Founded | 2013 |
---|---|
Region | South Africa |
Number of teams | 8 |
Current champions | UP Tuks (2nd title) (men) TUT (1st title) (women) |
Most successful team(s) | UP Tuks (2 titles) (men) TUT and UJ (1 title) (women) |
Website | varsitysportssa.com/football |
Varsity Football is a South African university football competition. It is one of seven sports in the Varsity Sports series. The annual tournament involves the top football playing universities in the country, which belong to the University Sports Company. The tournament is run by Varsity Sports South Africa, and is endorsed by the South African Football Association and University Sport South Africa. [1]
The 2022 champions of the men's competition are TUT and UJ for the women's competition.
TUT will face off against the UJ in the 2023 Men’s Varsity Football title on Thursday, 28 September, in Soweto. [2]
The Varsity Cup tournament was founded in 2008, featuring the rugby teams of eight universities. Varsity Sports was expanded in 2012 to include other sporting codes. [3] University Sport South Africa discussed the Varsity Football proposal at its 2012 annual general meeting. The idea was initially rejected, as it was seen to split the member institutions. [4] However, it was later accepted, and 2013 was the inaugural season of Varsity Football, with an 8 team men's tournament. [5] A four-team women's tournament is also being played. [6] Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) women's won six (6) times while Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)Man's won four (times) and current champions for 2024 is University of Western Cape both Males and Females.
As of 2014, 10 different teams have competed in the men's Varsity Football tournament:
Varsity Football | ||
Team Name | University | Stadium |
---|---|---|
Limpopo | University of Limpopo | Oscar Mphetha Stadium |
NMMU Madibaz | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University | NMMU Stadium |
NWU Mafikeng | North-West University | Mafikeng Sports Fields |
TUT | Tshwane University of Technology | TUT Stadium |
UCT Ikey Warriors | University of Cape Town | The Green Mile |
UFS Kovsies | University of the Free State | Shimla Park |
UJ | University of Johannesburg | UJ Stadium |
UP-Tuks | University of Pretoria | Tuks Stadium |
UWC | University of the Western Cape | UWC Sport Stadium |
Wits | University of the Witwatersrand | Bidvest Stadium |
Five different teams have competed in the women's Varsity Football tournament as of 2014:
Varsity Football | ||
Team Name | University | Stadium |
---|---|---|
Limpopo | University of Limpopo | Oscar Mphetha Stadium |
TUT | Tshwane University of Technology | TUT Stadium |
UP-Tuks | University of Pretoria | Tuks Stadium |
UJ | University of Johannesburg | UJ Stadium |
UWC | University of the Western Cape | UWC Sport Stadium |
For both the men's and women's tournaments, qualification is based on the previous season's University Sports South Africa Football National Club Championships, held annually in December. In order to qualify, men's teams need to be one of the eight highest placed teams associated with Varsity Sports. Women's teams needed to be one of the semi-finalists, and also be associated with Varsity Sports.
Teams not associated with the University Sports Company are not eligible for the competition. UKZN Pietermaritzburg for example, a losing semi-finalist at the 2012 men's University Sports South Africa Football National Club Championships, were ineligible, not being linked to Varsity Sports. The next highest placed teams at the University Sports South Africa Football National Club Championships, that are associated with Varsity Sports, will take the places of the ineligible teams.
The tournament begins with a round robin stage, in which all teams play each other once. After the round robin stage, the top 4 teams advance to the knockout stage. The teams ranked 1 and 2 host the semi-finals, against the teams ranked 4 and 3 respectively. The winners advance to the final, to be hosted by the highest ranked finalist. The league scoring system follows a standard scoring system and awards 3 points for a win, and 1 point for a draw. Teams are separated first on points, and then on goal difference.
The women's tournament starts at the semi-final stage.
All matches are played on Monday evenings.
Team | 2013 | 2014 |
---|---|---|
UP-Tuks | W | W |
NWU-Mafikeng | SF | SF |
NMMU Madibaz | RU | 6th |
UFS Kovsies | 5th | SF |
UWC | 6th | 5th |
UCT Ikey Warriors | 8th | 8th |
UJ | DNQ | RU |
TUT | SF | DNQ |
Wits | 7th | DNQ |
Limpopo | DNQ | 7th |
Notes:
Players who have since represented Bafana Bafana.
The tournament is sponsored by:
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 2012 Varsity Cup was contested from 6 February to 9 April 2012. The tournament was the fifth 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 2013 Varsity Football challenge was the first season of a South African university association football competition. It involved some of the top football playing universities in the country, which belong to the University Sports Company. The tournament is run by Varsity Sports South Africa, and is endorsed by the South African Football Association and University Sport South Africa.
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.
Varsity Sports SA, is a group university sports leagues in South Africa. Its members all belong to the University Sport Company, and may each enter only one campus per competition, though they may enter different campuses for different competitions.
The 2014 Varsity Football challenge is the second season of a South African university association football competition. It involves some of the top football playing universities in the country, which belong to the University Sports Company. The tournament is run by Varsity Sports SA, and is endorsed by the South African Football Association and University Sport South Africa.
The 2015 Varsity Football challenge is the third season of a South African university association football competition. It involves some of the top football playing universities in the country, which belong to the University Sports Company. The tournament is run by Varsity Sports SA, and is endorsed by the South African Football Association and University Sport South Africa.
Letago Madiba is a South African soccer player who plays as a forward for Fatih Vatan Spor in the Turkish Women's Super League. She has been a member of the South Africa women's national team.
Varsity Hockey is a South African university field hockey competition. It is one of seven sports in the Varsity Sports series. The annual tournament involves the top hockey playing universities in the country, which belong to the University Sports Company. The tournament is run by Varsity Sports South Africa, and is endorsed by the South African Hockey Association and University Sport South Africa.
The 2021 Varsity Sport, the 10 season of a South African university.
The 2019 Varsity Sport, the 10 season of a South African university.
Women's Varsity Football, also known as Women's Varsity Diski, is a South African university football competition. It is one of seven sports in the Varsity Sports series. The annual tournament involves the top women's football playing universities in the country, which belong to the University Sports Company. The tournament is managed by Advent Sport Entertainment and Media (ASEM) on behalf of the University Sports Company (USC), and is endorsed by the South African Football Association and University Sport South Africa.
The 2023 Women's Varsity Football was the tenth edition of the South African women's university soccer competition. It involved some of the top football playing universities in the country. The tournament is run by Varsity Sports SA, and is endorsed by the South African Football Association and University Sport South Africa. It was hosted at TUT Stadium by Tshwane University of Technology.
The 2022 Women's Varsity Football was the ninth edition of the South African women's university soccer competition. It involved some of the top football playing universities in the country. The tournament is run by Varsity Sports SA, and is endorsed by the South African Football Association and University Sport South Africa. It was hosted at UJ Soweto Stadium by the University of Johannesburg.
The 2024 Women's Varsity Football was the eleventh edition of the South African women's university soccer competition. It involved some of the top football playing universities in the country. The tournament is run by Varsity Sports SA, and is endorsed by the South African Football Association and University Sport South Africa. It was hosted at TUT Stadium by Tshwane University of Technology.