FNB Varsity Shield Round 7: Standout Performers and Key Moments

WITH the Sol Plaatje University’s Varsity Shield campaign for 2025 at an end after Friday's narrow, late and heartbreaking loss to the University of the Western Cape (UWC), the Kimberley team will obviously have learned from their mistakes, and we can be sure that they will definitely bring learnings from this experience to the next edition of the competition.

But looking at the teams that remain in the play-off phase, there were certainly those players, the bright lights, that gave their team that extra boost when it came to getting their team over the line.

The Gemmies witnessed such brilliance first-hand when UWC’s Romauld Nsombamanya dug deep and led an incredible comeback for the visitors at the Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley. 

Seemingly dead and buried at 33-7 after a ripping start by the home team, Nsombamanya’s patience led his team to a stunning victory. Shredding the SPU defence and scoring four tries, he led by example and helped his team clinch victory on the way to earning the FNB Player That Rocks award.

Elsewhere in the competition, the Varsity College Comets secured their promotion into the Varsity Cup with a 41-29 win against Walter Sisulu University. The Comets impressive run in the competition sees them top of the log after the round-robin phase with six wins from seven and a healthy points difference of 101.

Meanwhile, the Madibaz secured a semi-final place after a 45-27 victory over CPUT, thereby booking a spot in the Varsity Cup promotion-relegation match. 

The UKZN Impi will rue a poor campaign as they finished bottom of the log and will have to decide their fate in a relegation play-off against the top USSA side later in the year after losing to UFH 36-17.

But besides UWC’s Nsombamanya, which other players impressed last week?

Who could possibly overlook Lwando Davane? The Madibaz centre was a formidable presence in the midfield, consistently halting CPUT’s attacking runners in their tracks — whether in the tight exchanges or when the backs attempted to spread the play wide. He will undoubtedly be a key player for his team as they head into the semi-finals and beyond.

UFH’s Sinalo Jivana was the driving force behind his team’s victory, using his kicking prowess to secure the win. The Blues' backline delivered an outstanding defensive performance, completely shutting down UKZN with disciplined and skillful play. Jivana’s impressive boot earned him the FNB Player That Rocks award for his efforts.

Varsity College’s Frederick Marx has been a model of consistency for the Comets, and once again, he delivered a stellar performance to guide his team to victory and secure their promotion to the FNB Varsity Cup next season. On the night, he scored a try, slotted four conversions, and added a penalty to his tally, sealing WSU’s fate.