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It’s time for Varsity Cup action again

Action-packed student rugby will be back when the twelfth Varsity Cup and Varsity Shield tournaments will kick off on Monday 4 February.

Amazing crowds, palpable vibe and exhilarating rugby action will be back in South Africa from next Monday night when the 12th Varsity Cup rugby tournament kicks off.

Pretoria will again be represented in the Varsity Cup by the University of Pretoria (Tuks), while the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) will again be in action in the second league, the Varsity Shield.

Young players have the opportunity to showcase their talent through this incredible platform. Over the years, this tournament has been an important stepping stone for South Africa’s rugby talent and several Springboks introduced themselves to the South African rugby public via the Varsity Cup over the past 11 years.

The popular Nollis Marais will be Tuks’ head coach this year, while the experienced lock Marius Verwey, was named captain of the team. Marais will be assisted by several experienced specialists.

TUT’s campaign is led by seasoned Chris Buitendach. The hard-working William Thomson, who will be playing in his fourth Varsity Shield tournament this year, will be the captain of the men from Pretoria West.

The 2019 season will be filled with entertainment and exciting encounters that have become synonymous with Varsity Cup.

“What’s just as amazing as the rugby on the field, is the incredible action that happens off the field. Whether it’s building your own giant burger, to figuring out a mystery word; our in-stadium activations have something for everybody,” said Varsity Cup marketing manager Vuyolwethu Gabelana at the launch of the new season last week.

The now iconic Pink Shorts campaign helped raise awareness for the fight against cancer, women and child abuse and more recently broke blood donation records with the SA National Blood Transfusion Services.

In 2019 Varsity Cup is taking on a new cause – water safety. Working with the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation South Africa (PCMFSA), the Varsity Cup will take the message of water safety across South Africa.

“We are excited to partner with the Varsity Cup to reach the youth of the country and teach them water safety and CPR. Our aim is to reach one million children this year and we’re confident with the help of each university we will succeed,” said PCMFSA CEO Ryk Neethling at the launch of the 2019 Varsity Cup in Johannesburg.

Gabelana also announced that the popular beauty pageant, where every university will be able to put forward their own Miss Varsity Cup and Miss Varsity Shield contestant, will be back this year through popular demand.

 

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Koos Venter

Koos Venter is an experienced journalist who started his career 35 years ago, before the days of cellphones, modern computer systems, the internet and digital cameras, as a correspondent for Nexus, the former national magazine of the Department of Correctional Services. He has since worked for various other publications in all aspects of news coverage, as a columnist and in the production side of newspapers and online publications. Since 2007 he has specialized as a sports writer, while he is also regularly used as an analyst and commentator by several radio stations.
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