Franco Smith will be hoping to transfer his European coaching experience to the FNB Shimlas as he heads into his debut FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International season. Smith, who is also an assistant coach at the Free State Cheetahs, previously held the head coach position at Pro12 club Benetton Treviso between 2007 and 2013 and will be looking to merge the European style of play with the attitude of the Southern Hemisphere. "I always dreamt of combining the attitude and ability of the Southern Hemisphere with the style of the Northern Hemisphere style, so hopefully we can blend it and play an expansive brand that has become synonymous with the Cheetahs. "I gained a lot of experience when I was over there [in Italy] and I see things a little differently now. Hopefully I can contribute that experience to the team and make an impact. "It's a short time to get a lot of it across and I know everything won't happen in three or four months but we are prepared to equip the large group, not only for this season but future seasons," he said. Smith will be assisted by backline coach Jaco Swanepoel and forwards coach Hendro Scholtz for the upcoming tournament and the trio have already been putting the 50-man squad through their paces but will also be relying on the expertise of consultants throughout the campaign. "We started our pre-season about four weeks ago and are about to reach the end of phase one of the process. We will come together again for 10 days in December and then again early in the new year. "The plan is to keep the 50-man squad together for the entire pre-season as we are not only looking at the upcoming season, but also to the next season, so we want a bit of progression. We are trying to do as much as we can with the big group and then, when we need to implement finer details, the squad will be cut," he added. The FNB Shimlas have played an integral part in blooding the next generation of Currie Cup, Super Rugby and Springbok players, none more so than Springbok Tebogo 'Oupa' Mohoje, who represented them in the 2014 edition of the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International. "We are very proud of all of them and they serve as a big stimulation to the current players. There is no greater inspiration to our players than Oupa Mohoje, who went all the way by becoming a Springbok. "His success, and the success of others who have played in the Currie Cup and Super Rugby competitions, not only proves the value this competition but it also goes to show that committed can open doors for you. "Oupa is very popular on campus and believes in the Shimlas, which is awesome for us, and we are hoping that when he is available, we could use his experience as a consultant or a motivational speaker," he stated. It's going to be an exciting campaign for the Bloemfontein-based students as they are able to draw on some exciting young players: Neil Klaasen, Tienie Burger, AJ Coertzen, Zee Mkhabela and Ox Nche, who are almost certain to set the Varsity Cup alight.

NWU-Pukke had a near-perfect 2014 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International season, winning six and losing one, as they topped the log and securing a home final. With seemingly one hand on the trophy, they somehow managed to let a comfortable lead slip and fell at the hurdle but head coach Robert Du Preez believes they have learnt a valuable lesson from that match which holds them in good stead for the 2015 season. "It [the season] was a great experience for all the players. We played really good rugby [throughout the campaign] but it [the final] was proof there are no favourites in a final. "The one big lesson we have learnt is that you have to play until the last minute and it's not over until the final whistle goes. It was the first time we played in the final but that's rugby. "We thought we had one-hand on the trophy with five minutes left in the final but that just shows you how unpredictable rugby can be," he said. Du Preez said he and the players are excited about the upcoming season and has assembled an initial squad of approximately 50 players which will be trimmed down early 2015 after they had some practice matches. "Everyone is excited and looking forward to the new season. We are arranging a camp which will incorporate a friendly games as part of it. It makes it [the camp] more exciting. "We have roughly 15 new players in the squad who have come through the ranks and have either played for the Leopards Under-19 or U-21 sides. "We have arranged to play against the Golden Lions and we are in the process of liasing with the Sharks," he added. Pukke will be without the services of numerous players who have either completed their studies or have exceeded the age limit. These players include outstanding prop Armand van der Merwe - who shot onto the scene with sublime performances for the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup, Hofmann Marit - who has signed for the Pumas, Francois Robertse - who will be playing at the Leopards and Juan Language. Despite losing some key players, Pukke still have the likes of utility back Sylvian Mahuza and explosive wing Luther Obi to make an impact for them. Du Preez will have an unchanged coaching staff for the upcoming season and will be looking to provide the players with the necessary skills training which could see them emulate the likes of Oupa Mahoje. "Varsity Cup is such a great vehicle for exposure for any player with aspirations and hopefully all the guys will take their opportunities and play well so that they can also, one day, play in the Currie Cup, Super Rugby and hopefully, the Springboks," he stated.

