Ladies and gentlemen, buckle your seatbelts and secure your helmets: the adrenalin-fuelled rugby rollercoaster that is the Varsity Cup is around the corner.

Leading the charge for the North-West University (NWU) will be Lincoln Daniels, who has been named captain.

The fleet-footed wing boasts plenty of experience, and as a fourth-year BEd student he is one of the more seasoned campaigners in the squad. Although only standing 177 cm tall and hardly crushing the scales at 85 kg, Daniels has more than enough heart to carry the weight of fans’ expectations.

The team, coached by former Springbok flyhalf André Pretorius, has already assembled in Potchefstroom to kick off their preparations for the tournament, which starts on 5 April in Pretoria when they face the Madibaz from the NMMU. That encounter will be followed by clashes against the Shimlas and UP-Tuks.

There are a host of new recruits in the NWU ranks with the likes of Sphepelo Mabuza, Conan Lefleur, Keagan Fortune and Marco Donges. It is an exciting squad to say the least.