3 April marked the final game of this season’s Varsity Cup for UP Tuks, which took place against UJ on home soil. The result was a 38-31 loss for the home side, leaving the team without a single win for the entire season. This not only sends the former five-time champions down to the shield, but it is also their worst performance in the competition to date.
The game followed what has seemingly become the norm, with UP falling behind at halftime with a score of 26-15. Two tries came from Dian Schoonees and André van der Merwe with driving mauls. The second half once again left everything to play for, this time with the home side’s pride on the line. However, even with two more tries from Hilton Gie and Ambesa Zenzile bringing the game right down to the wire, it was not enough to stop the orange army from securing victory.
With the worst season in the university’s history behind them, they now have an entire year to revamp and redesign, as UP Tuks hopefully aim to make their stay in the shield a one-season blip. PDBY have decided to crack open the tomes and review the stats of this and prior seasons to determine if it truly is all doom and gloom, or if an alternative perspective can be dug out. Look forward to a complete overview in issue four of the newspaper.
