A Season of Highs, Lows, and Steady Commitment

As we reach the mid-year point, it’s a good moment to pause and reflect - on the moments worth celebrating and on the areas where we must do better. Maties Rugby remains committed to long-term excellence, and 2025 has offered no shortage of lessons, challenges, and progress across the board.

Varsity Cup Season: A Proud Milestone

We closed the Varsity Cup season with mixed results. Our men’s team fell short in the final against UCT - a hard result to accept, particularly given the effort invested across the campaign. That said, the commitment of the squad throughout was never in doubt, and there were moments of real character that will serve us well heading into the second half of the year.

The story of the campaign, however, belongs to our Women’s team, who delivered an outstanding performance to be crowned Varsity Cup Champions. Their title win was well-earned and reflects the growth and momentum in our women’s high-performance programme. It’s a result we are proud of and one that speaks to the depth of talent developing within the club.

A Successful Eventing Season

While on-field results were mixed, off the field, the Varsity Cup season was a major success. Across our six home games, we filled an average of 70% of the Danie Craven Stadium (3 full stadiums) —highlighting the enduring pull of university rugby in Stellenbosch. The newly-introduced vendor village and fan walk were well received, creating a festive and engaging match-day atmosphere that enhanced the spectator experience. And, of course, celebrating 150 years of Maties Rugby added further significance to the season, with strong community and alumni engagement.

WP League: An Honest Assessment…

Since the end of the Varsity Cup, our results in the Western Province League have not met expectations. The senior 1st team has only managed one win from five - a performance that does not reflect the standards we set for ourselves. The U20s have shown moments of promise (three wins, one draw, one loss), but inconsistency remains a concern.

There are positives, however. Both our Victorians and Cravens teams remain unbeaten, and the Markotter team, made up of committed ex-students, has returned to competition and impressed with five wins from six. These squads continue to build pressure for places and contribute to the wider health of the club.

Focus on USSA

Attention now turns to the USSA tournament. It’s an opportunity to reset, refocus, and compete with clear purpose. We know what we’re capable of, and our preparations are already well underway.

To our alumni and supporters in Gauteng, we call on you to back the team at Tuks. Your presence is noticed - and valued. The USSA campaign will need every voice in our corner.

Campus Rugby and A Word of Thanks

We continue to value the importance of Campus Rugby as a central part of our identity. Thank you to Adam Piper for continued support of this programme, and to all residence and PSO leaders who keep this league vibrant and competitive.

We also extend our thanks to Mitchum, our headline sponsor, and all the internal university departments - Maties Sport Events, Facilities, CHS, Marketing, and others - whose work behind the scenes ensures the club can operate and host events at a high level.

Save the Date: Gala Dinner and Auction

Plans are well underway for our Gala Dinner and Auction in September in support of the Maties Rugby Bursary Fund. This event will be one of the highlights of our 150th anniversary celebrations, and an important opportunity to invest in the future of our student-athletes. Details to follow soon.

Thank you to everyone walking this journey with us. We’ll take the learnings of the first half forward - and we’re committed to showing more of who we are in the second half.

Go Maties.