Teams
Location of teams in the 2015 Varsity Cup
The following teams took part in the 2015 Varsity Cup competition:
| 2015 Varsity Cup | |
|---|---|
| Countries | South Africa |
| Date | 9 February – 13 April 2015 |
| Champions | UFS Shimlas (1st title) |
| Runners-up | NWU Pukke |
| Relegated | None |
| Matches played | 31 |
| Tries scored | 231 (average 7.5 per match) |
| Top point scorer | Rhyno Smith (101) |
| Top try scorer | Daniel Maartens / Gerhard Olivier (8) |
The 2015 Varsity Cup was contested from 9 February to 13 April 2015. The tournament (also known as the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International for sponsorship reasons) was the eighth season of the Varsity Cup, an annual inter-university rugby union competition featuring eight South African universities.
The tournament was won by UFS Shimlas, who beat NWU Pukke 63–33 in the final played on 13 April 2015. No team was relegated to the second-tier Varsity Shield competition for 2016.
There were eight participating universities in the 2015 Varsity Cup. These teams played each other once over the course of the season, either home or away.
Teams received four points for a win and two points for a draw. Bonus points were awarded to teams that scored four or more tries in a game, as well as to teams that lost a match by seven points or less. Teams were ranked by log points, then points difference (points scored less points conceded).
The top four teams qualified for the title play-offs. In the semi-finals, the team that finished first had home advantage against the team that finished fourth, while the team that finished second had home advantage against the team that finished third. The winners of these semi-finals played each other in the final, at the home venue of the higher-placed team.
There was no relegation to the Varsity Shield at the end of the season.
The 2015 Varsity Cup used a different scoring system than the common scoring system. Tries were worth five points as usual, but conversions were worth three points instead of two, while penalties and drop goals were only worth two points instead of three. [1]
All Varsity Cup games also had two referees officiating each game, [2] props' jerseys featured a special gripping patch to ensure better binding, intended to reduce collapsing scrums [3] and the mark was extended to the entire field. [4]
The Varsity Cup also reintroduced the White Card system from 2015. Under this system, either team's coach or captain could refer incidents for further review, similar to the Umpire Decision Review System used in cricket. They could have incidents reviewed that they believed were either given incorrectly or went unnoticed by the on-field referees. Each team was entitled to one review in each half of the match; if a review proved successful, the team retained their white card review for that half, but if it was unsuccessful, they lost the right to further reviews for the remainder of the half. [5]
The following teams took part in the 2015 Varsity Cup competition:
The final league standings for the 2015 Varsity Cup were: [6]
| 2015 Varsity Cup standings | |||||||||||||
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UP Tuks | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 295 | 119 | +176 | 41 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 30 |
| 2 | UFS Shimlas | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 227 | 116 | +111 | 33 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 30 |
| 3 | UCT Ikey Tigers | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 258 | 157 | +101 | 33 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 22 |
| 4 | NWU Pukke | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 212 | 184 | +28 | 30 | 25 | 5 | 2 | 21 |
| 5 | Maties | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 177 | 171 | +6 | 24 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 21 |
| 6 | UJ | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 113 | 113 | 0 | 17 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 15 |
| 7 | NMMU Madibaz | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 131 | 220 | −89 | 19 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | CUT Ixias | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 63 | 396 | −333 | 9 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Legend and competition rules | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Legend: | |||
| Top four teams; qualify to semi-finals. | P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TF = Tries for, TA = Tries against, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points | ||
