The 2026 Varsity Cup has come down to the final two, following eight rounds of rugby.
UP-Tuks are set to lock horns with their fiercest foe of the season in a shape of NWU Eagles at the Tuks Stadium on Monday, 13 April.
Kick-off is at 19:00 and the match will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
Only loss of the season
The clash will be a repeat of Round 5 where Eagles came up on top 30-22 – the only side to defeat the Pretoria outfit this season.
UP-Tuks head coach Deway Swartbooi and company are on a hunt for a record sixth Varsity Cup title while their counterparts looking for their third trophy.
UP-Tuks triumphed in 2012, 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2022, while NWU Eagles were winners in 2016 and 2023.
Rollercoaster season
“We do not want to get ahead of ourselves; it is another game another final. Proud of the boys they showed grit and character throughout. We had a rollercoaster of a season, but we are still looking for that perfect game. It will be good being part of another final with Tuks.
“Akha our scrumhalf got player of the match and he came on as backup for our injured scrumhalf Chad-Lee Valentine. We have a lot of positives with the collective of our players stepping up whenever we need them to,” said Swartbooi.
The Stripe Generation coach admits to starting slow in games as something to fix ahead of the main showpiece.
“We want to make a better account of ourselves when it comes to set-piece and our forwards. I know coach Kobus is there and taking care of things, he probably not going to sleep this week. We need our set-piece to fire like they normally do, we got a final now and it shows we are not a one strategy team.”
“Firstly, it is a privilege to play a home final again. We worked hard and wanted to get a home semi-final and now we got a home final. The one team that we lost against this campaign, I know they will be up for it but this is Tuks, this is our house and we will come here to defend our house,” Swartbooi added.
Approach remains unchanged
Meanwhile, NWU Eagles head coach Burger van der Westhuizen said his team’s approach remains unchanged despite the magnitude of the occasion.
“Our preparations are no different. It’s been the last four weeks that we’ve done exactly the same, and nothing is changing that,” he said.
The Eagles have been stronger at home this season, but Van der Westhuizen is not concerned about playing the final game away, even though their results on the road were inconsistent this season.
“Playing the final away in Pretoria doesn’t change the approach that we’ve had,” he said.
“We just need to go there and play the best brand of rugby that we can.”
Valuable lessons
Van der Westhuizen admitted that his team had faced challenges away from home earlier in the campaign but believes those matches offered valuable lessons.
“We had four away games. We weren’t successful, but hopefully we’ve learnt things on the road,” he said, adding that playing in Pretoria is “a privilege” and that Tuks “earned the right to play on their home grounds.”
Looking ahead to the final, Van der Westhuizen said that lifting the trophy would be a special moment for the entire NWU community.
“It will mean a lot for us to lift the trophy. That’s what you’re working for,” he said.
“It will mean a lot to the town, to the North-West University, friends and family. It’s just amazing.”
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