Steinhoff Nadoes and Steinhoff Cobras will go at it one more time to determine who will represent UCT at the Steinhoff Koshuis rugby Championship. It's another showdown between the perennial powerhouses of UCT and Steinhoff Nadoes will look to get the better of Steinhoff Cobras who represented UCT at the Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Champs last year. Steinhoff Cobras clinched a narrow 10-7 victory over Steinhoff Knights to book their spot in the September 23 final while Steinhoff Nadoes cruised into the final with a resounding 40-0 victory over Steinhoff Cats The victories have set up a classic encounter for the title while the losing semifinalists will play each other in the 3rd/4th playoff. In the reserve league, Steinhoff CVU Vikings walked away 20-14 winners against Steinhoff Turtles to set up a final against Steinhoff Saints who beat Steinhoff Ikhaya 31-5 in their semifinal. Tuesday, September 23 Reserve League 3rd/4th Playoff Steinhoff Turtles vs Steinhoff Ikhaya 18.00 Reserve League Final Steinhoff Saints vs Steinhoff CVU Vikings 20.00 A-League 3rd/4th Playoff Steinhoff Knights vs Steinhoff Cats 19.00 A-League Final Steinhoff Nadoes vs Steinhoff Cobras 20.00

The 2014 Steinhoff UKZN Campus League has been characterised by some enthralling rugby and great support from the student base with derby matches often attracting cheerleaders, local DJs and large crowds, including celebrity spectators such as SARU president, Oregan Hoskins, himself a UKZN alumnus. In the Pete Booysen pool it is now a two horse race between the digs team, Steinhoff Purple Haze and the William O'Brien Hall-based Steinhoff AmaSosha. The 2012 champions, the Steinhoff Varsity Drifters and last year's winners the Steinhoff Agric Stags have already dropped valuable log points and look to be out of contention. Steinhoff Denison Residence and Steinhoff Cedara have played some entertaining matches, but they too are unlikely to progress, with the Haze and AmaShosha now tied at the top of the log, and due to face each other on Friday night. In the Howard College Pool, the College of Humanities thrashed the uncharacteristically weak Steinhoff Engineers 71-5 in the opening round and looked to be the top contenders, before suffering a last minute 21-15 loss to Steinhoff Housing. Humanities did redeem themselves later on against Steinhoff Westville, who had previously recorded an impressive 16-10 win over the Housing students. In last week's round the vastly improved Engineers were level pegging with Housing with just a few minutes remaining, but the Housing students managed to score in the last minute to secure a vital win which elevates them to tied first on the log, alongside Westville and the College of Humanites. There is now all to play for in both groups as the final round pool games approach. By Mark Schulze

The Steinhoff Medics added the Steinhoff Shield to their league winners trophy when they edged Masakhane 15-13 in the Steinhoff Wits Internal Rugby League final at Wits rugby stadium on Wednesday. It was evident from the resolute and robust defence displayed by both teams that the final was never going to be a high scoring affair and the first score came in the 20th minute when Medics scrumhalf Jonathan Stols crossed the try-line after some good pressure from the Medics forwards. The conversion was missed and Masakhane bounced back almost immediately through centre Nish Govender whose unconverted try levelled the scores. The score remained 5-5 until shortly before half-time when flying winger Daniel Roque sprinted almost the entire length of the field to dot down under the posts. Centre Charl Bosman slotted the conversion and Medics went into the hut holding a 13-5 lead. A rousing second half produced the same determined tackling by both teams and it took a gem of a try from quicksilver Masakhane scrumhalf Ryan "Silent Bob" Kruger in the 62nd minute to unlock the Medics defence. Flyhalf Greg Blom added the two points and at 13 points apiece it was game on with the possibility of extra time looming. Bosman had other ideas however and with the referee checking his stopwatch the player of the season unleashed a peach of a drop goal from close to the touchline, breaking Masakhane hearts and sealing the victory for the young Doctors.

