Heartbreak. Heartbreak of the highest order. Heartbreak akin to being dumped by your true love the morning before your matric farewell.

Pardon the exaggeration, but this is how most NWU Eagles supporters would have felt after the Eagles lost 26–35 to Ikeys from UCT in their opening Varsity Cup clash in Potchefstroom. Ikeys scored the match-winning try in the last minute of the game when Duran Koevort dotted down for the decisive score.

The Eagles led 26–14 at halftime and scored two tries by Heinz Bertram and Riaan Genis, with Nivan Petersen slotting two conversions and four penalties. Petersen was also named the FNB Player that Rocks.

Still, that would have been little consolation for a side that always seemed to be bamboozled by Ikeys at critical times.

It was not, however, all doom and gloom, as some good fortune also blew in from the Western Cape. On Monday 22 February at the Fanie du Toit Sport Grounds in Potchefstroom, the Eagles were in a rampant mood when they beat UWC (University of the Western Cape) 40–19.

The Eagles led 21–19 at half-time and kept the visitors scoreless thereafter. Heinz Bertram and Riaan Genis again scored a try each, but this time they were joined by Vernon Paulo, Ruben du Plessis and Pienaar van Niekerk. Nivan Petersen converted three tries, Martin Venter added a conversion of his own as well as a penalty.

The Eagles’ next challenge is against UJ in Johannesburg on 28 February.