national lockdown. This year, it was hosted at Tuks in a secure bio-bubble.

"COVID-19 is real, but the biggest mistake anyone can make is to continuously worry about how it might impact your life. Negativity is never good. The challenge I have put to the players is to see the glass as half full rather than half empty," said John-Laffnie de Jager, TuksRugby Mental Coach. 

"Due to COVID-19, we are continuously challenged in many ways. Most players were used to only playing Varsity Rugby on Mondays and sleeping at home. Now they got to play three games in a week and adapt to life in a bio-bubble. 

"Our team motto is "we love being uncomfortable". If you are not uncomfortable, you are comfortable. Once that happens, there is always a risk of being average. 

"That is why I encourage the players to embrace being uncomfortable. The more pressure there is, the more you are forced to think out of the box to find ways to become a better player, a better coach. In the end, if everyone does this, the team has a better chance of winning. 

"During every practice, it is about giving 100%. When the coach tells a player that he is 'loafing', he is not nasty. It is, in fact, a compliment. The coach will only say it because he believes that the player is capable of being better."

De Jager believes being a good rugby player starts with being a good student. 

"If you are disciplined in your studies, it so much easier to be disciplined on the field. Players should realise no rugby career lasts forever. They got to get their degrees. Life after rugby is long. The challenges you face on a rugby field fades to insignificance compared to that of real life."

Losing, according to de Jager, is not an option. 

"We only needed ten points from our last three games to qualify for the semi-finals, but I don't think the players should reason like that. We approached each game as if we are playing a final."

In his tennis playing days, de Jager was considered one of the world's best doubles players. He represented South Africa at the 2000 Sydney Olympics losing in the semi-finals. Contested the French and Australian Open's mixed doubles finals and played in the men's doubles semi-finals in Australia, the USA, and Wimbledon. In 2000 he was ranked 11th in the world.

De Jager went on to coach South Africa's Davis Cup team and the Federation Cup Team. He has also coached teams to win the World Team Championship on two occasions.