The Tuks under-20 rugby team ended their season on a high by winning the inaugural XI Cross Border Competition by beating Hamiltons 61-14 in the final played in Pretoria.
The heroics of the youngsters bide well for the future of TuksRugby. Next year, some of them could be in the vanguard in the campaign of Tuks’s first team to reestablish themselves as one of South Africa’s top university teams.
The XI Cross Border Competition featured 21 teams in three sections, including North, South, and Central regions from the Blue Bulls, Lions, Pumas, Griquas, Valke, Leopards, and Western Province Rugby Unions.
Tuks outplayed CUT in the quarterfinals, winning 57-37. The semifinal was a humdinger. Tuks’s players had to dig deep to beat Northwest 34-32.
Tuks’s captain, Dillion Smith, sees his team’s effort in the final as a just reward for all the long and hard hours they had spent on the field this season.
“What we have learned, and the experience we gained playing the tournament will stand us in good stead next year. For some of us, the big challenge next year will be to help Tuks win the Varsity Shield Tournament. It would be amazing if we do, as it would mean 2025, we will be back playing in the Varsity Cup.”
Smith, who plays as a loose forward, has no definite role models.
“I see myself as a forever student of the game, which means I am on a continuous quest to learn from the best. My challenge is to identify the best traits of the world’s foremost loose forwards and then try to copy that into my style of play.
“Bringing a physical presence to the game is, at the moment, one of my best trademarks. But rugby is not only about brute strength. I wanted to be seen as an all-rounder when playing as a loose forward. That is why I continuously focus on improving various skills.”
Getting to captain a team is a challenge Smith relishes.
“I am not a captain who talks all the time. Captaining to me is leading from the front and setting an example. I have learned this from my granddad. He is a man of few words, but when you are in his presence, you can’t help but respect him. It is special.
“My dad, Shawn, also used to play for Tuks. Needless to say, he is my biggest supporter. In our discussions about rugby, he often gives me new insights into the game.”