| No relegation. | |||
| Competition rules: | |||
| Play-offs: The top four teams qualify to the semi-finals. The first-placed team will host the fourth-placed team and the second-placed team will host the third-placed team. Points breakdown: | |||
The table below shows each team's progression throughout the season. For each round, their cumulative points total is shown with the overall log position in brackets:
| Team Progression – 2015 Varsity Cup | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Semi | Final |
| UP Tuks | 3 (5th) | 8 (1st) | 13 (1st) | 15 (2nd) | 20 (1st) | 25 (1st) | 30 (1st) | Lost | — |
| UFS Shimlas | 3 (5th) | 7 (3rd) | 12 (2nd) | 16 (1st) | 20 (2nd) | 25 (2nd) | 30 (2nd) | Won | Won |
| UCT Ikey Tigers | 3 (3rd) | 3 (7th) | 8 (5th) | 13 (5th) | 18 (3rd) | 18 (4th) | 22 (3rd) | Lost | — |
| NWU Pukke | 5 (2nd) | 8 (2nd) | 9 (4th) | 14 (4th) | 14 (5th) | 19 (3rd) | 21 (4th) | Won | Lost |
| Maties | 3 (3rd) | 6 (5th) | 6 (7th) | 7 (6th) | 11 (6th) | 16 (5th) | 21 (5th) | — | — |
| UJ | 5 (1st) | 5 (6th) | 9 (3rd) | 14 (3rd) | 15 (4th) | 15 (6th) | 15 (6th) | — | — |
| NMMU Madibaz | 1 (7th) | 6 (4th) | 6 (6th) | 6 (7th) | 7 (7th) | 7 (7th) | 7 (7th) | — | — |
| CUT Ixias | 0 (8th) | 0 (8th) | 0 (8th) | 0 (8th) | 0 (8th) | 0 (8th) | 0 (8th) | — | — |
| Key: | win | draw | loss |
The 2015 Varsity Cup fixtures were released as follows: [7]
| 9 February 2015 | NWU Pukke | 36–26 | NMMU Madibaz | Fanie du Toit Sport Ground, Potchefstroom | ||
| 16:45 | Try: Rhyno Smith  13'Rowayne Beukman 18'Jeandré Rudolph 40'Dalen Goliath 54'Dean Stokes 73'penalty try 80'Con: Dillon Smit (0/2) Rhyno Smith  55' (1/2) Warren Gilbert 80' (1/2)Cards: Loftus Morrison  33' to 43'Johnny Welthagen 57' to 67' | Report [8] Scoreboard [9] | Try: CJ Velleman 36' Brian Skosana 51'Tythan Adams 58'Yamkela Ngam 68'Con: Ruan Allerston 52', 59' (2/4)Cards: Brian Skosana 29' to 39'Andisa Ntsila 80' | Referee: Quinton Immelman & Cwengile Jadezweni |
| 9 February 2015 | CUT Ixias | 10–46 | UJ | CUT Stadium, Bloemfontein | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Anrich Bitzi 8' Dean Kouprihanoff 58'Con: Naudé van Biljon (0/1) Duan Pretorius (0/1) | Report [10] Scoreboard [11] | Try: Kobus Porter 2', 6' Aphiwe Dyantyi 31'penalty try 40'Phanta Qinisile 44'Andries Oosthuizen 53', 66'Jaco Fourie 80'Con: Jamie Campbell 7', 40' (2/6) Jaco Fourie (0/2) | Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Lourens van der Merwe & Jaco Kotze |
| 9 February 2015 | UFS Shimlas | 29–29 | UP Tuks | Shimla Park, Bloemfontein | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Niell Jordaan 9' Gerhard Olivier 39'Maputha Dolo 59'Conraad van Vuuren 65'Con: Niel Marais 10', 60', 66' (3/4) | Report [12] Scoreboard [13] | Try: Riaan Britz 4' Duncan Matthews 31'Ryan Nell 45'Dan Kriel 54'Con: Joshua Stander 5', 32', 46' (3/4) | Attendance: 8,000 Referee: Pro Legoete & Jaco Pretorius |
| 9 February 2015 | UCT Ikey Tigers | 32–32 | Maties | UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town | ||
| 19:00 | Try: Dylan Sage 4' Mark Prior 43'Guy Alexander 72'penalty try 77'Con: Warren Seals 5', 44', 73', 78' (4/4) | Report [14] Scoreboard [15] | Try: JP Lewis 39', 56' Kobus van Dyk 52'Craig Barry 66'Con: Ernst Stapelberg 40' (1/1) Brandon Thomson 53', 57', 67' (3/3)Pen: Brandon Thomson (0/1) | Referee: Francois Pretorius & Rodney Boneparte |
| 16 February 2015 | NMMU Madibaz | 34–13 | CUT Ixias | NMMU Stadium, Port Elizabeth | ||
| 16:45 | Try: Enrico Acker 7', 21' Devon Lailvaux 32', 63'Tythan Adams 48'Con: Ruan Allerston 22', 49', 64' (3/5)Cards: Arno Ebersohn 51' to 61'CJ Velleman 51' to 61'Tyler Paul 53' to 63'Steven Hansel 66' to 76'Tythan Adams 74' | Report [16] Scoreboard [17] | Try: Ali Mgijima 67' Masego Toolo 70'Con: Naudé van Biljon (0/1) Jesse du Toit 71' (1/1)Cards: Frans Sisita 26' to 36' | Referee: Pro Legoete & Jaco Pretorius |
| 16 February 2015 | UP Tuks | 39–24 | UCT Ikey Tigers | LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Jermaine Kleinsmith 3', 48' Dan Kriel 29'Ruan Steenkamp 45', 59'Nqoba Mxoli 78'Con: Joshua Stander 4', 30', 49' (3/5) Dewald Human (0/1) | Report [18] Scoreboard [19] | Try: Robin Murray 56' Guy Alexander 67'Paul Cohen 76'Con: Warren Seals 57', 67', 77' (3/3) | Referee: Quinton Immelman & Cwengile Jadezweni |
| 16 February 2015 | UJ | 0–24 | UFS Shimlas | UJ Stadium, Johannesburg | ||
