Picture: SUPPLIEDDucats Township Young Leopards are staring down their prey, Varsity Shield campaigners Walter Sisulu University (WSU) All Blacks, in the final of the Brutten Cup at Police Park at 3.30pm on Saturday.
The Ducats team has come from the hills to become the 2025 Super League runners-up, and, in terms of scarce resources and zero institutional support are the Davids in this battle.
The two sides strode to convincing semi-final victories to secure their place in the cup final.
Defending champions, University of Fort Hare Blues, failed to qualify this season.
In their semis, WSU defeated Fort Beaufort United 33-18, while the Leopards outclassed East London Buffs 38–12.
And yet, the arrival of the two sides in the final was not a surprise to rugby pundits who predicted this match-up after both teams dominated during the group stages.
Leopards’ head coach Phakamani Moni said: “I am happy with how we played today.” He emphasised that there was still room for improvement ahead of the final.
“We’ll face a completely different opponent in the final. There are still a lot of areas we need to improve if we want to lift the trophy. We want to win it this year. It will feel like a robbery if we finish the season without silverware,” he said.
On the other side, WSU All Blacks mentor Phumlani Blaauw said: “I’m confident we’ll beat the Leopards in the final.”
The former WSU All Blacks Varsity Cup captain says his side will use this week to fine-tune their game.
“We did well against a strong FB United team, and that match showed us the areas we need to work on,” he said.
Blaauw also acknowledged the Leopards’ threat, saying their first-half performance wasn’t convincing. “We led only 19-18 at halftime. Against the Leopards, we’ll need to stay sharp for the full 80 minutes.”
This will be the second meeting between the two teams in this year’s Brutten Cup.
The Leopards won their previous encounter 21 – 10, although both sides had already secured knockout qualification and fielded several fringe players.
The much-anticipated final will be preceded by the third-place playoff between Fort Beaufort United and Buffs.
Kick-off is at 3.30pm is scheduled for Saturday at Police Park, East London.
