John Mitchell, the head of rugby at FNB UKZN has announced his captain for the forthcoming Varsity Shield campaign. Sports science student, Lwazi Ngcungama, a product of Port Shepstone High School on the KZN south coast, will lead the Impi in 2014. He will become the first black African to captain UKZN in a competitive league.

Ngcungama will be assisted by two vice-captains, last year's Griquas No 8 Deon Carney who continues his family's tradition of coming to KZN to study geology, and Gareth Meikle, a product of Lomagundi College in Zimbabwe, who has previously captained the Zimbabwe Schools team.

The captaincy announcement came after the UKZN Impi beat a Duikers Invitation XV 54-0 at the Howard College grounds in Durban on Saturday. The Varsity Shield side led 24-0 at half time, and notched up nine tries in total against the KZN selection. The UKZN team did well to hold their shape against the Duikers selection, who comprised of premier division players from KZN clubs outside of UKZN and College Rovers. Considering that the Duikers players are still in the very early stages of pre season training, they provided gallant opposition, at times testing the younger Impi scrum.

UKZN will have a practice session against Rovers, the KZN representatives in the forthcoming SARU Community Cup, on Tuesday night in Durban.

Mark Schulze (UKZN)