| 18:30 | Cards: Kyle van Dalen 60' | Report [20] Scoreboard [21] | Try: Conraad van Vuuren 49' penalty try 60'Nico Lee 70'Con: Niel Marais 50', 61', 71' (3/3)Cards: Tienie Burger 38' to 50' | Attendance: 6,000 Referee: Oregopotse Rametsi & Archie Sehlako |
| 16 February 2015 | Maties | 26–26 | NWU Pukke | Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch | ||
| 19:00 | Try: Kobus van Dyk 9' Beyers de Villiers 14', 29'Ian Groenewald 78'Con: Koos Loubser 10' (1/1) Ernst Stapelberg (0/1) Brandon Thomson 79' (1/1)Cards: Ernst Stapelberg 5' to 15' | Report [22] Scoreboard [23] | Try: Dillon Smit 1' penalty try 5'Rhyno Smith 56'Dean Stokes 66'Con: Rhyno Smith 2', 6' (2/4)Cards: Jeandré Rudolph 28' to 38' | Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys & Tahla Ntshakaza |
| 23 February 2015 | CUT Ixias | 0–57 | UFS Shimlas | CUT Stadium, Bloemfontein | ||
| 16:45 | Cards: Gerard Baard 38' Boetie Maketlo 76' | Report [24] Scoreboard [25] | Try: Arthur Williams 1' Gerhard Olivier 4', 8'Marco Klopper 25'Vuyani Maqina 27', 32'Daniel Maartens 48', 77'Niell Jordaan 79'Con: Niel Marais 2', 5', 26', 49' (4/7) Stephan Janse van Rensburg (0/2) | Referee: Quinton Immelman & Cwengile Jadezweni |
| 23 February 2015 | UP Tuks | 53–8 | Maties | LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria | ||
| 19:00 | Try: Jannes Kirsten 14' Wiaan Liebenberg 21'Reniel Hugo 24'Rudolph Smith 32'Dewald Human 41'Jermaine Kleinsmith 50'Nqoba Mxoli 70'Con: Joshua Stander 22', 24', 33', 42', 51', 71' (6/7) | Report [26] Scoreboard [27] | Try: JP Lewis 17' Con: Brandon Thomson 18' (1/1) | Referee: Lourens van der Merwe & Jaco Kotze |
| 23 February 2015 | UCT Ikey Tigers | 40–13 | NMMU Madibaz | UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Warren Seals 7' James Alexander 38'Guy Alexander 45'Jason Klaasen 50'Luke Stringer 80'Con: Warren Seals 8', 39', 46', 51', 81' (5/5)Cards: Chad Solomon 65' to 75' | Report [28] Scoreboard [29] | Try: Tyler Paul 28' Warrick Venter 74'Con: Ruan Allerston 29' (1/1) Jarryd Buys (0/1) | Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys & Tahla Ntshakaza |
| 23 February 2015 | UJ | 10–8 | NWU Pukke | UJ Stadium, Johannesburg | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Kobus Porter 12' Con: Jaco Fourie 13' (1/1)Pen: Jaco Fourie 40' (1/1)Cards: Werner Lourens 31'Nico du Plessis 37' | Report [30] Scoreboard [31] | Try: Dalen Goliath 70' Con: Rhyno Smith 71' (1/1)Pen: Rhyno Smith (0/1) | Attendance: 8,000 Referee: Francois Pretorius & Rodney Boneparte |
| 2 March 2015 | UCT Ikey Tigers | 90–8 | CUT Ixias | UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town | ||
| 16:45 | Try: Jason Klaasen 3' Warren Seals 9', 41'Ryan Dugmore 17', 68'Khanyo Ngcukana 31', 79'Chad Solomon 48'Lihleli Xoli 54'Dylan Sage 57'Guy Schwikkard 65'Luke Stringer 67'Con: Warren Seals 10', 18', 32', 42' (4/5) Tom Bednall 49', 55', 58', 66', 69', 80' (6/7)Cards: Dylan Sage 36' to 45' | Report [32] Scoreboard [33] | Try: Dean Kouprihanoff 77' Con: Arrie Vosloo 78' (1/1) | Referee: Francois Pretorius & Rodney Boneparte |
| 2 March 2015 | NMMU Madibaz | 13–42 | UJ | NMMU Stadium, Port Elizabeth | ||
| 19:00 | Try: CJ Velleman 2' Yamkela Ngam 42'Con: Steven Hansel 3' (1/2) | Report [34] Scoreboard [35] | Try: Kobus Porter 9' Robert de Bruyn 12', 47'Adrian Vermeulen 36'Wian Conradie 68'penalty try 75'Con: Jaco Fourie 10', 37', 69' (3/5) Jamie Campbell 76' (1/1)Cards: David Antonites 45' to 55' | Referee: Lourens van der Merwe & Jaco Kotze |
| 2 March 2015 | NWU Pukke | 42–37 | UP Tuks | Fanie du Toit Sport Ground, Potchefstroom | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Dalen Goliath 10' Dean Stokes 32', 39'Dillon Smit 58'Marno Redelinghuys 77'Con: Rhyno Smith 11', 33', 40', 59', 78' (5/5)Pen: Rhyno Smith 13' (1/2)Cards: Rhyno Smith 19' to 29'Mogau Mabokela 66' to 76' | Report [36] Scoreboard [37] | Try: Wiaan Liebenberg 18' André Warner 25'Clyde Davids 28'Damian van Wyk 73'Jaco Visagie 79'Con: Joshua Stander 19', 29', 74', 80' (4/5) | Attendance: 10,000 Referee: Oregopotse Rametsi & Archie Sehlako |
| 2 March 2015 | UFS Shimlas | 21–16 | Maties | Shimla Park, Bloemfontein | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Niel Marais 5' AJ Coertzen 20'Daniel Maartens 64'Con: Niel Marais 6', 21' (2/3)Pen: Niel Marais (0/1) Cards: Henco Venter 80' | Report [38] Scoreboard [39] | Try: John-Hubert Meyer 14' Bjorn Bernardo 26'Con: Ernst Stapelberg 15', 27' (2/2) | Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys & Tahla Ntshakaza |
| 9 March 2015 | Maties | 16–15 | UJ | Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch | ||
