UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE
AMIDST THE buzz before the 2019 World Cup final, a Springbok legend took the chance to laud an avenue for South African talent.
“To have so many players from the FNB Varsity Cup and FNB Varsity Shield in the Springbok squad is the dream I envisioned when I started the Varsity Cup in 2009,” said Francois Pienaar, the 1995 World Cup-winning captain.
He went on: “Players like Bongi Mbonambi, Handré Pollard and Damian De Allende have stood out in this team and what’s really special is having Varsity Shield players Sbu Nkosi and Herschel Jantjies playing their role in getting the Springboks to the final.
“Considering the competitiveness we’ve seen in the last two years in the Varsity Cup, I think we can expect many more Varsity Cup and Varsity Shield stars to graduate to the Springboks squad at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.”
Those names were five of 12 former varsity talents to travel with the Boks to Japan.
