The University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Men’s Senior Rugby Team secured their spot in the prestigious FNB Varsity Cup for the 2025 season after crucial victories against Wits and the University of the Western Cape (UWC).
These wins came just in time, as UJ narrowly avoided the relegation playoff game thanks to Central University of Technology’s (CUT) loss to Stellenbosch University (SU Maties) in the last round robin fixture.
A season of resilience
UJ’s path to safety wasn’t straightforward. They started the season on the backfoot, losing their first five matches. However, three of those losses were close calls, showcasing UJ’s potential. The opening games against CUT (19-23) and the University of Free State (UFS, 31-34) were particularly tight.
Unfortunately, their performances wavered against the top teams, resulting in defeats to SU Maties (22-54) and North West University (NWU Pukke, 12-47).
UJ finishes strong on home soil
UJ’s fortunes turned around upon returning to home ground for the Johannesburg derby against Wits. They dominated the match, winning 49-26. This momentum carried over to their final clash against UWC, another convincing victory (52-8) that secured their place in the Varsity Cup for 2025.
Individual brilliance shines
While rugby is a team effort, some UJ players deserve recognition for their individual brilliance. Likhona Finca and Rowen Malgas received “Player that Rocks” awards for their exceptional performances in the Wits and UWC games, respectively. Additionally, Prince Nkabinde consistently impressed, earning “Impact Player of the Match” honors in several fixtures. Notably, Nkabinde, Malgas, and Finca all scored spectacular tries that were nominated for “Try of the Week” by Varsity Sports.
UJ try scorers against UWC: Franco Schutte (2), Liam Rowan (2), Mauritz Swart (2), David Cary, Kamva Kalipa, Berwyn Bosch. Conversions: Kurtley Kiewit (4), Berwyn Bosch.
FNB UJ’s young guns and ladies teams
The UJ Young Guns team and the UJ ladies team also faced challenges this season. The UJ Young Guns team won just one match (54-17) against UWC Young Guns, losing four matches. The UJ ladies team has lost its two consecutive fixtures to UWC (26-22) and the University of Fort Hare (19-17).
“The UJ rugby teams now continue onto the Lions club league matches and we wish the teams well in their seasons. Go support our teams who play their home games at Westsport,” said Ebrahim Boomgaard, Senior Manager: UJ Sport Support Services.
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