| 16:45 | Try: Beyers de Villiers 58' Jacobus van der Merwe 69'Con: Ernst Stapelberg 59' (1/1) Brandon Thomson 70' (1/1) | Report [40] Scoreboard [41] | Try: Adrian Vermeulen 3' Bradley Moolman 51'Con: Jaco Fourie 4' (1/2)Pen: Jaco Fourie 37' (1/2) | Referee: Lourens van der Merwe & Jaco Kotze |
| 9 March 2015 | NWU Pukke | 21–40 | UCT Ikey Tigers | Fanie du Toit Sport Ground, Potchefstroom | ||
| 19:00 | Try: Jeandré Rudolph 5' Rhyno Smith 12'Johan Deysel 38'Con: Rhyno Smith 13', 39' (2/3)Cards: Wilmar Arnoldi 78' | Report [42] Scoreboard [43] | Try: Lihleli Xoli 2' Jason Klaasen 16', 26', 78'Khanyo Ngcukana 43'Con: Warren Seals 3', 17', 27', 44', 79' (5/5)Pen: Warren Seals (0/1) | Referee: Pro Legoete & Jaco Pretorius |
| 9 March 2015 | NMMU Madibaz | 21–23 | UFS Shimlas | NMMU Stadium, Port Elizabeth | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Jarryd Buys 27' Tythan Adams 51'Tyler Paul 66'Con: Steven Hansel 28', 67' (2/3)Cards: CJ Velleman 10' to 20' | Report [44] Scoreboard [45] | Try: Fiffy Rampeta 3' Teunis Nieuwoudt 11'Renier Botha 19'Con: Niel Marais 4', 12' (2/3)Pen: Niel Marais 81' (1/2) | Referee: Francois Pretorius & Rodney Boneparte |
| 9 March 2015 | UP Tuks | 63–8 | CUT Ixias | LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Jannes Kirsten 1' Dayan van der Westhuizen 9'Jaco Visagie 26'JT Jackson 35'Jermaine Kleinsmith 38'Reniel Hugo 46'Clyde Davids 50'Dan Kriel 57'Jan Enslin 64'Con: Dewald Human 10', 36', 39', 47', 50', 58' (6/9) | Report [46] Scoreboard [47] | Try: Duan Pretorius 43' Con: Duan Pretorius 44' (1/1) | Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen & Ben Crouse |
| 16 March 2015 | UFS Shimlas | 44–24 | UCT Ikey Tigers | Shimla Park, Bloemfontein | ||
| 16:45 | Try: Gerhard Olivier 1', 36', 59' Joe van der Hoogt 16'Daniel Maartens 19', 28'Boela Venter 74'Con: Niel Marais 17', 20', 38' (3/7) | Report [48] Scoreboard [49] | Try: Lihleli Xoli 25', 65' Guy Schwikkard 56'Con: Nick Holton 26', 57', 66' (3/3) | Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Lourens van der Merwe & Jaco Kotze |
| 16 March 2015 | UJ | 0–34 | UP Tuks | UJ Stadium, Johannesburg | ||
| 19:00 | Report [50] Scoreboard [51] | Try: Dan Kriel 23' Dayan van der Westhuizen 51'JT Jackson 60'Joshua Stander 67'Andrew Beerwinkel 74'Con: Joshua Stander 61', 68', 74' (3/5) | Referee: Jaco Pretorius & Tahla Ntshakaza |
| 16 March 2015 | Maties | 26–16 | NMMU Madibaz | Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Beyers de Villiers 4' Kobus van Dyk 48'Niel Oelofse 55'Michael Muller 68'Con: Brandon Thomson 56', 69' (2/4) | Report [52] Scoreboard [53] | Try: Devon Lailvaux 11' Andisa Ntsila 44'Con: Steven Hansel 12', 45' (2/2)Cards: Andisa Ntsila 48' | Referee: Quinton Immelman & Cwengile Jadezweni |
| 16 March 2015 | CUT Ixias | 16–53 | NWU Pukke | CUT Stadium, Bloemfontein | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Len Noort 12' Duan Pretorius 70'Con: Duan Pretorius 13', 71' (2/2) | Report [54] Scoreboard [55] | Try: Dillon Smit 5' Rhyno Smith 16'Rowayne Beukman 19', 46'Dean Stokes 25'Molotsi Bouwer 67'Loftus Morrison 80'Con: Rhyno Smith 6', 20', 26', 47', 68', 80' (6/7) | Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Francois Pretorius & Rodney Boneparte |
| 23 March 2015 | NMMU Madibaz | 8–40 | UP Tuks | NMMU Stadium, Port Elizabeth | ||
| 16:45 | Try: Brian Skosana 75' Con: Steven Hansel 76' (1/1) | Report [56] Scoreboard [57] | Try: Wiaan Liebenberg 6', 67' Reniel Hugo 44'Clyde Davids 62'Riaan Britz 79'Con: Joshua Stander 7', 45', 63' (3/3) Dewald Human 68', 80' (2/2) | Referee: Quinton Immelman & Cwengile Jadezweni |
| 23 March 2015 | UFS Shimlas | 29–26 | NWU Pukke | Shimla Park, Bloemfontein | ||
| 19:00 | Try: Elandré Huggett 9' Niell Jordaan 18'Gerhard Olivier 40', 65'Con: AJ Coertzen 10', 19', 40' (3/4) | Report [58] Scoreboard [59] | Try: Dalen Goliath 15' Dillon Smit 43'Johan Deysel 69', 75'Con: Rhyno Smith 44', 76' (2/4) | Referee: Francois Pretorius & Rodney Boneparte |
| 23 March 2015 | UCT Ikey Tigers | 8–0 | UJ | UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Jason Klaasen 3' Con: Warren Seals 4' (1/1)Pen: Warren Seals (0/1) | Report [60] Scoreboard [61] | Referee: Lourens van der Merwe & Jaco Kotze |
| 23 March 2015 | CUT Ixias | 8–53 | Maties | CUT Stadium, Bloemfontein | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Lethole Mokoena 34' Con: Duan Pretorius 35' (1/1)Cards: Mosego Toolo 16' to 26'Duan Pretorius 59' to 71' | Report [62] Scoreboard [63] | Try: Bjorn Bernardo 4' Coenraad Fick 18', 31', 61'Paul Streicher 54'Kobus van Dyk 73'Derick Linde 76'Con: Brandon Thomson 5', 19', 32', 55' (4/5) Ernst Stapelberg 74', 77' (2/2) | Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Pro Legoete & Jaco Pretorius |
