Violence against women and children is a blight in South Africa and it’s up to the citizens of the country to take a stand and say: “No More”.

But Varsity Cup is going one step further, and putting its money where its mouth is and its players where the hard work needs to be done.

This year, International Women’s Day was celebrated on Sunday, 8 March with the theme to “Make It Happen”, with a focus on gender equality. There can, however, not be gender equality while women and children are oppressed and Varsity Cup is taking a stand to help raise awareness and make a tangible difference.

FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International has once again backed the #KeepTheAggroOnTheField campaign in order to not only help raise awareness of women and child abuse, but also assist shelters where they most need it: physically and financially.

Prior to the Varsity Cup and Shield seasons kicking off in February, Varsity Cup, through their sponsors, FNB and Steinhoff International, gave the participating universities funds for their chosen projects – on condition that the First-team players themselves are physically be involved in lending a hand.

“These projects would not be possible without our corporate sponsors and for that we are eternally grateful, but getting the players actively involved helps others realise that lending a helping hand isn’t hard to do,” explains XhantiLomziNesi, Operations Executive at Varsity Sports.

The participating universities visited the earmarked shelters at the start of the season to show their commitment to making a real difference. Players and coaches helped to give facelifts to a number of the facilities by doing everything from redoing kitchens to simple paint jobs and even a spot of gardening along with cash donations.

To further help raise awareness of the #KeepTheAggroOnTheField campaign, the FNB Player that Rocks(Man of the Match) of each game will wear pink shorts in the next fixture as Varsity Cup and its players continue to take a stand against gender-based violence and violence and abuse against children.

The project follows on from last year, when over R300 000 was donated to shelters nationwide.

At the start of the season in February, FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International vowed to add their voices to the fight against women and child abuse. All 13 of the Varsity Cup and Shield universities accepted the challenge to identify a local shelter or organisation that counsels and supports abused women and children.

The money it donates is drawn from the Varsity Trust, a trust where corporate sponsor’s social investment money is pooled and distributed to the selected universities.

“We make sure that these funds reach the right people and that we’re actually making a difference in the fight against women and child abuse instead of just talking about it,” added Nesi.

• International Women’s Day will be celebrated on 8 March 2015 and this year’s theme is to #MakeItHappen, with the main focus being on gender equality.

About Varsity Cup

The FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International is in its eighth year after a highly successful inaugural competition in 2008. It is already a highlight on the rugby-mad South African’s sporting calendar.

This inter-university rugby competition sees eight of the country’s top universities go head-to-head to take home the title (and a substantial cash reward). The eight teams play in a single round, followed by a semi-final and a final that determines the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International Champion.

Varsity Cup is managed by an executive committee chaired by current SARU CEO JurieRoux.