The University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Senior Men’s Rugby Team (FNB UJ Men) has not disappointed at home in this year’s FNB Varsity Cup tournament, winning three of four home fixtures. FNB UJ gave the University of Free State (FNB UFS Shimlas) a taste of their own medicine on Monday, 16 March 2026 in a thrilling 29-17 victory at the UJ Rugby Stadium in Westdene.

This result catapults FNB UJ men into 4^th position on the FNB Varsity Cup log with 16 points after five matches. With two round-robin games remaining, the Orange Army is now firmly in contention for a semifinal berth.

The victory was particularly sweet for FNB UJ, after FNB UFS dealt the Orange Army consecutive defeats over the past two years. Furthermore, the hosts’ performance was a vital bounce-back from a bruising 87-28 loss against FNB UCT in Cape Town the previous week.

After a 20-minute stalemate, FNB UJ opened the score through hooker Francois Prinsloo through a rolling maul to put UJ ahead. A few minutes later, Mnelisi Gamede extended UJ’s lead after piercing through the FNB UFS defence with speed. JT Kapank’s educated right foot kicks kept UJ ahead on the scoreboard as he continued his successful conversions after missing the first one.

With the UJ home crowd’s cheers fuelling the hosts’ performances, Prinsloo added another try to send FNB UJ into the halftime break with a 19-0 lead.

In the second half, FNB UJ men continued where they left off. Toy Engelbercht dotted down another try for FNB UJ to push the score to 26-0. The visitors conjured up some energy to reduce the deficit in the second half, scoring three tries after FNB UJ’s ill-discipline saw three players receive yellow cards. However, it was too late for the visitors to recoil UJ’s lead as the referee blew for fulltime with a 29-17 final score in favour of the Orange Army.

Coach Therlow Pietersen’s men shift sights to facing struggling Free State side, Central University of Technology (FNB CUT Men) who lost all their five games, in Bloemfontein on Monday, 23 March 2026.

SCORERS:

FNB UJ: 29

Tries: Francois Prinsloo X2, Mnelisi Gamede, Toy Engelbercht.

FNB Shimlas: 12

Tries: Erich Visser X2, Faasen Laubscher.

FNB Player of the Match: Thabang Mphafi (FNB UJ)

TEAMS:

FNB UJ: Sifiso Magwaza, Francois Prinsloo, Damian Baker, Jaythen Orange, Juan Fourie, Toy Engelbercht, Josh Du Toit, Thabang Mphafi ©, Berwyn Bosch, JT Kapank, Mnelis Gamede, Reuven Ferreira, Exauce Kevani, Tholithemba Sibisi, Jeandre Uithaler.

FNB Shimlas: Musa Teboho Moshoaliba, Jacobus Bezuidenhout, Sibabalwe Booi, HJ de Beer, Juan Venter, Henri van Heerden, Sandile Nzuza, Liam Shamburg, Erich Visser, Bradley Pierre Giddy ©, Keehan Etson, Freddie Dreyer, Wynard Botha, Kirwin du Preez, Siviwe Zondani.