| 30 March 2015 | UFS Shimlas | 21–10 | UCT Ikey Tigers | Shimla Park, Bloemfontein | ||
| 16:45 | Try: Niell Jordaan 10' Daniel Maartens 28'Maphutha Dolo 61'Con: Niel Marais 11', 29' (2/3)Pen: Niel Marais (0/1) | Report [64] Scoreboard [65] | Try: Jason Klaasen 18' Chad Solomon 37'Con: Warren Seals (0/2) Cards: Lihleli Xoli 72' | Referee: Pro Legoete & Jaco Pretorius |
| 30 March 2015 | UP Tuks | 28–29 | NWU Pukke | LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria | ||
| 19:00 | Try: Wiaan Liebenberg 12' JT Jackson 23'Dan Kriel 46'Clyde Davids 64'Riaan Britz 71'Con: Joshua Stander 47' (1/4) Dewald Human (0/1) | Report [66] Scoreboard [67] | Try: Marno Redelinghuys 15' Jeandré Rudolph 28'Dillon Smit 57'Johnny Welthagen 77'Con: Rhyno Smith 20' (1/3) Dillon Smit (0/1) Pen: Rhyno Smith 21', 26', 39' (3/3)Cards: Jeandré Rudolph 9' | Referee: Rodney Boneparte & Francois Pretorius |
| 13 April 2015 | UFS Shimlas | 63–33 | NWU Pukke | Shimla Park, Bloemfontein | ||
| 19:00 | Try: Joe van der Hoogt 7' Niell Jordaan 23'Maphutha Dolo 34', 70'Daniel Maartens 38', 74'Nico Lee 42', 54'Niel Marais 68'Con: Niel Marais 8', 35', 43', 55', 68', 75' (6/9) | Report [68] Scoreboard [69] " | Try: Malherbe Swart 9' Johan Deysel 11'Jeandré Rudolph 48'Rowayne Beukman 82'Con: Rhyno Smith 10', 12', 83' (3/4)Pen: Rhyno Smith 4', 27' (2/2)Cards: Marno Redelinghuys 6' to 17'Jeandré Rudolph 31' to 41' | Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys & Tahla Ntshakaza |
The honour roll for the 2015 Varsity Cup was as follows:
| 2015 Varsity Cup Honours | |
|---|---|
| Champions: | UFS Shimlas (1st title) |
| Player That Rocks: | Rhyno Smith, NWU Pukke |
| Forward That Rocks: | Jason Klaasen, UCT Ikey Tigers |
| Back That Rocks: | AJ Coertzen, UFS Shimlas |
| Top Try Scorers: | Daniel Maartens, UFS Shimlas / Gerhard Olivier, UFS Shimlas (8) |
| Top Points Scorer: | Rhyno Smith, NWU Pukke (101) |
The following table contain points which have been scored in games in the 2015 Varsity Cup season: [70]
| All point scorers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Player | Team | T | C | P | DG | Pts |
| 1 | Rhyno Smith | NWU Pukke | 4 | 23 | 6 | 0 | 101 |
| 2 | Niel Marais | UFS Shimlas | 2 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 87 |
| 3 | Warren Seals | UCT Ikey Tigers | 3 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 81 |
| 4 | Joshua Stander | UP Tuks | 1 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 74 |
| 5 | Daniel Maartens | UFS Shimlas | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| Gerhard Olivier | UFS Shimlas | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | |
| 7 | Brandon Thomson | Maties | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| 8 | Jason Klaasen | UCT Ikey Tigers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| 9 | Dewald Human | UP Tuks | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| 10 | Niell Jordaan | UFS Shimlas | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Dan Kriel | UP Tuks | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | |
| Wiaan Liebenberg | UP Tuks | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | |
| Dillon Smit | NWU Pukke | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | |
| Dean Stokes | NWU Pukke | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | |
| 15 | Jaco Fourie | UJ | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 24 |
| 16 | Duan Pretorius | CUT Ixias | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| 17 | Rowayne Beukman | NWU Pukke | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Clyde Davids | UP Tuks | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Beyers de Villiers | Maties | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Johan Deysel | NWU Pukke | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Maphutha Dolo | UFS Shimlas | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Dalen Goliath | NWU Pukke | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Jermaine Kleinsmith | UP Tuks | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Kobus Porter | UJ | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Jeandré Rudolph | NWU Pukke | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Kobus van Dyk | Maties | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Lihleli Xoli | UCT Ikey Tigers | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| 28 | Ruan Allerston | NMMU Madibaz | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Tom Bednall | UCT Ikey Tigers | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
