The FNB Varsity Shield kicks off on Friday, 4 March and fans are in for a treat as most matches will be broadcast on SuperSport. Seven teams will be battling it out with the final being played on 22 April.
The format of the Varsity Shield tournament will differ slightly from FNB Varsity Cup, as rounds one to six will be played over three bumper weekends at select venues, with the action kicking off at Rhodes University.
In the first of three bumper weekends, defending champions FNB CPUT (Cape Peninsula University of Technology) will play FNB Rhodes at Rhodes Great Field (7pm kick-off), while 2015 Varsity Shield winners the FNB UKZN Impi (University of KwaZulu-Natal) face a spirited FNB WSU All Blacks (Walter Sisulu University) onslaught at 5pm.
The earlier kick-off, at 3pm, sees the FNB UFH Blues (Fort Hare) play the FNB TUT Vikings (Tshwane University of Technology), with FNB DUT (Durban University of Technology) having a bye on day one.
‘The return of Varsity Cup to the universities has been received really well, and through our amazing and excellent partnership with SuperSport every single match of the first six rounds of the Varsity Shield competition will be broadcast live,’ said Xhanti-Lomzi Nesi, Varsity Cup Tournament Manager. ‘We’re equally excited to welcome fans back in the stadiums and at our bumper weekends.’
At the end of the 2022 season, the team at the bottom of the combined 2021-2022 Varsity Shield log will be relegated from the tournament altogether. The 2023 Varsity Cup and Varsity Shield titles will both be contested by eight teams.
‘CPUT have held the trophy since 2019, with 2020 being an incomplete season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and we are expecting all six Varsity Shield teams to bring their A-game throughout the competition. The Varsity Shield has always prioritised innovation, pushing the boundaries and changing the lives of those who form part of the community,’ Nesi continued.
At the end of the round-robin phase, the top four teams on the log will qualify for the semifinals, which will be played on 14 April, with the final on 22 April.