It will be a Cape-based Varsity Cup final next week as both Ikeys and Maties won their semi-finals against Tuks and Shimlas respectively on Monday.
The final will take place in Stellenbosch due to the fact that Maties finished above Ikeys on the Varsity Cup log.
Kick-off next Monday is 19:00.
Read the match reports from the semi-finals below.
Tuks 35-48 Ikeys
UCT have secured a place in the 2025 Varsity Cup final after beating Tuks 48-35 in Pretoria on Monday afternoon.
UCT opened the scoring early on when Thomas Nel burst through the Tuk's defence to cross over, with Ntoko Makhaza adding the extras for a 7-0 lead.
Soon after, centre Luke Burger added another try as UCT looked dangerous each time their backs touched the ball. Makhaza converted to extend the visitors' lead to 14-0.
Two penalties from flyhalf Jandre Burger saw UCT's lead cut to 14-6 after 20 minutes before a penalty from Makahaza, and a third from Burger made the score 17-9 in favour of the visitors.
Makhaza landed his second penalty of the afternoon to push UCT's lead out to 20-9 following a high tackle from Tuks while UCT were on the attack in their half.
Tuks were then down to 14 men in the 29th minute after losing Tharquinn Manuel for a high tackle after the referee had previously warned the home side to lower their defensive hits.
UCT themselves lost a player to the bin following a dangerous clean-out of a ruck but were next to score with a brilliant long-range point of origin try that saw Xola Nyali crossing the whitewash with the accurate boot of Makahza slotting the conversion with ease.
Tuks needed something before half-time and their forwards delivered as MJ Nel drove over from a rampant maul after Burger set up a lineout 15m from the UCT line. Burger couldn't add the conversion as the teams went into half-time, with UCT leading 29-14.
Tuks were first to score in the second half, as Andile Myeni burst over following a brilliant break from deep within in their own half by Kamohele Tlome. Burger converted the point of origin try to cut UCTs lead to 36-23.
With Tuks looking to have wrestled momentum back in the match, UCT struck back almost immediately with Thomas Nel scoring after poor Tuks kick-chase defence allowed the visitors to run the ball back at them for a point of origin score, converted by Makahaza making the score 38-23.
With Tuks losing discipline, a series of penalties saw UCT move deep into the home side's 25m area. They were rewarded soon after when Keagan Blackenburg crashed over the line from close in for a converted try and a 45-23 lead in the 55th minute.
With 15 minutes left in the clash, Cayno February hit back for Tuks through an unconverted try to cut UCT's lead to 45-28.
Bom Louw gave Tuks the rarest of chances when he crashed over close to the uprights after sustained pressure from the home side for a converted try as the score read 45-35 with five minutes left in the clash.
A Makhaza penalty three minutes from time, however, sewed up UCT's win to give them a spot in the final.
Scorers:
Tuks 35 (14)
Tries: MJ Nel, Andile Myeni (point of origin), Cayno February, Bom Louw
Conversions: Burger, Chad-Lee Valentine
Penalties: Jandre Burger (3)
UCT 48 (29)
Tries: Thomas Nel, Luke Burger, Xola Nyali (point of origin), Thomas Nel (point of origin), Keagan Blackenburg
Conversions: Ntokozo Makhaza (6)
Penalties: Makahaza (2)
Maties 19-7 Shimlas
In what was a scrappy match, but with plenty of endeavour from both sides, Maties beat Shimlas 19-7 in a Varsity Cup semi-final in Stellenbosch on Monday evening.
Maties started strongly and built up an early 9-0 lead thanks to the accurate boot of MC van Heerden Smith.
Shimlas came back strongly into the contest, forcing several penalties within the red zone, which resulted in a penalty try in the 29th minute. The Maties lost two players to yellow cards for deliberately collapsing the maul during this period of dominance for the visiting side.
Maties were first to score in the second half when Shimlas couldn't deal with an up-an-under, allowing winger Grant de Jager to collect a hack through and score an unconverted point of origin try to push the home side's lead out to 16-7 in the 50th minute.
While Shimlas applied plenty of pressure on attack, they kept making mistakes, and in the 70th minute, Van Heerden Smith extended Maties' lead to 19-7 by slotting a penalty.
Shimlas threw everything into the final 10 minutes but Maties defence held strong to set up a home final berth against the Ikeys next week.
Scorers:
Maties 19 (9)
Try: Grant de Jager (point of origin try)
Penalties: Van Heerden Smith (4)
Shimlas 7 (7)
Try: Penalty try
