Varsity Cup 2014 set for epic start
All the fixtures have been announced for the 2014 Varsity Rugby season, with a repeat of last season's semifinal matches getting next year's FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International underway on February 3, 2014.
The NMMU Madibaz will host the Maties in Port Elizabeth on Monday, February 3 (2014) at 16.45, with defending champions UP-Tuks hosting UJ at 19.00 in the first of two televised matches in Round One of the seventh edition of the very popular Varsity Cup tournament.
The other two first-round matches taking place on February 3 will see the Ikeys from UCT entertain the NWU-Pukke in Cape Town at 17.00, whilst UFS-Shimlas will host Wits in Bloemfontein (at 19.00).
Whilst the Varsity Cup starts in the first week of February, the 2014 FNB Varsity Shield competition starts a week before on January 27. Defending champions, CUT, will host UKZN in the first game of the season at the CUT Rugby Stadium (kick-off 16.45), with UFH and UWC playing at 19.00. Both those matches will be televised on SuperSport One.
In all, 23 Varsity Rugby matches will be televised in 2014 out of a total of 84 fixtures taking place through the Varsity Cup, the Varsity Shield, Varsity Young Guns and the Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championships.
The 2014 FNB Varsity Young Guns competition will start on Monday, February 10, as defending champions UP-Tuks look to hold onto their junior title, before the 2014 Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championships kicks-off the following Monday (February 17).
The Young Guns, Koshuis and Cup semifinals will take place on Monday, March 24, followed by the Shield and Young Guns Finals the following weekend.
The 2014 Varsity Rugby Grand Finals day will take place on Monday, April 7 – giving the Cup teams and Koshuis teams a week off after the semifinals – whilst 2014 will also see the return of the Cup/Shield promotion/relegation fixture, with the bottom-placed Varsity Cup team playing off against the top-placed Varsity Shield side.
Varsity Cup Managing Director Duitser Bosman commented: "We have loads of new initiatives planned for the 2014 tournament, which will be announced in due course ahead of next year, but it's always an exciting time when we release our new fixtures.
"Some Mondays will see up to eight fixtures taking place and, of course, next year will see the return of the promotion/relegation fixture which, again, adds spice to both the Varsity Cup and Shield tournaments.
"It's amazing to think how Varsity Rugby has grown since the first FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International competition back in 2008 and we look forward to yet another exciting competition."
Click here for the 2014 Varsity Cup, Young Guns and Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championships fixtures.
Click here for the Varsity Shield fixtures.