There will be plenty of familiar faces in the 2015 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International as only one coach will be making his debut, while FNB CUT Ixias earned their place in the Cup competition after gaining promotion from the Varsity Shield. FNB Shimlas have recruited former Springbok, Franco Smith as their head coach and FNB CUT Ixias have once again placed their faith in Andre 'Skillie' Bester, who guided them to the 2014 Varsity Shield title and promotion to the Cup competition. Here is a comparison of the men in charge for 2015 and their credentials: Kevin Musikanth - FNB UCT Ikey Tigers Varsity Cup experience: 2014 (winners) Other experience: WP amateurs, False Bay RFC WP Super League, Wynberg Boys High School director of rugby Musikanth enjoyed immediate success in his debut season with the FNB Ikey Tigers as he coached the side to their second FNB Varsity Cup title. He replaced Kevin Foote as head coach after the latter moved to Australia to take up the defensive coach position with the Super Rugby franchise, the Western Force. Musikanth has enjoyed great success as False Bay RFC coach, earning them promotion to the Western Province Super League A twice in two separate stints with the club as well coaching the impressive Wynberg Boys High first XV. Robert Du Preez - FNB NWU Pukke Varsity Cup experience: 2014 (2nd) Other experience: College Rovers (2011-13) 2014 was a milestone year for Du Preez and NWU-Pukke, as he guided the Potchefstroom students to their first-ever home final after topping the table. In his playing days, Du Preez represented the Springboks on seven occasions between 1992 and 1993 and was the scrumhalf to two of South Africa's legendary flyhalves, Naas Botha (at Northern Transvaal, now Blue Bulls) and Joel Stransky (at Natal). Before coaching Pukke, Du Preez enjoyed plenty of success with Durban-based amateur side, College Rovers, guiding them to second place in the inaugural Community Cup in 2013. His son, who shares the same name, represented Maties as a flyhalf in the FNB Varsity Cup. Chris Rossouw - FNB Maties Varsity Cup experience: 2013 (2nd), 2014 (semifinal) Other experience: Paarl Gimnasium (2010), Victorians (2011), SA Students (2013) Returning for his third stint with the FNB Maties, Rossouw will be looking to take the institution back to the glory days which saw them claim a hat trick of titles between 2008 and 2010. The younger brother of Springbok wing, Pieter 'Slapchips' Rossouw, the flyhalf made his made Springbok debut in 2000 against Argentina 'A', a the age of 23, in Tucuman and played his last tour match a year later against an England National Division XV in Worcester. A back-to-back Currie Cup winner with Western Province in 2000 and 2001, Chris was also one of the first players to head North where he played for Toulon in France. David Maidza - FNB NMMU Madibaz Varsity Cup experience: 2014 (semifinal) Other experience: Border Bulldogs (2001, 2008-2009), Free State Cheetahs (2003-2007), EP Kings (2010-2013) Maidza's coaching career started in 2001, after his playing career ended, when he became a technical adviser to the Border Bulldogs. He then moved to Bloemfontein to take up an assistant coach position at the Cheetahs from 2003 to 2007 before returning to the Bulldogs as their head coach in 2008 and 2009. He then joined the Eastern Province Kings as an assistant backline coach in 2010 and became the head coach of their Vodacom Cup side for the 2013 season before taking up the role with the Madibaz in 2014. In his playing days, he represented Zimbabwe's national Under-21 and Under-23 teams before earning a call-up to the national side in 1993, where he made his debut against an Arabian Gulf team, in a qualifier for the 1995 World Cup. He made a total of 5 appearances in 1993 and 1994. In 1996, he moved to South Africa and represented the Border Bulldogs and had a brief stint with the Sharks squad for the 1999 Super 12 season. Franco Smith - FNB Shimlas Varsity Cup experience: None Other