The countdown to the 2022 FNB Varsity Shield for the Durban University of Technology rugby team, DUT Rugby has begun.
The tournament will commence on, Friday, 04 March 2022 at Makhanda, in the Eastern Cape. The DUT team will be participating for the second consecutive year in South Africa’s second tier university rugby tournament. DUT Rugby will play their first game of the tournament against Round 1 and 2 hosts, FNB Rhodes on Sunday, 06 March 2022. All of the games will be live on SuperSport (DStv channel 211) and will be simulcast on SuperSport Channel, 209.
This time around the team is ready for the fight and is training hard to restore their dignity after their meagre performance in the 2021 tournament.
“The Varsity Shield tournament is a big task for the institution and as someone who has DUT Rugby at heart, it has been a tremendous privilege to be working towards it and an even bigger honour working with a great team of managers, coaches, and players,” said Sibusiso Nogabe, DUT Rugby team manager when speaking about the team’s preparations for the tournament.
According to Nogabe, the team is very excited for the road ahead and with just a day left, the team is fully focused on ensuring that they put their best foot forward. Nogabe stated that the entire campaign has brought about a lot of pressure from all departments, but with pressure comes opportunities for problem solving.
“We are working as hard as we can to ensure that the team is well-prepared for the tough roads. The 2021 season did not make things easy for us and as such, we have a big score to settle. We understand the pressure the players are under, and we are making inroads in trying to make the players comfortable and ready mentally,” added Nogabe.
Looking at what went wrong in 2021, the team’s strength and conditioning coach, Mr Zukile Madikizela said they struggled with their preparations, however, this season he feels they had more time.
“Management from the Sport Administration department has really been hands on and assisted with preparations. Although there have been many hurdles along the way, I remain positive that we will be a competitive side this year. With few days left till our first game, we are focusing on the physiological/mental state of the boys, having to make sure that they are in great physical condition. All that is left is for the boys to believe they can do it,” explained Madikizela.
Sharing the same sentiments, the DUT Rugby captain, Katambwa Mulumba said even though the 2021 season was tough, he believes it was a building phase, especially since the team was participating for the first time in the FNB Varsity Shield. He added that this time around, they want to give it their all and leave nothing behind. Importantly, Mulumba said the team plans to have fun and make the most of every moment.
A new player on the team, Siyanqoba Zulu is confident that the team will perform better as they are planning to play a structured game. As a first time player, he hopes to bring a faster game with some entertainment while keeping the structure put by the coaches.
Pictured: The DUT Rugby.
Sinethemba Njoko and Simangele Zuma