| Steven Hansel | NMMU Madibaz | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
| Ernst Stapelberg | Maties | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
| 32 | Tythan Adams | NMMU Madibaz | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Guy Alexander | UCT Ikey Tigers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| Riaan Britz | UP Tuks | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| Coenraad Fick | Maties | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| Reniel Hugo | UP Tuks | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| JT Jackson | UP Tuks | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| Devon Lailvaux | NMMU Madibaz | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| Nico Lee | UFS Shimlas | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| JP Lewis | Maties | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| Khanyo Ngcukana | UCT Ikey Tigers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| 42 | AJ Coertzen | UFS Shimlas | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 43 | Enrico Acker | NMMU Madibaz | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Bjorn Bernardo | Maties | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Robert de Bruyn | UJ | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Ryan Dugmore | UCT Ikey Tigers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Dean Kouprihanoff | CUT Ixias | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Jannes Kirsten | UP Tuks | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Vuyani Maqina | UFS Shimlas | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Nqoba Mxoli | UP Tuks | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Yamkela Ngam | NMMU Madibaz | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Andries Oosthuizen | UJ | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Tyler Paul | NMMU Madibaz | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Marno Redelinghuys | NWU Pukke | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Dylan Sage | UCT Ikey Tigers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Guy Schwikkard | UCT Ikey Tigers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Chad Solomon | UCT Ikey Tigers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Brian Skosana | NMMU Madibaz | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Ruan Steenkamp | UP Tuks | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Luke Stringer | UCT Ikey Tigers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Joe van der Hoogt | UFS Shimlas | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Dayan van der Westhuizen | UP Tuks | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Conraad van Vuuren | UFS Shimlas | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| CJ Velleman | NMMU Madibaz | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Adrian Vermeulen | UJ | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Jaco Visagie | UP Tuks | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| 67 | Jamie Campbell | UJ | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Nick Holton | UCT Ikey Tigers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| 69 | James Alexander | UCT Ikey Tigers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Craig Barry | Maties | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Andrew Beerwinkel | UP Tuks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Anrich Bitzi | CUT Ixias | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Renier Botha | UFS Shimlas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Molotsi Bouwer | NWU Pukke | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Jarryd Buys | NMMU Madibaz | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Paul Cohen | UCT Ikey Tigers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Wian Conradie | UJ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Aphiwe Dyantyi | UJ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Jan Enslin | UP Tuks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Ian Groenewald | Maties | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Elandré Huggett | UFS Shimlas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Marco Klopper | UFS Shimlas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Derick Linde | Maties | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Duncan Matthews | UP