Lank mag die vorstehuis van Patria staan. Dié manskoshuis van die Noordwes-Universiteit se Potchefstroomkampus kan nou met reg die onbetwiste koshuiskrag in Noordwes genoem word na Henry Stewart se troepe onlangs hul tweede agtereenvolgende Steinhoff Koshuisliga-titel ingepalm het. Patria het De Wilgers 19-12 op die Fanie du Toit-sportterrein geklop en sodoende welverdiend sjampanje geproe ná hulle vroeër vanjaar in die eindstryd van die nasionale koshuisliga teen Heimat van Kovsies verloor het. Drie eindstryde in een jaar en twee trofeë. Dis mos nou iets. Waar De Wilgers in die verlede met ’n verwoede aanslag in die eerste 20-minute gekom het, het Patria die bordjies in die eindstryd verhang en die tempo net duskant windhond gehou. “Ons was halftyd net 5-0 voor, maar ek kon nie vir die ouens sê om anders te speel nie. Alles wat hulle gedoen het, was reg, ek het geweet die punte sal kom,” vertel Stewart, Patria se breier. As daar vir ’n keerpunt in die wedstryd gestem moet word, sal ses-flank Berto Kleynhans se heldedade net voor halftyd loshande wen. Met De Wilgers begeesterend op die aanval, en op Patria se doellyn, het Kleynhans die bal uit ’n teenstander se greep gepluk net toe dié wou druk. De Wilgers kon skaars vrae: “Hoe de...” halftydfluitjie blaas. Dit het die loop van die wedstryd verander en van hier af het die Blou masjien nie weer terug gekyk nie. Vir Stewart en sy span was die seisoen wel alles behalwe maanskyn en rose. ’n Paar van sy meer seniormanne het nie die mas opgekom nie en hy moes noodgedwonge sy span ’n jongbloedinspuiting gee. Op ’n stadium het Patria vyfde op die algehele punterleer gelê; ’n situasie wat selfs Lasarus sou laat moed opgee het. Bonuspunte, en nie ’n bietjie nie, was nodig om die uitspeelrondes te haal. Wat doen Patria toe? Wel, hulle gaan staan en maak 12-ligapunte in net twee wedstryde bymekaar deur vir Caput en Heimat af te slag. In ’n klipharde halfeindstryd was dit rateltaai Villagers wat die loef afgesteek het en toe, die laaste hekkie. Hoe sou die rekordboeke hierdie span van Stewart onthou? “Ek het vir ’n vir die jong ouens in die span gesê jou word ’n held as jy die Koshuisliga wen en ek het vir die ou manne (waarvan vyf die koshuis vanjaar verlaat) gesê jou word ’n legende as jy hom twee keer na mekaar wen,” vertel Stewart. Legendes en helde, dít is hoe hierdie Patria-span onthou sal word. Deur Bertie Jacobs

Steinhoff Mopanie will be the face of UP-Tuks in the Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championships next year after they defeated arch-rivals Steinhoff Maroela in a tense final. The first XV league showed that the decades old rivalry between Steinhoff Mopanie and Steinhoff Maroela is alive and well. Present and past students with their families as well as parents and girlfriends came to watch the final and no-one was disappointed with the type of hard rugby that was played. With two minutes to go in the match, Maroela held a 13-9 lead but Mopanie showed their experience of playing finals rugby by scoring a late try which was duly converted to hand them a 16-13 win to be crowned 2014 UP-Tuks Koshuis champions. It looked like the old days of koshuis rugby which saw the Tuks Stadium and sidelines filled to the brim with spectators. Lively music and support contributed to an electric atmosphere and the teams proved why they were playing in the various finals. In the Under-20 final, Steinhoff Sonop showed they have the players of the future of koshuisrugby when they easily beat Steinhoff Maroela 32-18. Steinhoff AOB walked away victors of the 2nd XV league when they beat Steinhoff Groenkloof TigersB 16-13 in a tough game. The last game for the Steinhoff Tuks Koshuis players will be on September 20 when the Steinhoff Tuks Koshuis Barbarians take on their UJ counterparts at Loftus Versfeld.