experience: Free State Cheetahs (2005-2006), Benetton Treviso (2007-2013) He may be the only newcomer to the Varsity Cup fraternity but Smith has a wealth of experience, not only as a coach but also as a player. His coaching career started in 2005 when he was the technical advisor for the Free State Cheetahs before becoming their backline coach on 2006. Smith then went to Italy where he was the head coach of Benetton Treviso between 2007 and 2013. He then returned to South Africa to once again join the Cheetahs as an assistant coach in 2014. Smith has an illustrious player career spanning 10 years where he represented Griquas (1996-1997), the Blue Bulls (1998-2002), Benetton Treviso (2000-2005) and the Cheetahs (2006). He received his first Springbok cap in 1996 and went on to represent the Boks in 9 Test matches between 1996 and 1999. Pote Human - FNB UP Tuks Varsity Cup experience: 2014 (6th) Other experience: Blue Bulls (2005-06), Bulls forwards coach (2005-08), Griquas (2012-13) Human inherited double-defending champions from Nollis Marais but was unable to guide them to a hat trick of titles, finishing in a lowly sixth place. Human has a wealth of experience, previously coaching the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup (2005-06) and being their Super Rugby forwards coach (2005-08) before heading to Kimberley to coach Griquas for two years (2012-13). Werner Janse van Rensburg - FNB UJ Varsity Cup experience: 2014 (7th) Other experience: UJ Under-19, Golden Lions Academy Week, Golden Lions Schools U19, Golden Lions Craven Week Janse van Rensburg could not have asked for a worse start to his Varsity Cup career as UJ ended seventh on the log and narrowly escaped relegation to the Varsity Shield by beating UKZN-Ipmi, who are coached by former All Black and Golden Lions coach John Mitchell. He started his coaching career at the tender age of 21 when he was in charge of the university's Under-19B side and also coached a number of other UJ sides, along with some representative age-group teams. He served as the Golden Lions Academy Week coach in 2006 and 2007 before taking charge of the Golden Lions U19 Schools side in 2008 and 2009 and, eventually, serving as Golden Lions Craven Week coach from 2010 through to 2013. Andre 'Skillie' Bester - FNB CUT Ixias Varsity Cup experience: None Other experience: UFS-Kovsies (12 years), Free State Craven Week (2004-05), Wannaroo (2006-08), Varsity Shield (2014 winners) In his first year of coaching FNB CUT Ixias, Bester not only guided them to their third Varsity Shield title but also got them promoted to the 2015 Varsity Cup competition. Skillie, as he better known, began as the manager of the team in 2011 and watched the team claim two Shield titles in 2011 and 2013 as well as finishing runners up in 2012 before taking over as coach. Bester will be joined by former Free State Cheetahs lock, Izak van der Westerhuisen who will be the forwards' coach.

FNB CUT will be making their debut in the 2015 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International after beating the FNB UKZN Impi 35-26 in the 2014 Varsity Shield Final. The promotion to the Cup competition also means they will have a representative team in the Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championships and that honour has gone to the Steinhoff Tigers. The Steinhoff Tigers became the first CUT Koshuis team to represent the University in the Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championships. The final was a tense affair between Steinhoff Tigers and their "old foes", Steinhoff Buffalo. Steinhoff Buffalo were the defending CUT Koshuis champions and went all out to retain their title but fell short by the narrowest of margins, losing 16-17. Preparations for the Steinhoff CUT Tigers' debut in the Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championships have already commenced as they look forward to matches against UFS' Steinhoff Vishuis, UCT's Steinhoff Cobras, TUKS' Steinhoff Mopanie and NMMU's Steinhoff Stallions.

