The 2026 Varsity Cup Young Guns (YS) campaign may be over, but the FNB NWU YGs have once again proven why they remain one of the toughest sides in the competition. Although they fell short of winning the title, the season offered valuable lessons in growth and resilience.
The NWU YGs failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time in seven years, and this highlights the competitiveness of the tournament and the magnitude of the challenge they faced.
At the start of the season, the FNB NWU YGs were drawn into Pool B, the “group of death,” alongside the FNB UCT YGs, the FNB Tuks YGs, and the FNB Maties YGs. Teams from this pool have won 14 of the last 15 YGS title, and the FNB NWU YGs rose to the challenge, maturing with every game as the tournament progressed.
Head Coach Hannes Esterhuizen believes the campaign was shaped by mental challenges.
“There was a lot of growth. We are an inexperienced team and did not finish where we wanted to, but we learned a lot. I am proud of the boys,” he said.
The FNB NWU YGs opened their 2026 account with a hard-fought 33–26 victory over the FNB Maties YGs in Potchefstroom, setting the tone for what was set to be a tough competition. However, their momentum stalled in the second round when the FNB UCT YGs pulled off an upset at the Fanie du Toit Sports grounds, staging a comeback to win 31–40.
The NWU YGs took a commanding 24–5 lead into the break, but everything took a turn for the worse in the second half as the visitors overturned the deficit.
“The boys were leading at halftime, and the UCT YGs’ body language suggested that they were out of the game. We should have closed it out then, and it would have been easier to go to the semifinals,” said Esterhuizen.
This defeat, however, sparked belief within the squad. The NWU YGs responded with a dominating 50–19 away victory over the Tuks YGs in Pretoria. They followed this up with another impressive performance at the Danie Craven Stadium on 16 March, outclassing the Maties YGs 34–17.
In the game of rugby, there are often processes for players to fall into, and if they deflect, that might change the whole complexion of the game. One of the season’s defining moments came in Cape Town, where the NWU YGs suffered a disappointing 0–54 defeat at the hands of the FNB UCT YGs at the Green Mile – their first scoreless outing in seven years.
“Everything went wrong for us in that game. We never had the ball because UCT controlled possession very well, but we kept fighting. At halftime, we were 35–0 down, and the message was to focus on getting the bonus points,” said Esterhuizen.
Despite the humiliating loss, Coach Hannes commended his team’s response to pressure and setbacks, highlighting their composure under pressure. The FNB NWU Eagles’ final fixture was a crucial clash
against the Tuks YGs. After a sluggish start, the Eagles YGs stepped up in the second half to secure a thrilling 45–39 victory to make it four wins in six games for the 2026 Young Guns campaign.
“We showed maturity in our second match against FNB Tuks YGs. We learned a lot from losing to UCT Ikeys. Our processes worked well and we stepped up when it mattered,” Esterhuizen added.
Although the victory was not enough to secure a knockout fixture – with the NWU YGs falling just two points short – the team exited the competition with confidence and a clear sense of direction.
The 2026 Young Guns campaign laid the groundwork for the future: a season in which lessons were learned and a young squad matured under pressure.
