Bidvest Wits’ new acquisitions will be given a rude welcome to the club later this week when Gavin Hunt takes his charges on a now legendary annual pre-season trip to the Cape.

It started during his successful stint at SuperSport United‚ where he won three titles‚ and it has extended to his time at Wits.

The trip is seen as a crucial ingredient in all the success that Hunt has been able to extract from his clubs.

A week-long trip to Stellenbosch forms part of the pre-season preparations and is a hard physical slog for the players with a basis of fitness being laid down for the rest of the season.

There is a match every day for the team‚ who take on all the Cape top-flight and National First Division teams‚ but players are up before dawn for runs or gym sessions and often find they have to face a third session before they go to sleep.

Usually they stay in dormitories at the Stellenbosch University but this year the Spartan element – which Hunt preferred because it kindled team spirit – has been abandoned and instead Wits will stay in a Winelands plush hotel.

But there will be sessions of running on the beach‚ on the mountain and swimming pool work – no fun in the throes of winter.

Luckily the cold and wet conditions in the Cape over the last few days are expected to clear by the weekend‚ which is predicted to be reasonably sunny.

Wits have games lined up against FC Cape Town‚ Cape Town All Stars‚ Ajax Cape Town‚ Vasco da Gama‚ Cape Town City and Milano.

Wits signed Cuthbert Malajila and Mogakolodi Ngele from Mamelodi Sundowns in a swap deal with Sibusiso Vilakazi heading in the other direction to the PSL champions.

Returning to Wits is goalkeeper Darren Keet who has spent the last five years in Belgium.