After two encouraging seasons, FNB NMMU Madibaz coach David Maidza wants his side to take the next step in the 2015 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International. The last two seasons have seen the Eastern Cape side knocked out by consecutive one-point away semifinals defeats, so their sights are set firmly on doing everything they can to reach their first final next year. Maidza believes that the key will be consistency in what is sure to be yet another demanding season. "We have built something and we want to carry on building. "We are excited about what lies ahead, the standards have been set in the last two years and we do not want to drop them. We will keep fighting to ensure we get into that final," he told varsitycup.co.za. Maidza has two exciting new assistant coaches this year in former EP Kings players Barend Pieterse and Tiger Mangweni. Pieterse has been involved in the Kings' coaching structures since he retired in 2012 and will take the Madibaz forward pack, whilst Mangweni will be defence coach. Maidza said that he is looking forward to seeing what both can add to NMMU's game. "It is a good learning curve for both of them. "Tiger was with the EP Under-21s this year and he has learned quite a bit from Michael Horak and I'm hoping that he brings the benefit of that experience with him. "Tiger was always a rugged player and a hard tackler so I'm hoping that as a coach he can share what he had as a player. "If you look at Barend's line-out work in his playing days, he was one of the masters, one of the few people that used to challenge Victor Matfield. "Apart from the line-out work he does help me with a lot of the attack play, especially from a forward's perspective. "We are a young coaching group, but we are very excited to get into the season," he said. The Madibaz have already started training with a fair amount of new faces, with Maidza admitting that he will have a completely new-look forward pack. "The bottom line is that there will be a whole new pack and I am looking forward to watching some of the youngsters that have come through from the academy. "There are some very exciting youngsters coming through from the academy which is being run by Robbie Kempson. The Madibaz coach said that the close relationship NMMU has with their home union has been extremely valuable. "The two coaches have actually been seconded from EP, so that is the relationship we have got with EP. "The union plays a big role in our recruitment and our basic running of the game. For EP to be in the Currie Cup is a lure for some players and that is something that we are taking advantage of," he said. NMMU will play some warm-up games in January ahead of the new campaign, and Maidza said that they will not be changing too much in their preparations. "We don't want to reinvent the wheel and try and ponder and crash our heads as to why we haven't been lucky in the last two years. "For us to have lost out by small margins to top teams it gives us the edge of that hunger to want to get to that final. "All I want to do is make sure I have prepared the students best to understand the game and for most of the group that I have it won't just be for this year but hopefully the next couple of years," he said.

The fixtures for the 2015 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International have been released, with a replay of the epic 2014 final between FNB UCT and FNB NWU-Pukke on the Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds in Potchefstroom lined up. Ikeys snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on the same field in the final last season with a last gasp, injury time converted try that came after a drop kick charge down on the stroke of full time. The Ikeys counter attack and try that followed will long live on in Varsity Cup folklore as one of the tournament’s enduring moments – the comeback of all comebacks. The two sides will face each other again in Round Five which will take place on Monday, March 9. The opening round of the new season will feature replays of both the 2014 semifinals and once again promises much in terms of excitement-filled student rugby fueled by youthful flair and an attacking approach. Defending champions FNB UCT will face their old Cape rivals FNB Maties at home on the Green Mile, whilst FNB NWU-Pukke will be up against the FNB NMMU Madibaz at the Fanie du Toit Sportsgrounds in Potchefstroom in the opening round on Monday, February 9. Both semifinals in 2014 were won by the home side, with three-time champions Maties going down to the Ikeys and NWU-Pukke snatching a dramatic one-point victory over the Madibaz before going on to contest the memorable final which saw UCT score three tries in the last five minutes to claim their second title. The other two matches in the opening round will both be in Bloemfontein as newly promoted Varsity Shield champions FNB CUT host FNB UJ and FNB UP-Tuks take on FNB UFS-Shimlas. The Varsity Shield will get started a week earlier with the opening clashes between FNB UWC and FNB UKZN in Bellville and FNB TUT and FNB Fort Hare in Pretoria - both televised live on Supersport One on Monday, February 2. The 2015 Varsity Shield season will see the return of FNB Wits, who did not manage to win a game in their two years in the Varsity Cup. The FNB Varsity Young Guns and Steinhoff Koshuis rugby Championships will both get underway on Monday, February 23 with a big double-header at the CUT Rugby Stadium in Bloemfontein. Reigning Young Guns champions UFS will be up against local rivals CUT, and Shimlas koshuis champions Steinhoff Vishuis taking on CUT's Steinhoff Tigers. The finals of the Varsity Shield and Young Guns competitions will take place on Monday, April 6, whilst the Varsity Cup and Koshuis rugby Championship finals will be on Monday, April 13 with all four matches televised live on Supersport One. Varsity Cup 2015 fixtures Varsity Shield 2015 fixtures Varsity Young Guns 2015 fixtures Koshuisrugby Championship fixtures

