The FNB Varsity Cup Rugby Spills Over

30 April 2025 -

The FNB Varsity Cup Rugby first team experienced a campaign filled with highs and lows, but they remain committed to achieving greater success

The FNB Varsity Cup campaign came to an end for the FNB Wits Rugby team who finished their campaign in early April.  The Wits team had a mixed bag of performances, ultimately leaving the tournament in seventh position after putting on some exciting displays throughout the campaign. Team captain Setshaba Mokoena shared his experience captaining the team and their journey throughout the FNB Varsity Cup Rugby campaign.

Mokoena is a final year student at Wits as well as the FNB Wits Rugby Varsity Cup captain. He dedicated his time to improving himself and the team in the lead up to the tournament and throughout the games. This team was quite young, with some players participating in the cup for the first time. This was a challenge that Mokoena was ready to handle, but it had some drawbacks. “I think experience was probably the key challenge in my opinion, the fact that we fielded so many teenagers in such a senior rugby competition is why we couldn’t string together performances which could be worthy of victories.”

Despite some challenges, the team saw some exciting moments throughout the tournament. One such moment was their performance against North West University at home, where the team displayed great chemistry and managed to string together some great plays. “It was one of our most complete performances and one which we could draw a lot of confidence and inspiration. I am also really proud of the young guys who really stepped up,” he said about their performance in the campaign.

This experience was a learning curve for the team, where the team managed to grow and mature. The younger players got the opportunity to improve and test themselves on the big stage, which will be beneficial throughout their future careers in the rugby.

“I think the team matured throughout the competition and there were games where we showed a lot of passion, conversely, I do think consistency and maturity are key areas to work on for us, if we wish to be successful in future,” Mokoena shared of their experience.

Mokoena and his team seek to reclaim glory and perform at an even higher level throughout the rest of the year. They intend to retain their Pirates Grand Challenge title during the club season and achieve great results at USSA in June. With their fire burning, and their passion brewing, the team will be one to watch.