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Hub AI
Varsity Rugby AI simulator
(@Varsity Rugby_simulator)
Hub AI
Varsity Rugby AI simulator
(@Varsity Rugby_simulator)
Varsity Rugby
Varsity Cup
Varsity Shield
Young Guns
Women’s
Res
Varsity Cup is the collective name for four South African rugby union competitions involving the top rugby playing universities in the country. It was launched in 2008, with eight teams participating in the Varsity Cup competition and each university's internal champions competing in the Koshuis Rugby Championships (now known as Res Rugby). In 2011, a second tier competition called the Varsity Shield was added, increasing the number of participating universities to thirteen. A Young Guns tournament for the Under-20 side of the Varsity Cup teams was launched in 2012. A further expansion for the 2017 season saw three additional universities added to the Varsity Shield, totaling sixteen teams.
The 2026 Varsity Cup Tournament is the ongoing 19th season of the rugby union competition, the highest university rugby competition in South Africa. The Varsity Cup was dominated by Maties during the competition's formative years. In 2025 the UCT Ikey Tigers beat Maties after they won the first three tournaments in a row. Four other sides – NWU Eagles (NWU Pukke), UCT Ikey Tigers, UFS Shimlas and UP Tuks – have also won the tournament subsequently. Those five sides, along with UJ, participated in the Varsity Cup in each season since its conception, while CUT Ixias, NMU Madibaz, TUT Vikings, UWC and Wits participated in the Varsity Cup on occasion, but also played in the second-tier Varsity Shield competition in certain seasons. CPUT, Rhodes, UFH Blues, UKZN Impi and WSU All Blacks have never been able to win promotion to the Varsity Cup, spending all their time in the Varsity Shield tournament.
Currently the only team to have won the Varsity Cup and have been demoted to the Varsity Shield are UP Tuks, following a winless 2023 Varsity Cup campaign.
Varsity Rugby
Varsity Cup
Varsity Shield
Young Guns
Women’s
Res
Varsity Cup is the collective name for four South African rugby union competitions involving the top rugby playing universities in the country. It was launched in 2008, with eight teams participating in the Varsity Cup competition and each university's internal champions competing in the Koshuis Rugby Championships (now known as Res Rugby). In 2011, a second tier competition called the Varsity Shield was added, increasing the number of participating universities to thirteen. A Young Guns tournament for the Under-20 side of the Varsity Cup teams was launched in 2012. A further expansion for the 2017 season saw three additional universities added to the Varsity Shield, totaling sixteen teams.
The 2026 Varsity Cup Tournament is the ongoing 19th season of the rugby union competition, the highest university rugby competition in South Africa. The Varsity Cup was dominated by Maties during the competition's formative years. In 2025 the UCT Ikey Tigers beat Maties after they won the first three tournaments in a row. Four other sides – NWU Eagles (NWU Pukke), UCT Ikey Tigers, UFS Shimlas and UP Tuks – have also won the tournament subsequently. Those five sides, along with UJ, participated in the Varsity Cup in each season since its conception, while CUT Ixias, NMU Madibaz, TUT Vikings, UWC and Wits participated in the Varsity Cup on occasion, but also played in the second-tier Varsity Shield competition in certain seasons. CPUT, Rhodes, UFH Blues, UKZN Impi and WSU All Blacks have never been able to win promotion to the Varsity Cup, spending all their time in the Varsity Shield tournament.
Currently the only team to have won the Varsity Cup and have been demoted to the Varsity Shield are UP Tuks, following a winless 2023 Varsity Cup campaign.