Two FNB UKZN Impi players, Siphathisene "Spa" Dube and Shayne Makombe have been selected for the Sharks Sevens squad. Dube will travel with the team to the SARU interprovincial Sevens tournament, while Makombe, a Zimbabwe International remains on standby as the non-travelling reserve. The Sharks Sevens team is managed by this year's UKZN Impi assistant coach, Ryno Combrinck. Sevens success has not been restricted to the men's squad. The UKZN Women's Sevens team recently returned from Pretoria where they took part in the University Sport South Africa (USSA) Sevens championship. The UKZN ladies swept aside all of their opponents to reach the final of the students' showpiece tournament against the University of Pretoria. In the final they beat UP-Tuks 27-7 to claim the national title. In the traditional fifteen-man game, Shayne Makombe, Rico Lategan, Lwazi Ncgungama and Adam Wessels have returned from their tour with the Sharks Clubs XV (the old "Natal Duikers"), which recently won the SARU Central Amateur Tournament, seeing off their counterparts from the Free State, Griqualand West and Griffons regions. UKZN alumnus Ryan Strudwick has been re-appointed as captain of the South African Legends rugby team. Strudwick, who returned to his alma mater as forwards coach during the 2014 FNB Varsity Shield campaign, will lead the SA Legends in the annual World Rugby Classic in Bermuda. The Legends will compete with the Classic Lions as well as the national veterans teams of New Zealand, Italy, Argentina, the USA, France and Argentina for the coveted Bermuda title. Further, UKZN alumni Craig Joubert and Stuart Berry have been appointed by the International Rugby Board as match officials for the November Internationals in the northern hemisphere. Berry will take charge of the Canada v Namibia match in Colwyn Bay, and will officiate as assistant referee for Scotland's Murrayfield clash with New Zealand and the France v Argentina match in the Stade de France. Joubert will control proceedings in the historic USA v All Blacks match in Chicago as well as Wales v Australia in Cardiff and Italy's Test match against Argentina in Genoa, and will then return to the Millennium Stadium as assistant referee for Wales' encounter with New Zealand.

FNB Maties will be relying on their internal depth to guide them to recreate the glory of the successful 2008, 2009 and 2010 campaigns for the 2015 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International. Despite missing out on the final last year, coach Chris Rossouw is excited about the upcoming campaign after his fairly young side were crowned champions in their league campaign. "I'm very excited about the young guys coming through. They were given the chance in the league, due to injuries to senior players, and we ended up winning the league with them. A lot of guys put their hands up and showed they are ready to play Varsity Cup," he told varsitycup.co.za. Rossouw views the Varsity Cup as their main priority as Maties have a winning culture within them and have learned valuable off-field lessons which will transferred onto the field. "We have learnt a lot of lessons, most of them off the field, in order to make sure we play better on the field. We will be placing huge emphasis on our preparation and that all our boxes are ticked off. It's won't only be rugby focused because there are other factors as well. "The main lessons we learned is to play in the moment and make sure we attack space. We have worked hard on that to put it in place. We showed progression in slowly-but-surely putting our processes in place so that we are able to build a sustainable model. "For us, it's about the Varsity Cup and winning at Maties is the only thing. So although we had a successful season in the league, our main thing is winning the Varsity Cup. We are a very proud club and would like to go get that prize," he added. Maties will be losing the likes of: Mark Hodgskiss, Jacobus Jordaan, Clearance Themba Khumalo, Caleb Smith, Jan de Klerk and Robert du Preez but Rossouw remains upbeat about the amount of talented young players coming through. "We have been blessed with a good group and what we did this year is that we gave everyone within the club an opportunity to get selected for the squad. We are looking to bring in one or two guys from outside our structures but we still awaiting confirmation. "Looking internally, though, there are a lot of new guys with great talent that will come in and we are really excited for next year. Going forward, we need to build a sustainable model and that can only be done from within. "We have the talent here and we are putting the systems in place to develop the talent we have so that they are given opportunities to play Varsity Cup. "If we are fortunate enough to get one or two post-grads, then obviously we will do so, but for us, it's very important to develop the talent we have so that we show the guys we believe in them and have proof our systems are working. We have put a lot of time into that over the last year and I think it will all fall into place in the near future," he stated. Although Rossouw is uncertain about who will join his technical, as there are still positions yet to be filled, he will be definitely be joined by Adri Badenhorst, Marius Hurter and Andre Smith. "Adri is one of the best line-out coaches I know and he will continue his good work. Marius is well-known for scrumming knowledge and everything there is to know about scrums in general. "Andre Smith will remain our conditioning coach and there a few guys who still need to be confirmed but we will be getting a mental coach involved as well," he said.

