In the uncertain world of university rugby, very few stories are as interesting and ultimately inspiring as the resurgence of TuksRugby. From being reigning champions to a shocking relegation, the 2025 Varsity Cup season for them has not just been about a comeback, but rather a statement.
Just two years ago, in March 2023, the unthinkable happened: Tuks, five-time champions and then defending titleholders, were relegated to Varsity Shield. A 33-21 defeat to Wits sealed a winless season and a record that no team would ever want to claim: the first defending champions in Varsity Cup history to drop out of the competition the following year.
Their downfall was historic and painful, but what followed has been nothing short of extraordinary. Where many saw failure, Tuks saw an opportunity. Winning Varsity Shield in 2024 was a symbolic reset, but not the final chapter. PDBY spoke directly to the players who have played a part in this comeback: Munashe Dukuswa, Lilitha Matsiliza and Andile Myeni, to understand what changed and how they got here.
Munashe Dukuswa, known as “Duks” to friends and teammates, hails from Ermelo, Mpumalanga and started playing rugby at just seven years old. After receiving bursaries and opportunities to play rugby at both Ligbron and Glenwood High, he joined the Vodacom Bulls, playing for two years before officially joining TuksRugby in 2024. Although injury kept him out of the Varsity Shield season, Duks has been a dynamic backline presence in 2025, with his memorable try against CUT being featured on SuperSport’s social media. But for him, it is about more than personal glory, “I just want to glorify God through the talent He’s given me and also make my dad proud.”
Lilitha Matsiliza, a Pretoria Boys’ alum, did not start rugby at 14 years old for the love of the game but because someone told him he was big and he should try it. Fast forward a few years and he’s played at SA Schools and Blue Bulls U16, followed by a contract at the Bulls since 2023 as well as studying and playing for Tuks. Balancing studies with rugby is not easy but it is required. When asked if he joined Tuks more for his studies or for rugby, he jokingly said, “I’m forced to get a degree by my parents.”
Andile Myeni started playing rugby in Grade 7, not really for the love of the sport but because, “they were always touring, and I didn’t want to stay in school.” That simple desire led to a scholarship at Glenwood and eventually an offer to study and play at Tuks, plus an invite to the Bulls U19 team. “I thought I was done after matric,” he recalls, “Then my agent told me I had a shot, and that’s how I ended up here.”
With players like these in the team, failure could not be the end of Tuks’ story, but rather the beginning of an inspiring chapter. When asked what changed after relegation to get them to this point, they all agreed that the coaching was one of the big differences. Leadership took centre stage, as at the end of 2023, coach Dewey Swartbooi was promoted to head coach and the energy flipped. “Coach Dewey has done so much for us,” Myeni emphasised. “Now there’s pride to play for this team again.”
Matsiliza explained that each week, the team uses a “buzzword”, with drivers such as the captain, vice-captain and senior players using the word of the week to anchor the team’s mindset. Against the Shimla’s it was “Personal” and in the semi’s against UCT, “Our House”. The players emphasised that the leadership within the team has largely impacted the mindset, starting all the way back to the Varsity Shield season, where then captain Ethan Burger played a huge role as the enforcer in the team, getting them to believe in winning once again.
One phrase has been recurring throughout the season, “Brick by Brick.” It is how the team has built for all these months, one game at a time. “We weren’t focused on the final,” Duks explained. “We focused on each game individually, then the next. That way, we celebrate the small wins and don’t get ahead of ourselves.” Myeni then explained that the journey had not just started in the 2025 Varsity Cup season, “Since Carlton Cup, last year, that’s where the belief started. People think it all began this season, but those of us who were here, we know it started after relegation.”
And when things go wrong? “We just say ‘next job,’” adds Duks. “Make a mistake? Next job. You can’t dwell on it or you’ll lose focus.” This mental reset is part of why Tuks had not buckled under pressure, even in high stakes games like the Danie Craven game against Maties. “We play with a ‘We before I’ mindset. It’s never about blaming one person because we never lose because of a single mistake, it’s a team effort.”
The result of this hard reset? Sold-out games and a whole university rallying behind this team again. Consistently, leading up to the semi-final, the Tuks home games have pulled in crowds of over 20 000 people.The support was unwavering even after losses like the hard-fought battle against Shimlas. Myeni explained, “We’re winning, so people show up. But people are also buying into the comeback story, they want to be there to celebrate and be a part of the ending.”
For these players, it is not just about the wins. Matsiliza plays for his mom, who never misses a game, even flying out to Cape Town to support him. “She’s the only person who has never let me down, she has watched all my games since I was U14, she’s always been there,” he explained. When asked what playing for the stripes represent for them, they all echo the same goal “to honour the jersey and leave a legacy.” Duks further elaborated , “Wearing the stripes isn’t just about rugby, it’s about representing Tuks and leaving the jersey in a better place for those who come after us.”
The players credit fellow teammate and captain, Dillon Smith as a key player for the team this season. Duks explained, “Even after games, he’s in physio, battered, but still consistently showing up for us. He’s the enforcer for this team.” Myeni added, “When Dillon is on the field, we all know it’s go time.”
Although their Varsity Cup journey ended in the semi-final with a nail-biting loss to the UCT Ikeys, this team has already made history. Myeni was a try scorer in the fiercely contested match, in a performance that highlighted the team’s grit and refusal to back down. Despite the result, the comeback to Varsity Cup remains one of the most compelling stories in varsity rugby. Whether in the stands or watching from afar, it was impossible not to believe in the fight, heart and future of the Boys in Stripes.
