‘Best experience in my year in office’

The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) leadership celebrated the senior rugby team’s third Varsity Cup title during a dinner held on Tuesday, 5 August.

It was back in April when the Ikey Tigers clinched the coveted cup in a 44–21 triumph against their Stellenbosch counterparts at the Danie Craven Stadium. That win ended an 11-year wait since their last crown and saw the team finally exorcise two back-to-back losses in the 2023 and 2024 finals.

Since then, players have been snapped up by rugby clubs at home and abroad, while some continue to play in UCT’s internal leagues. Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor Mosa Moshabela, could not hide his excitement at hosting the victorious players and the management staff, led by head coach, Robbie Fleck.

He recalled how club chairman, Greg Fury, after his arrival as VC, was in his office, laying the case out for the UCT rugby club. “He [Fury] asked me to support the club. I want you to know you have our support as the leadership of UCT,” said Professor Moshabela. “The UCT executive has been to your games this season, cheering you on from the stands. I’ve just finished a year as VC and within my first year of being at UCT, we win the Varsity Cup (again) after an 11-year wat. I’m not saying there’s any magic that I brought with me, but the win has been one of the best things I’ve experienced in my year in office,” he said, much to the delight of the audience.

“Don’t be surprised when you see other young people wanting to come to UCT for this very reason. There is power in what you have accomplished and some of you have waited a few years to get this moment. We do not take it for granted and we love you guys for what you have accomplished for this institution.”

Moshabela ended by encouraging the team to lean into their academics with the same spirit they tackled their 2025 season, which saw the team finish third on the log after seven games. Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs, Transformation and Social Responsiveness Professor Elelwani Ramugondo said: “The Ikey Tigers embody what author Wole Soyinka says about the tiger: ‘A tiger does not proclaim his tigritude, he pounces’, and Stellenbosch [in the final] did not see it coming. That is about how one’s achievements and innate abilities speak for themselves, rather than requiring verbal declarations. You are it. You know it. And you showed it.”

The Ikey Tigers long-standing team manager, Raun Billett, expressed gratitude for the support the team received during the season. “Our chairman, Greg Fury, always speaks about the amateur values which underpin the club and often speaks about the French word ‘amateur’, which in its truest sense means ‘for the love of’ and in an age of professionalism of youth sports both at schools and varsity level, it’s very rare that you can retain these amateur values.”

Future leaders

Billet continued: “These values are so important because what we have learned over the years at Ikeys is that with strong values and culture, those become foundational tenets for human beings that go through the club. As a result, not only are we producing great student athletes, but we’re also producing great humans, and UCT graduates.

“Our success this season is the product of collaboration: students juggle being full-time students and professional athletes. Our coaches are part-time with other roles and responsibilities. We’ve got alumni who are generous with their time and money and that plays a big part in our journey. And then there’s the administrative team of the club and university who enable us to do the work we do. We hope this serves as a model for all the UCT sporting codes. Thank you for recognising the rugby club and for championing the role that sport plays in creating the characteristics that future leaders of this country will embody.”