The 2014 Currie Cup final between Western Province and the Golden Lions will be a hallmark for the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International fraternity. The match will feature no less than 27 Varsity Cup alumni of the 44 match day players. The home side, Western Province, will have 11 players in their match day 22 who have participated in the Varsity Cup while the Golden Lions will have an impressive 16 players in their match day squad. The greatest advertisement for the Varsity Cup during the Currie Cup campaign is the young Lions hooker Armand (Akker) van der Merwe. Van der Merwe has been an absolute standout for Jozi’s Pride in the Currie Cup, and has grabbed the plaudits and the headlines for his hustle and bustle brand of rugby. It is no surprise then that Van der Merwe still played for the NWU-Pukke in the Varsity Cup at the beginning of the year. Young Akker struck form for the men from Potchefstroom during their Varsity Cup season, and has carried that form straight on to the Currie Cup stage. The Varsity Cup was thus a perfect springboard for the youngster to launch his professional career. Akker, however, is not alone in launching his career from the platform of the Varsity Cup. As already mentioned an expected 27 players in Saturday’s Currie Cup groomed their games on the famous playing fields of the Varsity Cup. For Western Province, hooker Niel Rautenbach was a standout for UCT during their victorious campaign this year. The fact that Rautenbach is able to perform so well for Western Province is a testament to the quality of the Varsity Cup. Fellow UCT alumni in the Province squad include: Dynamic No 8 Nizaam Carr (2011), ace flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis (2011) and scrumhalf Nic Groom (2010-2011). As can be expected the all-conquering Maties maroon machine provided a fair spread of players for the two squads. For Western Province flyhalf Kurt Coleman (2011), skipper and centre Juan de Jongh (2008-2009), scrumhalf Louis Schreuder (2010), centre Michael van der Spuy (2011) and prop Alistair Vermaak (2011-2013), all donned the famed maroon jersey. Other Varsity Old-boy’s include speedy winger Seabelo Senatla, who ran out for the Central University of Technology in the Varsity Shield and centre Jaco Taute, who donned the orange of UJ. The Lions can call upon ex-Maties fullback Ruan Combrinck (2011) to strengthen their side as well as lock Martin Muller who donned the UCT jersey from 2008-2011. Some of the Lions other Varsity Cup alumni’s include: flanker Derick Minnie (UJ – 2008), centre Howard Mnisi (NMMU – 2012-2013), lock Francois Mostert (Tuks – 2010-2012), flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff (Tuks – 2009-2011), loose forward Willie Britz (Shimlas – 2008-2012), hooker Robbie Coetzee (Tuks – 2010 – 2011), prop Ruan Dreyer (UJ – 2011-2012), flanker Jaco Kriel (UJ – 2012), winger Courtnall Skosan (Tuks – 2012-2013), flanker Warwick Tecklenburg (Tuks – 2008-2011), prop Schalk van der Merwe (Shimlas – 2012-2013), utility back Jaco van der Walt (UJ – 2014) and centre Harold Vorster (UJ – 2014). The amount of Varsity Cup graduates expected to be in action in the Currie Cup final is no surprise, when the contribution of the Varsity Cup is considered. The tournament has become a stepping stone of such magnitude that one could hardly believe a player could enter the professional ranks without first displaying their wares for their various universities. The Varsity Cup players expected to play on Saturday is, of course, not exclusive to these two sides. In any given Currie Cup team a vast amount of players would have been groomed by the essential competition. The teams: Western Province: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Juan de Jongh (captain)(Maties 2008, 2009), 12 Jaco Taute (UJ 2010), 11 Seabelo Senatla (CUT 2012, 2013), 10 Demetri Catrakilis (UCT 2011), 9 Nic Groom (UCT 2010, 2011), 8 Nizaam Carr (UCT 2011), 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Rynhardt Elstadt, 5 Manuel Carizza, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Alistair Vermaak (Maties 2011, 2012, 2013). Replacements: 16 Neil Rautenbach (UCT 2013, 2014) , 17 Brok Harris, 18 Gerbrandt Grobler, 19 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 20 