The fuse has been lit and the countdown has begun. On 14 February rugby will explode onto our screens and on our tertiary-education fields again when the 2022 Varsity Cup kicks off.  

It is war in its most pleasurable form. Firing the first salvos will be the NWU Eagles and UCT Ikeys on the Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds in Potchefstroom, and leading the charge will be newly appointed captain Ruan Swiegers. A week later the Eagles will square off against the University of the Western Cape, again next to the Mooi River, before heading to Johannesburg to face UJ.

Round 4 of the ten-team tournament will see the Eagles go head-to-head with Tuks in Potchefstroom before heading off to their match against the UFS Shimlas in Bloemfontein. Next up is Maties in Stellenbosch, the Madibaz in Potchefstroom, the Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein and Wits in Potchefstroom.

The play-offs will commence on 18 April, followed by the final a week later. It is a tough task for all teams involved as there are no byes this time around. Coach André Pretorius, the wily former test player, will be relishing the challenge and will surely have a few tricks up his sleeve.

It is going to be a very special Valentine’s Day.