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UWC REGAINS VARSITY CUP STATUS
BY LYNDON JULIUS
- CLEMENT TROUT, UWC RUGBY MANAGER
TTHE UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE (UWC) rugby team has regained Varsity Cup status through automatic promotion after winning all their matches to finish at the top of the Varsity Shield tournament.
UWC RUGBY had been relegated to Varsity Shield after the 2022 Varsity Cup season. Delighted UWC Director of Rugby, Paul Treu, says proudly that his charges and the support team have been rewarded for their hard work in the past year.
“OUR BACKROOM STAFF has done amazing work this season with 18 new players selected over seven matches. We put a big emphasis on leadership development and mentorship, and we are grateful to our captain Tasriq Mynhardt and his leadership group for buying into our vision and values.”
FOURTH-YEAR B.ED STUDENT MYNHARDT says he enjoyed every minute of the 2023 season after the disappointment of relegation.
“I was part of the Varsity Cup group that was relegated. I felt it was my responsibility to get the team back into the Varsity Cup. Coach Paul said he was very proud of us, and I could see as we were celebrating afterwards, his body language and facial expression were that of a proud mentor.
“THIS PROMOTION IS VERY IMPORTANT for the university. Given the background of UWC, I think we create hope in the community. We have implemented a value system that everyone has bought into, and as a captain, it was and is important that we stick to these core team values.
“IT WAS AN AMAZING FEELING when that final whistle sounded. It is an experience that we have not felt in a very long time,” Mynhardt continues. "This promotion was special, like most I am sure, but for me, it was special because it felt different, seeing that we have so many new players – I think there are about 18 new players in the team this year. This means we had to rebuild."
UWC’S CLUB MANAGER, CLEMENT TROUT, while elated with the team’s return to the Varsity Cup competition, explained that the club’s success contributed to a much larger mission of sports and community development.
“IT MEANS A LOT TO THE TEAM that we have gained promotion back to the Varsity Cup,” Trout says. “Not only is this important for us as a team and our progression but also for the progress of the university. UWC is a beacon of hope within some very challenging communities for our rugby club to be viewed as an equal competitor with the likes of UJ, Maties and UCT.
“SPORT AT UWC forms an integral part of how we attract top students to the university. We have grown tremendously since our first entry into Varsity Shield in 2008. Female empowerment and giving women in sports the proper and healthy platform is a key focus area for the sports administration department. Congratulations to Coach Paul and his entire coaching and management team. These guys have made huge strides in providing an excellent atmosphere for a high-performing environment,” says Trout.
REFLECTING ON THE HIGH STANDARD of rugby at Cup level and the club’s improved prospects, Treu warns: “We finished the job when it mattered and we are looking forward to playing in the Varsity Cup again in 2024. However, gaining promotion is one thing, but staying in the main competition is a completely different challenge.”
