Kaya Malotana on FNB Varsity Cup’s magic and the making of Springboks

Kaya Malotana’s voice reverberates through households across South Africa on Saturdays when the Springboks play. A few years ago, that same voice was echoing through the fields of TUT Vikings with Malotana leading in the head coach role in two FNB Varsity Shield campaigns.

“Just working with the team and formulating a vision and then selling that vision and allowing the team to expand that vision so they can adopt the vision,” Malotana outlined as what he enjoyed most in his experience at the helm of TUT.

“Just the competition, different coaches, different teams. That is always exciting to see what you’re going to come up against and if in your planning and your practices and your trick plays, you’ve catered for what the other team is going to bring.”

The FNB Varsity Cup and Shield are ever expanding on their on field rules.

“The evolution of Varsity Cup is that it’s managed to be more exciting year on year,” Malotana said.

There was the mark that could be called anywhere on the field, the seven pointer try, this season sides can have a second crack at the cherry after scoring a try by taking a quick tap from the 22m lineup.

“It’s always interesting when the Varsity Cup starts again to see what new innovation, what new exciting thing that is going to be tried out and that’s why we look forward to it,” Malotana explained.

The FNB Varsity Cup is where so many players are able to make their name. 60 Springboks started their professional career there as a stepping stone with 13 going on to be World Cup winners.

FNB TUT boasts hooker Bongi Mbonambi as their most successful alumni.

But what are some of the traits required to make the step up from FNB Varsity Cup level to provincial rugby?

“The big thing is players that are resilient, players that are consistent with what they do off the field, outside of television,” Malotana explained.

“Varsity Cup obviously gives you that platform. You get to get seen and for some, it’s a quick fame but if the character is not right, people fade.

“The guys that have stuck at it and have gone on to be successful have been guys that have had their feet grounded firmly on the floor, guys who wanted to work further than Varsity Cup, who believed in a bigger dream than Varsity Cup.”

Those traits are evident in Mbonambi who also went on to represent FNB UP-Tuks and winning the FNB Varsity Cup with them before carving out a splendid career with the Bulls, Stormers and Sharks at provincial level.

The biggest difference between FNB Varsity Cup and provincial rugby, according to Malotana is that all the coaches in the Varsity rugby ecosystem believe in playing free-flowing rugby.

There are universities whose traditional strengths remain the set-piece but the nature of the innovative rules, the young crowd and daring coaches, the matches are often slightly more helter-skelter, in the best way possible.

“You see a lot of running from deep within team’s half where they obviously try and capitalise on the seven-point try,” Malotana said.

“So there are similarities, but the major difference is that I think at Varsity Cup rugby, you see the effort to play from deep in your own half a lot more than what you see at the level of provincial rugby and of international rugby.”

The Tshwane University of Technology locals have built a familiarity with the side which has seen TUT Stadium in Pretoria packed with red clad shirts in support of their side in the past. They were replaced in the FNB Varsity Shield by FNB SPU last season after losing a promotion/relegation fixture but will be keen to regain entry with a passionate support base keen to cheer for the side again.

“Just the way it’s supported by the students, by the community in South Africa,” Malotana said.

“I mean, it’s become part of the rugby calendar that everybody anticipates in.”