The Varsity Cup tournament will once again bring rugby fans around the country fast-paced, tryline-to-tryline action from February 2016.

Not only does the Varsity Cup competition provide swift, enterprising and forward-thinking rugby entertainment, it’s also a platform for future provincial and Springbok stars to showcase their talents.

Varsity Cup has produced a host of top-flight players, including Springbok locks Eben Etzebeth University of Cape Town (UCT) and Lood de Jager North-West University (NWU-Pukke), and backline dynamos Damian de Allende (UCT) and Handre Pollard University of Pretoria (UP-Tuks).

The winning University of the Free State (UFS-Shimlas) team of 2015 included Niell Jordaan, Gerhard Olivier and Niel Marais, who represented the Cheetahs during the Currie Cup season only a few short months after lifting the Varsity Cup trophy.

“All the teams that took part in the tournament this year displayed brilliant rugby and the 2016 instalment will be no different,” says Varsity Cup CEO Duitser Bosman.

Varsity Cup has gone from strength to strength since its inception, but most importantly, the tournament has been a great springboard for players to launch their career. We’re excited about the upcoming season and we know the teams will give rugby fans something to look forward to.”

Even though the Varsity Cup is a prime asset to the South African rugby landscape for the amazing players it produces, the true value of the tournament lies in its nature.

The Varsity Cup places a premium on attacking, innovative, clinical and creative rugby, which in turn provides the perfect breeding ground for players to carry the South African rugby heritage to new heights and into the unknown.

“This is exactly the kind of progress we are looking for in terms of rugby development in South Africa, it is through tournaments such as Varsity Cup.

Through the years the tournaments has been running we are starting to see some positive effects and seeing young players making the national squad. It has been a great platform for players and selectors,” says Xhanti-Lomzi Nesi, Varsity Cup Manager.

Prominent players who had their start in the Varsity Cup:

• Nizaam Carr (University of Cape Town) – Springbok and Stormers loose-forward
• Nic Groom (University of Cape Town) – Stormers scrumhalf
• Demetri Catrakilis (University of Cape Town) – Montpellier and former Stormers flyhalf
• Howard Mnisi (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University) – Lions centre
• Jaco Kriel (University of Johannesburg) – Lions loose-forward and captain
• Marnitz Boshoff (University of Pretoria) – Lions flyhalf
• Marcel van der Merwe (University of the Free State) – Springbok and Bulls prop
• JJ Engelbrecht (Stellenbosch University) – Springbok centre
• William Small-Smith (University of Pretoria) – Bulls and Baby Boks centre

Varsity Cup produced 16 Springboks up to date and seven of these were chosen for the Springbok squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

World Cup Boks who played Varsity Cup:

• Handré Pollard (University of Pretoria)
• Damian de Allende (University of Cape Town
• Eben Etzebeth (University of Cape Town)
• Coenie Oosthuizen (University of Free State),
• Trevor Nyakane (Central University of Technology)
• Loodewyk de Jager (North-West University)
• Rudy Paige (University of Johannesburg)