Varsity Shield
Upcoming season or competition: 2016 Varsity Rugby
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| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 |
| Inaugural season | 2008 |
| No. of teams | 9 (Cup) 7 (Shield) |
| Country | South Africa |
| Most recent champion(s) |
UP Tuks (3rd title) |
| Most titles |
Maties and UP Tuks (3) |
| TV partner(s) | Supersport |
| Sponsor(s) |
First National Bank Steinhoff |
| Official website | http://www.varsitycup.co.za |
Varsity Rugby is the collective name for four South African rugby union competitions involving the top rugby playing universities in the country. It was launched in 2008, with eight teams participating in the Varsity Cup competition and each university's internal champions competing in the Koshuis Rugby Championships. In 2011, a second tier competition called the Varsity Shield was added, increasing the number of participating universities to thirteen. A Young Guns tournament for the Under-20 side of the Varsity Cup teams was launched in 2012.
The Varsity Cup was dominated by Maties during the competition's formative years, with the team winning the first three tournaments in a row. Three other sides – UCT Ikey Tigers, UFS Shimlas and UP Tuks – have also won the tournament subsequently. Those four sides, along with NMMU Madibaz, NWU Pukke and UJ, participated in the Varsity Cup in each season since its conceptions, while CUT Ixias, TUT Vikings and Wits participated in the Varsity Cup on occasion, but also played in the second-tier Varsity Shield competition in certain seasons. UFH Blues, UKZN Impi and UWC have never been able to win promotion to the Varsity Cup, spending all their time in the Varsity Shield tournament.
The Varsity Cup tournament was founded in 2008. It featured the rugby teams of eight universities, with Maties, NMMU Madibaz, NWU Pukke, TUT Vikings , UCT Ikey Tigers, UFS Shimlas, UJ and UP Tuks being the founding members of the competition. At the same time, the Koshuis Rugby Championships was also launched; this competition featured the "koshuis" (university residence) teams that won the internal league for each of the eight Varsity Cup universities.
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