Although UP-Tuks have a powerhouse team, Athletics manager Danie Cornelius believes that Pukke are still the favourites ahead of the first Varsity Athletics meeting on Monday.
The Pretoria-based team have been tipped as a good bet to contend for the inaugural title in Stellenbosch on Monday night, but Cornelius believes that they will have a tough task beating the team from Potchefstroom.
“We are hoping to do well, but there are so many variables – so many things that could go right or wrong on the night.
“On paper Pukke have to be the favourites for Monday, they have got some world class stars, and although anything can happen on the day I think they will be the team to beat,” he told varsitysportsSA.com.
The majority of the UP-Tuks team is already in Stellenbosch ahead of the SA Senior Athletics Championships which will be held on Friday and Saturday, and Cornelius is not sure how that will influence their performances in the inaugural Varsity Athletics meeting on Monday.
“It could be a negative or a positive – they could be tired or they could be energised so we will just have to see how it goes,” he said.
The UP-Tuks manager is looking forward to seeing how his talented charges fare on Monday in what will be a new format for all involved.
“We have LJ van Zyl running the relay for us which is quite exciting, and then there is Akani Simbine, who set a new SA junior 100m record of 10.19 seconds in Zambia last year.
“Another guy who I expect to do well is Jacques de Swart who is one of the top 400m runners in the country and has a bright future,” he said.
However, Cornelius believes that UP-Tuks’ women will be particularly strong, and this is where he expects them to have the edge over Pukke.
“We have some very strong women like Rikinette Steenkamp who should do well in the 100m hurdles and Lanique Prinsloo who has shown some good form in the long jump already this year,” he explained.