FNB UCT won their final WP Super League game against the Victorians, but came up just short of the title claimed by FNB Maties. The 2014 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International champions won 71-20 against Victorians in Stellenbosch, but Maties’ bonus point 27-25 win over Hamiltons in the final round of the competition enabled them to move into first place and consequently bring home the cup. The overall log point difference was slight, UCT finishing up with 64, while Maties brought in 65 log points. However, given the Ikey’s massive performance in the tournament, they topped their Cape rivals in points scored 632 – 560. The disparity between the two sides was UCT’s fiercely fought 18-19 loss to Stellenbosch away from home in the first half of the league. In the tie-breaker game, a last-gasp penalty try awarded to Maties was the difference between a win and a loss for the Ikeys. Ikey’s coach Kevin Musikanth was nostalgic as he looked back on the 2014 year of rugby for his team. “The magical year of 2014 is something that if there was way, we could all bottle and hang on our mantle piece. To pick up and relive anytime we choose,” he said. Most significant was their 2014 Varsity Cup win, a final in which they scored 24 points in five minutes to come back from the dead and seize the victory from FNB NWU-Pukke’s hands. “When the curtain closes on 2014 the record books will show that we shocked the Varsity Cup and lifted the trophy. We were outliers, with two captains and real students,” he said. “We were human. We went down to Stellenbosch in the league making us examples of the sport, that through adversity comes lesson and through lesson comes heart," he said.

FNB Maties coach Chris Rossouw was proud of the character his side showed to fight back in their crucial final WP Super League game against Hamilton's to claim the title. The Stellenbosch students had trailed at half-time, but scored two tries in the second half and held on for a tense 27-25 victory. That win ensured that they finished the season one log point ahead of Cape FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International rivals FNB UCT. Rossouw was particularly pleased with the mental strength his side showed to fight back after going behind early on. "We conceded a try in the first minute and then let in another soft try in the first half, but we handled the pressure well," he said. Rossouw said that the high stakes had created a testing situation for Maties, and they came through with flying colours. "It was like a final situation which brings different pressures so it took a different mindset and it was great the way the guys stuck to their guns and consolidated to come back from there," he said. The Maties coach added that the amount of young talent that has come through in the WP Super League this season is encouraging ahead of the 2015 Varsity Cup. "There are quite a few young guys who are coming through and have made the step up. Varsity Cup is the main challenge and we don't have the trophy we want so we have to put the systems in place to change that," he said.

Steinhoff Vishuis will represent UFS in the Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championships once again next year. The 2012 national champions defeated rivals Steinhoff Heimat 27-21 in a tense final of the Steinhoff UFS-Shimlas Koshuis league. This means that Heimat will not be able to defend their title as Steinhoff Koshuisrugby champions in 2015, although Vishuis will be keen to continue UFS' dominance in the national competition.

The Steinhoff PUK Barbarians were too strong for their counterparts from UJ in Potchefstroom as they secured a 24-17 win on home soil. Star players for Steinhoff UJ Barbarians where Jarred Branco, Mdaleni Malendi, Corne Lindeque, Wezi Manda and Gareth Hardy. Branco was names as Steinhoff UJ Barbarians Man of the Match. Steinhoff UJ Barbarians scorers: Tries: Mdaleni Malendi; Corne Lindeque, Gareth Hardy Con: Wezi Manda

The Steinhoff UJ Barbarians team will take on four other Barbarians sides in a series of testing matches. A squad of 28 players was selected out of the Steinhoff UJ Koshuis league. The Team will be captained by Steinhoff Bastion skipper and flanker Raymond Heron and he will be assisted by Steinhoff Oppieriff's Wezi Manda. Steinhoff UJ Barbarians squad: 15 Khuliso Mutshembele (Steinhoff Oppieriff), 14 Lwazi Sithole (Steinhoff Bastion), 13 Jarred Branco (Steinhoff Bastion), 11 Corne Lindeque (Steinhoff Chiros), 10 Sifiso Shabangu (Steinhoff Bastion), 9 Wezi Mandla (Steinhoff Oppieriff), 8 Gareth Hardy (Steinhoff Chiros), 7 Mac Mahlangu (Steinhoff Oppieriff), 6 Raymond Heron (Steinhoff Bastion), 5 Wynand Venter (Steinhoff Drom), 4 Gerber Kapp (Steinhoff Bastion), 3 Titan Haylock (Steinhoff Bastion), 2 Liso Langman (Steinhoff Oppieriff), 1 Heinrich Pretorius (Steinhoff Bastion). 16 Fanie Esterhuizen (Steinhoff Drom), 17 Sean Koeberg (Steinhoff Oppieriff), 18 Werner van Staden (Steinhoff Kanniedood), 19 Malele Mpofu (Steinhoff Oppieriff), 20 Njabulo Madondo (Steinhoff Oppieriff), 21 Dipono Malatjie (Steinhoff SWC), 22 Lilitha Kambula (Steinhoff DFC), 23 Kwagga Vermeulen (Steinhoff Bastion), 24 M Miselo (Steinhoff Drom), 25 Balunga Mbangi (Steinhoff Oppieriff), 26 Bongs Mkwazi (Steinhoff DFC), 27 Zweli Mabaso (Steinhoff SWC), 28 Mlideli Maneli (Steinhoff SWC). Coaches: Daniel Scholtz and Itomuleng Mogotsi Managers: Vaughn Scholtz and Joseph Faul Steinhoff UJ Barbarians fixtures: v Wits 2 at Wits - Saturday, 30 August vs Steinhoff PUK Barbarians at Olienpark - Saturday, 6 September vs Steinhoff Wits Barbarians at UJ Westsport - Friday, 12 September vs Steinhoff Tuks Barbarians at Loftus Versveld - Saturday, 20 September

