Wits sneak into Varsity Cup

Wits sneak into Varsity Cup

3 Apr 2012

Wits picked up a surprise 19-17 win over CUT in the Varsity Shield final and gain automatic promotion to the Varsity Cup.

It was a close contest at the death in Bloemfontein as CUT trailed Wits by two points after a late try, but the visitors held on to their slender lead and recorded an impressive comeback victory. Wits now replace TUT in the Varsity Cup, while CUT will face UCT in a promotion-relegation play-off next week.

Wits had to overcome a 10-2 deficit in the first quarter as wing Alec Mhlanga and the boot of flyhalf Jannie Myburgh gave the hosts an early advantage. CUT then lost their ascendancy later in the opening 40, and continuous pressure in their red zone saw outside centre Bronson Lange and lock Rinus Bothma secure the students from Johannesburg a 15-10 lead at the break.

Wits flyhalf Kyle Peyper extended his team’s buffer to nine points with two penalties in the second stanza. CUT reserve hooker Danie van der Merwe powered through from close range in the 69th minute, but his side couldn’t find a match-winning score at the death as Wits celebrated victory.

By Gareth Duncan


2 Comments

  • 1.jamied: Reply to this comment
    2 Apr 2012, 20:58 pm

    Nice one Wits. Looking forward to poppIng down the road to UCT to support the Blue & Yellow next year. That’s if the Tiger’s manage to avoid relegation that is;). Hope the Varsity Cup grows from Strength to Strength!!

  • 2.zoo cleaner: Reply to this comment
    3 Apr 2012, 10:07 am

    Why is the Varsity Cup split into a Cup and Shield? Who did the separation, and how, if the point is to benefit university rugby does having this split benefit the “weaker” varsities if they can never compete with better opposition?

    To me having a split like this is running opposite to the point of university competition. Also, students come and go, they are not professionals. For example, one year KZN might have a great team, get promoted and then have a bad run and get chucked out and get thrashed the next year. How do the smaller rugby universities hope to attract playing talent if there is no real chance of them ever making it out of the Shield, which competition the scouts are watching.

    I don’t think the structure benefits SA university rugby as a whole and does nothing to develop the weaker teams, although the “traditional” strong universities are no doubt benefiting handsomely at their poorer cousins’ expense.

    So lets look past the razzmatazz and spin doctoring and find out if the smaller varsities have received any benefit at all. Could you do this for us KEO?

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

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