Tuks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| John-Hubert Meyer | Maties | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Ali Mgijima | CUT Ixias | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Lethole Mokoena | CUT Ixias | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Bradley Moolman | UJ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Loftus Morrison | NWU Pukke | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Michael Muller | Maties | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Robin Murray | UCT Ikey Tigers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Ryan Nell | UP Tuks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Teunis Nieuwoudt | UFS Shimlas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Len Noort | CUT Ixias | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Andisa Ntsila | NMMU Madibaz | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Niel Oelofse | Maties | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Mark Prior | UCT Ikey Tigers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Phanta Qinisile | UJ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Fiffy Rampeta | UFS Shimlas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Rudolph Smith | UP Tuks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Paul Streicher | Maties | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Malherbe Swart | NWU Pukke | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Masego Toolo | CUT Ixias | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Jacobus van der Merwe | Maties | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Damian van Wyk | UP Tuks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Boela Venter | UFS Shimlas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Warrick Venter | NMMU Madibaz | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| André Warner | UP Tuks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Johnny Welthagen | NWU Pukke | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Arthur Williams | UFS Shimlas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| 111 | Jesse du Toit | CUT Ixias | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Warren Gilbert | NWU Pukke | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Koos Loubser | Maties | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Arrie Vosloo | CUT Ixias | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| — | penalty try | NWU Pukke | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| UJ | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||
| UCT Ikey Tigers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
| UFS Shimlas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
The teams released the following squad lists:
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The following table contains all the cards handed out during the tournament: [79]
| Cards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team |  | |
| Jeandré Rudolph | NWU Pukke | 0 | 3 |
| Andisa Ntsila | NMMU Madibaz | 0 | 2 |
| Brian Skosana | NMMU Madibaz | 0 | 2 |
| CJ Velleman | NMMU Madibaz | 0 | 2 |
| Tythan Adams | NMMU Madibaz | 0 | 1 |
| David Antonites | UJ | 0 | 1 |
| Wilmar Arnoldi | NWU Pukke | 0 | 1 |
| Gerard Baard | CUT Ixias | 0 | 1 |
| Tienie Burger | UFS Shimlas | 0 | 1 |
| Nico du Plessis | UJ | 0 | 1 |
| Ivan-John du Preez | NMMU Madibaz | 0 | 1 |
| Arno Ebersohn | NMMU Madibaz | 0 | 1 |
| Steven Hansel | NMMU Madibaz | 0 | 1 |
| Werner Lourens | UJ | 0 | 1 |
| Mogau Mabokela | NWU Pukke | 0 | 1 |
| Boetie Maketlo | CUT Ixias | 0 | 1 |
| Loftus Morrison | NWU Pukke | 0 | 1 |
| Duan Pretorius | CUT Ixias | 0 | 1 |
| Marno Redelinghuys | NWU Pukke | 0 | 1 |
| Dylan Sage | UCT Ikey Tigers | 0 | 1 |
| Frans Sisita | CUT Ixias | 0 | 1 |
| Rhyno Smith | NWU Pukke | 0 | 1 |
| Chad Solomon | UCT Ikey Tigers | 0 | 1 |
| Ernst Stapelberg | Maties | 0 | 1 |
| Mosego Toolo | CUT Ixias | 0 | 1 |
| Kyle van Dalen | UJ | 0 | 1 |
| Henco Venter | UFS Shimlas | 0 | 1 |
| Johnny Welthagen | NWU Pukke | 0 | 1 |
| Lihleli Xoli | UCT Ikey Tigers | 0 | 1 |
| * Legend: = Sent off, = Sin-binned | |||
After the 2015 Varsity Cup, a Varsity Cup Dream Team was announced. This team would play against the South Africa Under-20s in Stellenbosch on 21 April 2015. The head coach of the champions UFS Shimlas, Franco Smith, was appointed as the coach of the side and UP Tuks lock Reniel Hugo was appointed as captain. Inny Radebe, who played for the 2015 Varsity Shield champions UKZN Impi was also named in the squad.