The final round of fixtures of the Steinhoff Tuks Koshuis rugby was played on August 26 and will now head into the semifinal stage of the competition. The great rivals of Steinhoff Maroela and Steinhoff Mopanie was the only one game played in the first XV league. It was a very hard game and neither team allowed the other to dominate the game. In the end, Steinhoff Maroela won the match 26-19. Spetember 2 will see the teams in the lower leagues playing their semifinal matches and if you look at the type of rugby the teams have been playing, then you are guaranteed to see good student rugby. Steinhoff Tuks Barbarians Squad as of August 26: Steinhoff Tuks Barbarians Squad: 15 Kobus Eloff (Steinhoff Sonop), 14 Donald Crawford (Steinhoff OP), 13 Brink Botha (Steinhoff OP), 12 Wynand Bezuidenhout (Steinhoff Mopanie), 11 Lourens Weyer (Steinhoff Mopanie), 10 Nicolaas Bester (Steinhoff OP), 9 Albert Jordaan (Steinhoff Mopanie), 8 Pieter Griesel (Steinhoff Sonop), 7 Rosche Cronje (Steinhoff OP), 6 Christiaan du Toit (Steinhoff Mopanie), 5 Andries Lesch (Steinhoff OP), 4 Boeta Erasmus (Steinhoff Sonop), 3 Dario Cremona (Steinhoff OP), 2 Derek Botha (Steinhoff Sonop), 1 Pepler Stander (Steinhoff Maroela). 16 Jeandre Taljaard (Steinhoff Maroela), 17 Tiaan Heenop (Steinhoff Mopanie), 18 Tiaan Visser (Steinhoff OP), 19 Rudolf Smit (Steinhoff Maroela), 20 Hanro Cloete (Steinhoff Sonop), 21 Gerhard Hefer (Steinhoff Maroela), 22 Werner Els (Steinhoff Sonop), 23 Rubanne Meyer (Steinhoff Maroela). Fixtures: Tuesday, September 2 17:30 – 2nd Teams Steinhoff Geelhout vs Steinhoff AOB TuksRugby C-Field Steinhoff Mopanie vs Steinhoff G.Tigers B TuksRugby D-Field 18:00 – U/20 Teams Steinhoff Maroela vs Steinhoff Olienhout TuksRugby E-Field Steinhoff Sonop vs Steinhoff Boekenhout TuksRugby F-Field 19:30 – 1st Teams Steinhoff Maroela vs Steinhoff Sonop TuksRugby E-Field Steinhoff OP vs Steinhoff Mopanie TuksRugby F-Field

Steinhoff Stallions will represent NMMU in the 2015 Steinhoff Koshuis Rugby Championships after beating Steinhoff Northernz in their internal league final at the Madibaz Stadium in Port Elizabeth. The Stallions brought their A-game despite the stormy weather conditions to take down the tournament-leading Northernz team 10-0. First to put points on the board was Stallions centre Luke Binneman who scored the opening try for a 5-0 lead. Flank Mark Edwards followed with a second unconverted try to secure the win for the underdogs. Although Northernz were the team to beat after winning all their games throughout the competition, they were unable to put away the decisive points against the determined Stallions.