The North-West University Eagles are off to a solid start in the 2021 Varsity Cup tournament with two wins from three games. They first beat the Madibaz from NMMU 47–28 and old rivals Shimlas 32–22 before André Pretorius’s side came undone against Tukkies in a resounding 33–15 loss.

The Eagles occupy the fifth position on the overall log behind CUT, Tuks, Ikeys and Maties. These are, however, still early days in the tournament, with nine rounds left before the play-offs.

The Eagles next face UWC on 22 April, before squaring off against Maties five days later and Wits on 30 April.

One shining light has been the performance of hooker Gustav du Rand, who has been at his barnstorming best. He claimed two consecutive Player that Rocks accolades after the Eagles’ initial triumphs, and managed to score in the loss to Tuks. Since the days of Tiaan Liebenberg, Akker van der Merwe and Chucky van der Westhuizen (all internationals, Van der Westhuizen represented Namibia), the NWU has had a reputation for producing stellar hookers, with Du Rand proving that the trend continues.