1. 154 Februarie 2016
RAYNIQUE MEYER
PHOTO: MARIO VAN DE WALL
Sport
Third time lucky for NWU-Pukke?
Round 1 – 08/02/2016 16:45
FNB TUKS FNB NWU-PUK Tuks Rugby Stadium, Pretoria.
Round 2 – 15/02/2016 19:00
FNB NWU-PUK FNB UJ Fanie du Toit Sport Grounds, Potchefstroom.
Round 3 – 22/02/2016 18:30
FNB IKEYS FNB NWU-PUK UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town.
Round 4 – 29/02/2016 19:00
FNB NWU-PUK FNB SHIMLAS Fanie du Toit Sport Grounds, Potchefstroom.
Round 5 – 03/03/2016 16:45
FNB NWU-PUK FNB CUT Fanie du Toit Sport Grounds, Potchefstroom.
Round 6 – 14/03/2016 18:30
FNB NMMU FNB NWU-PUK Madibaz Stadium, PE.
Round 7 – 21/03/2016 18:30
FNB NWU-PUK FNB MATIES Fanie du Toit Sport Grounds, Potchefstroom.
@RayniqueM
T
he NWU-Pukke will face UP-
Tuks in their opening match
on eight February in Pretoria,
when this year’s Varsity Cup kicks
off.
Two years in a row the Potchef-
stromers chocked in the finals, but
perhaps the Puk1 team can turn
the page with the newly appointed
coach, Jonathan Mokuena, and
fresh players who will jog onto the
turf for the first time in the black,
white and maroon jerseys.
Under the coaching hand of
former Leopards coach, Robert du
Preez, the NWU-Pukke made in
into the final round in 2014 of the
Cup tournament. That being said,
most people don’t remember what
happened – only the name Johnny
Welthagen.
NWU-Pukke leading the score
during most of the match, but the
Ikeys fought back hard to clinch a
39-33 victory. In the 81st minute of
the game, Welthagen lined up for a
drop goal in front of the goal post,
but was chased down by the Ikeys
players and they took advantage of
it. The Capetonians scored a try and
took the winning trofee right away
from the home team at the Fanie du
Toit Sport Grounds.
In 2015, again under the coach-
ing hand of Du Preez, Welthagen
fully redeem himself when he
scored a match-winning try against
UP-Tuks, ending 29-28, which
owned them a spot in the semi-
finals.
Jeandre Rudolph, captain of the
NWU-Pukke rugby team, again led
the boys into the finals against the
UFS-Shimlas.
This was devastating for the visi-
tors at Shimla Park as the team was
again unable to handle the final.
The NWU-Pukke faced a 66-33
defeat against the Bloemfontein-
ers, with two yellow cards counting
against them.
The discipline of the players saw
to it that the NWU-Pukke faced
their consecutive final defeat.
But NWU-Pukke will look to bury
the past under the coaching of the
former sevens captain, Mokuena,
when he stated that “I want to build
relationships and obviously I want
to be successful, because I hate los-
ing. I take it quite personally, but at
the end of the day there will always
be a better coach than yourself.”
Although the Potchefstromers
had two years without success, the
hard work paid off when many of
these players made the Varsity Cup
Dream Team. Good strategy and
coaching plans just might be the
change the NWU-Pukke need to
walk away with a golden cup.
Full Backs:
• Tapiwa Lloyd Mafura
• Rhyno Christo Smith
• Sylvian Mahuza
Wings:
• Alvino Montjies
• Dean Stokes
• Lucian Ronwill Cupido
Centers:
• Elden Nico Schoeman
• Gene Gustave Willemse
• Hendrik Jacobus Marais
• Jacobus Fredruk Hayward
• Ryno Anthony Pienaar
Fly Halfs:
• Barend Jansen van
Rensburg
• Schalk Hugo
Scrum Halfs:
• Chriswill September
• Francois Nel
• Kurshwill Williams
• Malherbe Swart
Loose Forwards:
• Jeandre Rudolph (c)
• Marno Redelinghuys
• Rudolph van Deventer
• Estehan Visagie
• Funani Mabala
• Gideon Johann van der Merwe
• Loftus Morrison
• Christiaan Rudolph Liebenberg
Locks:
• Daniel Barend Jordaan
• Deejee Putter
• Ruan Venter
• Walt Steenkamp
• Louis Almoro Grey
Props:
• Bartholomeus Gabriël le Roux
• Bhekisa Shongwe
• Dewald Dekker
• Mashudu Mafela
• Johan Smith
• Mogau Mabokela
• Röan Grobbelaar
• Hookers:
• Wian Fourie
• Wilmar Arnoldi
• Louis van der Westhuizen