UJ to continue fine form

The University of Johannesburg rugby team will look for continuity and balance as they head into the FNB 2016 Varsity Cup with the goal of bringing home the trophy.

Their first Varsity Cup encounter kicks off on 8 February, and coach Werner Janse van Rensburg said that real preparation for the season would start once final examinations were finished.

“The guys have been training, specifically working on their strength and conditioning, and in those first two weeks of December we will head out onto the field and start practising our skills,” said Van Rensburg.

Despite UJ’s early exit from this year’s tournament, losing out on a spot in the semi-finals, Janse van Rensburg said he was still happy with his team’s performance.

“Looking back at this year’s competition, we only narrowly missed out on the play-offs. We won three out of seven games,” he said.

“After Varsity Cup we went on to win every competition we participated in, including the USSAs in June. We still have a lot of the same players, forming a strong team, and I believe big things are coming if we continue down the same path.”

The coach will be looking at forward, Kobus Porter to lead the side again. He believes the 24-year-old is a strong leader who will bring a sense of calmness and stability to the team as he has spent some time in the UJ rugby system and has the players’ respect.

Other senior players include lock, David Antonites and backline speedster, Aphiwe Dyanthi.

Van Rensburg believes his team is fully capable of bringing the trophy home. He said however, that there are still a few months before the tournament and a lot can happen before then.

He concluded that they need to take it one step at a time, and that for now the players just need to focus on their exams. As that is the most important thing right now.

Details: University of Johannesburg myfuture@uj.ac.za or 011 559 4555.

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