Varsity Sports South Africa
ConferenceUSSA
Founded2012
CommissionerFrancois Pienaar (since 2012)
Sports fielded
  • 7
No. of teams24
HeadquartersCape Town, Western Cape
RegionSouth Africa
Official websitevarsitysportssa.com

Varsity Sports SA, is a group university sports leagues in South Africa. Its members all belong to the University Sport Company, and may each enter only one campus per competition, though they may enter different campuses for different competitions.

History

The Varsity Cup tournament was founded in 2008, featuring the rugby teams of eight universities. Varsity Sports was created as an offshoot in 2012. In the first season rugby sevens and beach volleyball were played. In 2013, athletics, field hockey, association football and netball were added.[1] In 2016, mountain biking was added.

Member universities

Institution Location Founded Joined Type Enrollment Nickname Colors Varsity Sports Championships
(As of 19 May 2014) (excludes varsity rugby)		 Varsity Cup Championships
(As of 7 April 2014)
University of Cape Town Cape Town, Western Cape 1829 2008 Public Ikeys Blue and white 2
Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch
, Cape Town and Saldanha Bay, Western Cape		 1866 2008 Public Maties Maroon 3 3
University of Pretoria Pretoria and Johannesburg, Gauteng 1908 2008 Public Tuks White and red 3 2
University of Johannesburg Johannesburg and Soweto, Gauteng 2005 2008 Public UJ Orange 1
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape and George, Western Cape 2005 2008 Public Madibaz Blue and red[2]
Tshwane University of Technology Pretoria, Ga-Rankuwa and Soshanguve, Gauteng, Nelspruit and Witbank, Mpumalanga and Polokwane, Limpopo 2003 2008 Public TUT
University of the Free State Bloemfontein and QwaQwa, Free State 1904 2008 Public Kovsies Orange 1
North-West University Potchefstroom and Mahikeng, North-West and Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng 2004 2008 Public NWU
University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg, Gauteng 1896 2011 Public Wits White
University of the Western Cape Cape Town, Western Cape 1959 2011 Public UWC 2
University of Fort Hare Alice, Bisho and East London, Eastern Cape 1916 2011 Public UFH
Rhodes University Grahamstown, Eastern Cape 1904 2011 Public Rhodes Purple
University of Limpopo Mankweng, Limpopo 2005 2012 Public Turfloop
Vaal University of Technology Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng 1966 2013 Public VUT

Sports

Varsity Sports currently runs competitions in six sporting codes. These are athletics, beach volleyball, association football, field hockey, netball and rugby sevens. Athletics and football have events for both men and women. Rugby, has only a men's event. Volleyball, netball and hockey have only female events, though men's hockey will be added in 2014.

List of Varsity sports

Sport Type Years
Athletics Core 2013–2019
Basketball Core 2018–2021
Beach Volleyball Core 2012, 2013, 2015-2017
Cricket Core 2015–2019, 2022
Football Core 2013–present
Hockey Core 2013–2019, 2022
Netball Core 2013–present
Rugby sevens Core 2013–2019, 2022
Mountain biking 2016-2017, 2019

Season summaries

2012

In 2012, the only events held were for rugby sevens and beach volleyball.

Ten teams took part in sevens rugby. They were, UFS, NMMU, UCT, TUT, UP-Tuks, UWC, NWU-Pukke, Limpopo, Maties and UJ.[3] The University of Stellenbosh won the first rugby sevens title. They won both of the tournaments, held in Plettenberg Bay and Margate.[4]

Seven teams took part in beach volleyball. They were UWC, UJ, UP-Tuks, UCT, Limpopo, NMMU and TUT. The University of the Western Cape won the tournament. The Plettenbrg Bay event was called off before the final, due to bad weather.[5]

2013

In 2013, the season began with a three meeting athletics series. The overall winner was UP-Tuks.[6]

That was followed by a women's field hockey tournament, which was won by Maties.[7]

The 2013 Varsity Football tournament was won by UP-Tuks.[8]

The netball competition was won by UFS-Kovsies.[9]

The 2013 rugby sevens and volleyball tournaments were won by defending champions Maties and UWC respectively.[10]

2014

The 2014 saw a four meeting athletics series, and a men's hockey tournament replacing the women's one from 2013.

The 2014 Varsity Football season will begin in July, and will be followed by netball, rugby sevens and beach volleyball.

2019

The inaugural Varsity Women’s Rugby 7s, [11] Basketball.[12]

2020

Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[13] football could restart.[14]

2021

This tournaments, football and netball, will take place in a secure Covid-19 bio-bubble called the Varsity Sport Village, matches will be played at University of Pretoria[15] and Stellenbosch University.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "More sporting codes to boost varsity sports". SABC. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "Management Committee". Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "Big guns fire on Day One". Varsity Sports SA. 23 November 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  4. ↑ "Last-gasp Maties reign in Plett". Varsity Sports SA. 24 November 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "Double or quits in Margate". Varsity Sports SA. 24 November 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  6. ↑ "Tuks show class in relays". Varsity Sports SA. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  7. ↑ "Maties claim the spoils". Varsity Sports SA. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  8. ↑ "Tuks too strong for Madibaz". Varsity Sports SA. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  9. ↑ "Kovsies stun Pukke in final". Varsity Sports SA. 28 October 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  10. ↑ "Sizzling finish in Camps Bay". Varsity Sports SA. 1 December 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  11. ↑ "UP-Tuks claim inaugural Varsity Women's 7s title". varsitysportssa.com. 5 October 2019.
  12. ↑ "Debut Varsity Sports win for VUT – Vaal University of Technology".
  13. ↑ "Varsity Hockey 2020 postponed". Varsity Sports. p. 17 March 2020.
  14. ↑ "SAFA weigh in on when football could restart". Varsity Sport. 30 April 2020.
  15. ↑ "Varsity Football is back and promises to bring the heat!". Varsity Sports. 2 September 2021.
  16. ↑ "Varsity Netball to be played in bio-bubble at Stellenbosch University". Super Sport. 6 August 2021.
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