Enter: The Varsity Cup

The Varsity Cup could revolutionise rugby at UCT and across all universities in South Africa. It is a great initiative being launched by Canterbury, Steinhoff and First National Bank. FNB have been loyal sponsors of UCTRFC and other tertiary institutions and it long has been their vision to see a rugby equivalent of College Football that is so popular in the States in South Africa. Francois Pienaar has been driving this for a while now and although in embryonic form it appears that it is finally coming to fruition.

UCT is in the privileged position to be one of the 8 institutions invited to compete in the inaugural Varsity Cup in 2008, already dubbed here at UCT as ‘Monday Night Lights’.

more, list of fixtures and TV times below 

Together with Maties, Tuks, Free State, TUT, NMMU, UJ and Pukke, we
will compete for the Cup starting 18 February over a single round, with
all games, except a special easter Weekend bonanza when the teams play
Thursday, Saturday and Monday, on Monday nights and a large number
televised. Varsity will be on TV four times.

It is anticipated that the tournament will be over two rounds in 2009

The teams have to be U25 (with possible exemptions for long serving
club members) and there is a protocol affecting team composition.

Given that most of the competitors have full time academies and in some
cases are semi-pro – and with much less stringent admission
requirements and different course nature than UCT, Varsity will be up
against it. But it will be a pleasure to play great student rugby in
awesome conditions against other students regularly as opposed to the
tough, older, oft hairier, world of Super League A.

We will do varsity proud!

by John Dobson

The Varsity Cup fixtures 

MONDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2008
FNB UCT     vs    NWU – PUKKE    GROOTE SCHUUR A    18:30

MONDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2008
FNB UCT     vs    TUKS                  GROOTE SCHUUR A    18:30

MONDAY 03 MARCH 2008
FNB UCT     vs    UJ                       UJ                                18:30

MONDAY 10 MARCH 2008
FNB UCT     vs    TUT                     TUT                              18:30 (TV)

Varsity Cup Easter Weekend Fixtures in George

THURSDAY 20 MARCH 2008
FNB UCT     vs    MATIES         GEORGE         TBC (TV)

SATURDAY 22 MARCH 2008
FNB UCT     vs    NMMU           GEORGE         TBC (TV)

MONDAY 24 MARCH 2008
FNB UCT     vs    KOVSIES       GEORGE         TBC (TV)

MONDAY 31 MARCH 2008 SEMI – FINALS
TBC         vs    TBC                   TBC                 TBC (TV)

MONDAY 07 APRIL 2008 FINALS
TBC         vs    TBC                   TBC                 TBC (TV)