It was a unanimous decision – neither the players nor the team management hesitated. There is only one man who can be tasked with leading the North-West University (NWU) Eagles attack in their 2022 Varsity Cup campaign, and that man is Ruan “Sampie” Swiegers.

As tight head he is after all used to leading his team from the front in their search forefront football in the scrums, and in 2021 he was part of the Leopards group that won the Currie Cup First Division title.  

 “It was a big surprise – I did not expect it. I do not feel any extra pressure, therefore I do not think it will affect my game. It is only a great privilege,” says Sampie.

The 23-year-old was born in Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal, where he also matriculated. He then joined the NWU and the men's residence Laureus, studying human movement science and psychology. Currently he is enrolled for a postgraduate diploma in business management.  

Initially, rugby was not the prime target in his sights, but after the NWU’s Chaka Willemse recognised his talent in the university’s residence league, he made him a part of the NWU’s under 19 group. Now he is the face of the NWU’s Varsity Cup campaign and he and his team have only one goal: “We want to represent the university as a whole and we want to win for the university. We are a process-driven team and that will remain our focus point.”

And what does he want to do?

“I want to lead the team to new heights and I want to hand over the culture we have built over the past three years to the next group.”

 “It is a long season, but we all agree about what we want to achieve, and my job now is to keep the guys motivated. We must remain focused on our process. If things go too badly or too well, you tend to forget the basic principles and your values. This may not happen to us.”

His father and hero, Gielie Swiegers, also played in the front row for the Blue Bulls, and the apple has definitely not fallen far from the tree as far as front-row performance is concerned. “I like the physical part of the game. I like the fact that you are almost expected to hurt the guys a bit,” he explains gleefully, with his tongue in his cheek. “You must be big and physically strong, with very good technique. Because I am a big guy, I also have to work hard on remaining fit.” Sampie currently swings the scale at 128 kg, although it was somewhat higher until recently. “I had to lose a bit of weight!” he laughs.

This commitment to his fitness and figure makes his favourite hobbies a little difficult to pursue … especially one: “I love fishing and braaiing, but like braaiing a lot more than fishing.”

And he likes rugby. Because rugby is more than just rugby.

 “Rugby is about brotherhood. The people you get to know. The struggling and sweating together. The stories you build.”

The NWU Eagles Varsity Cup rugby story starts on Monday, 14 February.

Sampie Swiegers.