Dan Kriel and Jaco Visagie were originally selected in the 2015 Varsity Cup Dream Team, but subsequently replaced by Johan Deysel and Elandré Huggett respectively.
| Forwards | Irné Herbst • Elandré Huggett • Reniel Hugo • John-Roy Jenkinson • Wiaan Liebenberg • Nqoba Mxoli • Gerhard Olivier • Jeandré Rudolph • Joe Smith • Chad Solomon • Walt Steenkamp • Dayan van der Westhuizen • Henco Venter | |
| Backs | Rowayne Beukman • Johan Deysel • Maphutha Dolo • JP Lewis • Zee Mkhabela • Inny Radebe • Dillon Smit • Rhyno Smith • Johnny Welthagen | |
| Coach | Franco Smith | |
The Dream Team made the early running in the match, with two first-half tries – a penalty try and a try by full-back Rhyno Smith – giving them a 12–10 half-time lead over the South African Under-20s. Second-half tries by Dillon Smit and Elandré Huggett proved to not be enough, with the South African Under-20s running out 31–24 winners.
| 21 April 2015 | Varsity Cup Dream Team | 24–31 | South Africa Under-20 | Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch | ||
| 18:30 | Try: penalty try 22' Rhyno Smith 38'Dillon Smit 59'Elandré Huggett 69'Con: Inny Radebe 23' (1/2) Rhyno Smith 60' (1/2)Cards: Dayan van der Westhuizen 65' to 74' | Scoreboard [81] | Try: Daniël du Plessis 36' Jan van der Merwe 43'penalty try 65'Con: Ernst Stapelberg 37' (1/2) Brandon Thomson 66' (1/1)Pen: Ernst Stapelberg 40', 48' (2/2) Brandon Thomson 73', 76' (2/2)Cards: Jean-Luc du Preez 22' to 32' |
The following referees officiated matches in the 2015 Varsity Cup:
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. 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 2009 Varsity Cup was contested from 2 February to 30 March 2009. The tournament was the second season of the Varsity Cup, an annual inter-university rugby union competition featuring eight South African universities.
The 2011 Varsity Cup was contested from 7 February to 11 April 2011. The tournament was the fourth season of the Varsity Cup, an annual inter-university rugby union competition featuring eight South African universities.
The 2008 Varsity Cup was contested from 18 February to 7 April 2008. The tournament was the first season of the Varsity Cup, an annual inter-university rugby union competition featuring eight South African universities.
The 2010 Varsity Cup was contested from 1 February to 29 March 2010. The tournament was the third season of the Varsity Cup, an annual inter-university rugby union competition featuring eight South African universities.
The 2013 Varsity Cup was contested from 4 February to 8 April 2013. The tournament was the sixth season of the Varsity Cup, an annual inter-university rugby union competition featuring eight South African universities.
The 2014 Varsity Rugby competitions were contested from 27 January to 7 April 2014. Varsity Rugby is the collective name of four rugby union competitions played between several university teams in South Africa, with the Varsity Cup being the premier competition. The 2014 season was the seventh edition of this tournament.
2015 Varsity Rugby was the 2015 edition of four rugby union competitions annually played between several university teams in South Africa. It was contested from January to April 2015 and was the eighth edition of these competitions.
The 2014 Varsity Cup was contested from 3 February to 7 April 2014. The tournament was the seventh season of the Varsity Cup, an annual inter-university rugby union competition featuring eight South African universities.
The 2013 Varsity Cup was contested from 4 February to 8 April 2013. The tournament was the sixth season of the Varsity Cup, an annual inter-university rugby union competition featuring eight South African universities.
The 2016 Varsity Cup was contested from 8 February to 11 April 2016. The tournament was the ninth season of the Varsity Cup, an annual inter-university rugby union competition featuring eight South African universities.
2016 Varsity Rugby was the 2016 edition of four rugby union competitions annually played between several university teams in South Africa. It was contested from 1 February to 18 April 2016 and was the ninth edition of these competitions.
Rhyno Christo Smith is a South African professional rugby union player for the Benetton in United Rugby Championship. He usually plays as a fullback, but can also play as a fly-half or winger.
Jacobus Johannes van Dyk is a South African rugby union player for the Stormers in Super Rugby. His regular playing positions are number 8, lock or flanker.
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Jacobus Conradus "Beertjie" van Vuuren is a South African professional rugby union player for the Bulls in Super Rugby, the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Blue Bulls XV in the Rugby Challenge. His regular position is tighthead prop.
The 2017 Varsity Cup was the 2017 edition of the Varsity Cup, an annual inter-university rugby union competition featuring university sides in South Africa. The tournament – known as the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International for sponsorship reasons – was the tenth season of the Varsity Cup and was contested from 30 January to 17 April 2017.
Refuoe Emmanuel "Fiffy" Rampeta is a South African professional rugby union player who last played for the Free State XV in the domestic Currie Cup. His regular position is flanker.
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The 2018 Varsity Cup was contested from 29 January to 16 April 2018. The tournament was the eleventh season of the Varsity Cup, an annual inter-university rugby union competition featuring South African universities.