Louis Schreuder (Maties 2010), 21 Kurt Coleman (Maties 2011), 22 Michael van der Spuy (Maties 2011). Golden Lions: 15 Jaco van der Walt (UJ 2014), 14 Ruan Combrinck (Maties 2011), 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Howard Mnisi (NMMU 2012, 2013), 11 Courtnall Skosan (TUKS 2012, 2013), 10 Marnitz Boshoff (TUKS 2009, 2010, 2011), 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Warren Whiteley (captain), 7 Derick Minnie (UJ 2008), 6 Jaco Kriel (UJ 2012), 5 Franco Mostert (TUKS 2010, 2011, 2012), 4 Martin Muller (UCT 2008, 2009, 2010), 3 Ruan Dreyer (UJ 2011, 2012), 2 Robbie Coetzee (TUKS 2010, 2011), 1 Schalk van der Merwe (Shimlas 2012, 2013). Replacements: 16 Armand van der Merwe (NWU-Pukke 2013, 2014), 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Julian Redelinghuys, 19 Willie Britz (Shimlas 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012), 20 Warwick Tecklenburg (TUKS 2008, 2010, 2011), 21 Mark Richards, 22 Harold Vorster (UJ 2014).

Defending FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International champions FNB UCT will not change much as they bid to retain their title next year. The Cape side claimed their second Varsity Cup title in sensational style earlier this year, scoring three tries in the last five minutes in Potchefstroom to come back from the dead and stun FNB NWU-Pukke in the final. Ikeys coach Kevin Musikanth says that they have good continuity both in the playing squad and coaching staff, so they will not be deviating too far from what worked so well for them in 2014. "I think the approach to the campaign will be the same in theory, but the manner in which we do things or approach each game will be different. "The best campaign management is controlling the things that you can control, so that is what we have really got to concentrate on and the results should look after themselves," he told varsitycup.co.za. Musikanth has lost the services of a few key players who have gone on to become professional rugby players, but has managed to retain the core of the squad which lifted the trophy in Potchefstroom. "We have got a nice squad together and most of them are from last year, so we have retained a lot of the guys and we have also got a strong group of youngsters coming in so I think our Young Guns will be stronger too which is great. "Dean Grant, Vince Jobo, Shaun Mcdonald and Neil Rautenbach are all playing provincial rugby and Liam Slatem has gone to Hong Kong. "Those are significant losses but otherwise we have managed to retain everyone else," he said. The coaching staff also remains in place with former Bok hooker Hanyani Shimange taking the forwards, former Sharks utility back Clinton van Rensburg in charge of the backline, experienced scrum 'doctor' Paul Day handling the set-pieces and Tom Dawson-Squibb back to handle the mental side of the game which proved so vital in their comeback victory in Potchefstroom. Musikanth said that it is encouraging to have the same support staff in place as they will have a target on their backs as defending champions. "Shimmy [Shimange] and I developed a very strong coaching relationship this year which was our first year working together. He brought a hard edge to our pack and we complemented each other nicely so I am excited to work with him again. "Tom [Dawson-Squibb] played a very big role and very much a supportive role for me. It was my first year and he was great as a mentor and a friend really. "Paul [Day] has been there from the very first Varsity Cup, and he did wonders with our scrum this year. He is absolutely passionate about the scrum, the funny thing about him is that he will say that anything outside of nine he doesn't worry about. Everything else is white noise to him, he just concentrates on the pack," Musikanth explained. The enlarged UCT training squad is currently undergoing a conditioning phase in the gym, with a tour to Johannesburg planned for mid-January as they build up to their title defence. "We have started our conditioning in the gym, and we are pretty much following the same pattern as last year. "We are going to camp in Joburg in the middle of January, we have got a game set up against Impala Plats who are the national club champs and we are also going to have a contested type training against Wits. "We