The UP-Tuks Men’s Rugby team is on the brink of doing something that has never been done in the university’s history. Following a dominant 43-19 victory over the UFS Shimlas in the USSA 15s Championship final, the team has not only defended their tournament crown, but they have set the stage for an unprecedented four-trophy sweep in a single calendar year.
The USSA final was essentially decided in a devastating 19-minute window during the first half. UP-Tuks unleashed an absolute blitz, running in four unanswered tries to completely suffocate the Shimlas and effectively win the game early. Head Coach Dewey Swartbooi revealed that this explosive start was exactly what management drew up.
“The plan was to go out first, enjoy the occasion, get out the blocks early, have a good start, throw the first punch so to speak, and put them under pressure to take the game to them from the get-go,” Swartbooi explained. “Kudos to the boys, they went out and executed against a top-class Shimlas outfit.”
With that clinical performance, the 2026 squad has now secured three pieces of major silverware this year: a record-breaking sixth Varsity Cup, the Lucas Strachan Shield for topping the first round of the Sanlam Carlton Cup, and back-to-back USSA titles.
Despite staring down the barrel of a historic “Grand Slam”, the camp remains incredibly grounded. That final hurdle – the Sanlam Carlton Cup – is exactly what stands between this squad and UP sporting legend status. The university has not lifted the Carlton Trophy since 2019, and leadership is making sure the squad does not lose focus before the ultimate knockout fixtures.
The Head of Programme for TuksRugby, Conrad Boshoff, emphasised that while the prospect of sweeping the league is a massive achievement, the club is refusing to look past their next opponent. “From the Head of Programme position, I can tell you I am very proud of what the coaching staff and team are doing,” Boshoff said. “To have a chance to win the league is special, and we take it game [by] game. We had the chance way back in 2012 as well, but fell short by not winning Carlton.”
Coach Swartbooi is determined to keep the players focused on the immediate task at hand. “To remind the boys and management, ‘You are only as good as your last game,’ that is all people remember. And also, we are not getting ahead of ourselves,” Swartbooi explained. “Every game left, [we] go out and give it our all because we represent many that wore the jersey before us.”
When asked what sets this 2026 team apart and allows them to be so dominant across every single competition, Swartbooi pointed straight to the culture off the pitch. “The defining quality [is something] I put down to the character of each of these boys. They just [have] good character and then brotherhood,” he said. Channelling the mindset of the national setup, he added, “In the words of Doc Rassie Erasmus, ‘Get the right people and not always the best people’.”
That winning culture has clearly infected the entire club, not just the men’s first team. Boshoff highlighted that the collective effort is paying off across the board. “Overall, TuksRugby stays humble because all our teams, women included, are on their way to qualify for the semis, with both the men’s and women’s first teams already qualified,” he noted. “I am very proud of what we have accomplished.”
The 2026 UP-Tuks squad has already proven that they are a generational team built on exactly the right people. Now, it all comes down to the final stretch to see if they can finally lay the ghosts of 2012 to rest and complete the ultimate rugby quadruple.
