4 days Ago By Mariette Adams
UCT’s Ntokozo Makhaza has been crowned king of the Varsity Cup yet again after he led the Ikey Tigers to the 2025 title. The Ikey Tigers booked their place in the final with a third-place finish third in the Varsity Cup standings, two spots below the table-topping Maties. Both sides came through their respective semi-finals unscathed to advance to the title-deciding match at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch, where Ikeys marked their third consecutive final appearance with a first win since 2014.
This was also Maties’ first-ever defeat in a final at home. At the heart of this Ikeys success story is Makhaza, who scored two tries and nailed eight from eight kicks at goal on the night. But this type of performance was just a once-off.
Makhaza has been in scintillating form throughout this Varsity Cup and the previous one. And much like last year, it earned him the Varsity Cup Player the Tournament award and the Back That Rocks in 2025. The 23-year-old, who studies Social Sciences at the University of Cape Town, hopes of one day representing the Springboks and sees the Varisty Cup competition as the perfect opportunity to help launch his career.
“My goal after the Varsity Cup like I said, my future aspirations as a rugby player is to play for the Springboks one, and also just to play professionally. So, the goal after this season is to hopefully get signed for a pro club and take it from there” said Makhaza. WILL THIS VARSITY CUP STAR BECOME A SPRINGBOK ONE DAY? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211 .
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