have also got some chukka-type warm-up games against Hamiltons and False Bay lined up," said Musikanth. The Ikeys mentor is expecting a tough season, and said that they are intent on improving on the way they performed in 2012 when they finished down in seventh place as defending champions. "There will definitely be added pressure, for any side that is defending a title there is always pressure. "There is added pressure and it is something that we didn't handle well in 2012, which is something that we need to learn from. "With a guy like Tom [Dawson-Squibb] looking after the psyche of the campaign and mentorship from Professor Tim Noakes hopefully we won't run into the same problems," he said. He added that they will be out to create the same environment in the squad which served them so well this year, and stressed the need to leave no stone unturned in their preparations. "The one thing we can take from the last campaign is the value of never giving up, playing until the end, giving everything you have got and believing that whatever is meant to be will be. "If we do that, it will be more of a success than saying 'we have to win every single rugby match'. "We are no different in wanting to retain our trophy than any other team in the Varsity Cup. It now comes down to who prepared the best, who recruited the best and who has looked after their squad the best," he said.

Springbok duo Lood de Jager and Damian de Allende both credit coming through the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International as a vital stepping stone on their way to the national side. Both players were playing Varsity Cup recently as 2012, with Stormers utility back De Allende representing the FNB Ikey Tigers and Cheetahs lock De Jager playing for the NWU-Pukke Young Guns team. However, it did not take long for either player to make their way through the ranks, with De Allende playing in the 2012 Currie Cup final for Western Province and De Jager getting his Super Rugby call-up from the Cheetahs in 2013 before both were brought into the Bok squad by coach Heyneke Meyer this year. De Jager, who scored two tries in his first Test start against Scotland in June, said that the experience of playing in the Varsity Young Guns competition had been a key stepping stone for him. "The Young Guns is a good competition to test yourself against the best guys your age and it is a great stepping stone to later play senior Varsity Cup, provincial rugby and hopefully one day for the Springboks," he told varsitycup.co.za. The lanky lock added that his time in Potchefstroom had been important for his development as a person and as a rugby player. "I think Pukke is a great place to start your rugby career, they have great facilities, great coaches, and they give you a chance to study full-time. "I just want to thank Pukke for everything they have done for me in my rugby career and I wish them well for the Varsity Cup," he added. For De Allende, who played at centre and wing for the Ikeys before going on to do the same for the Stormers, Varsity Cup gave him vital exposure. "I think that playing for UCT in the Varsity Cup was probably the perfect platform for me because that's where I got my first opportunity and exposure to rugby at a competitive level and for that I will always be thankful. "It was an awesome experience and it's been a big stepping stone going forward in my career," he said. De Allende added that he still carries valuable lessons learned playing at UCT with him today. "The experience of playing Varsity rugby taught me to always enjoy myself and the friendships I built are still on going. We also had this motto at UCT ‘of being better people’ and that still contributes to the person I am today," he said.

The 2014 Steinhoff University of KwaZulu-Natal Campus League finalists have been confirmed. The College of Humanities won the Howard College pool last week and Steinhoff Purple Haze sewed up the Pete Booysen pool. These two teams will now meet in the winner-takes-all Grand Final. The Grand Final will take place this Friday (3 October) at Peter Booysen Park in Pietermaritzburg and is scheduled to kick off at 7pm. There is much student interest in the final and a large crowd is expected. Supporters are requested to get there early to avoid congestion.