Wits and UJ prep for the return of the Varsity Cup rugby tournament
JOBURG – Wits and UJ to clash on 10 May in the Varsity Cup.
South Africa’s biggest varsity rugby tournament will be played in a secure bio-bubble at the University of Pretoria.
The 2021 edition of the FNB Varsity Cup and Shield will take place between 4 April and 24 May. The journey to get the tournament back on track was a difficult one but Varsity Cup tournament manager Xhanti-Lomzi Nesi was pleased that they have a plan. He said, “We might not be able to have in-stadium attendance but we have a feast of rugby planned on SuperSport and a couple of surprises for fans. Varsity Cup has always been about innovation, pushing the boundaries and changing lives of those who form part of it.
In 2021, we’re going to take this to the next level.” The University of Johannesburg (UJ) will open the Varsity Cup tournament with a clash against Central University of Technology with the orange army’s neighbours Wits University taking on the University of Pretoria shortly afterwards on 4 April.
The Northcliff Melville Times community will have to wait until the seventh round on 10 May to see who will win the battle of Johannesburg as UJ take on Wits at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. Wits University registered seven wins in 13 matches before last year’s tournament was brought to a sudden close. UJ was having one of their worst seasons in the recent past as they had lost 12 of their 13 games within the same time period.
Both the Varsity Cup and Varsity Shield will adhere to SA Rugby’s Covid-19 protocols, with players and management being tested regularly. Weekly testing will also be done during the four-week period leading up to the tournaments. The Varsity Cup is set to alternate with the Varsity Shield during this 51-day period, with all 17 teams staying at the Varsity Cup Village.
Teams will leave and return to the village between bubbles. The nine rounds of the Varsity Cup league stage will be split into three bubbles of three rounds each. After rounds three and six, Varsity Cup teams will leave the village as Varsity Shield teams arrive. The Varsity Shield is set to take place across two bubbles. Matches will be played at Tuks Stadium, the Tuks B field and at Loftus Versfeld on Mondays, Thursdays, Sundays and public holidays.
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