Varsity Cup

Get the superb Varsity Cup app for the best VC experience on your smartphone.

Have all the latest news, logs, fixtures and results available at the touch of your finger - for Varsity Cup, Varsity Shield, Varsity Young Guns and the Steinhoff Koshuis Championships. 

Under Settings you can prioritise teams and competitions you want to see in your news feed - the best way to Back your Boytjies

Search" "varsitycup" in the Iphone app stores, Google playstore or Blackberry World and be on the pulse! 

We will bring you team news and match reports throughout the year - even after the Varsity Cup season -  so you don't have to miss a single game of your favourite side. 

With the 2013 Varsity Cup play-offs upon us, it is also time to have your say and vote for the Players that Rock in the Varsity Cup and Varsity Shield tournaments.

Read more: Players that Rock 2013 Winners

What is the Pink Shorts campaign?

The Pink Shorts Campaign is the social responsibility program of FNB Varsity Cup Presented by Steinhoff International, which works towards ending attitudes and behaviours which lead to violence against women.

The Pink Shorts Campaign aims to:

- Create awareness about violence against women

- Encourage men to speak up and step in when they see sexist or violent behaviour

- Provide victims of gender-based violence with information about where to get help

- Support local organizations involved with the victims of gender-based violence

How does it work?

The Pink Shorts Campaign is known for its Pink Shorts which are adorned with the female sign and the Keep the Aggro on the Field slogan.

The shorts, which are worn by the captains of each team in the opening rounds of Varsity Cup and Varsity Shield, and then by the Man of the Match from the previous week, are avisual reminder of the need to end violence against women.
Funds for the campaign are raised through the weekly auction of pink rugby balls during the Varsity Cup, auction of pink balls on our website, donations, and tries in the RUGBY THAT ROCKS period during the games, where the 5 sponsors will each give R 2000,00 to the shelter of that university scoring the try’s choice. Lastly the sales of pink shorts on the website will also add to the campaign.

Each Varsity Shield and Varsity Cup Team has selected a local organization involved with victims of gender-based violence to be the recipient of the funds they raise and funds from the Varsity Cup Trust. Varsity Cup donates R 100 000,00 per year to the Varsity Cup Trust as well.

What is gender-based violence?

The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women defines violence against women as:

“Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or private
life.”

Gender-based violence includes domestic violence, sexual assault or violence, emotional or physical abuse, child abuse and homophobic violence.

Why did Varsity Cup choose to support this cause?

Violence against women is a serious problem in South Africa. The Department of Justice estimates that 1 in 4 women has been the victim of domestic violence.

Gender-based violence has a profound and damaging impact on victims, the relationships between men and women, children and the whole community.

Varsity Cup recognizes that gender-based violence is an issue that both men and women in South Africa need to address. Aggression should be redirected and restricted to the sports arena. The national impact of Varsity Cup means that it is the perfect platform for creating awareness about the problem and helping ending violence against women.

How is the Pink Shorts Campaign funded?

The campaign is funded by people like you!

Every match day, two exclusive and signed balls are auctioned to the highest bidder. Bid for a Pink Ball.

You can buy your own pair of Pink Shorts online at the Varsity Cup Shop. The profits from the sale of the shorts are donated directly to the campaign. Here

Donations and fundraising by the Rugby Teams also contribute to funding the campaign. Make a donation on a 'live' television game and get your television coverage, but also add value to this superb campaign.

Each university also have 4 BIG (75cm) pink balls that they must use to generate funds for their campaign.

All funding is collected by the Varsity Cup Trust and distributed to organizations involved with the victims of gender-based violence.

Pink Balls Auction

Each match day, two exclusive and signed balls are auctioned to the highest bidder. The auction is in support of raising funds for the Pink Shorts campaign.

The winning pink balls can either be signed by your team or all the Varsity Cup captains - the choice is yours.

The highest bid at beginning of halftime of the 2nd televised match each Monday wins. Winners get’s announced on television, in the 2nd strategy break of the 19:00 game.

Varsity Cup Trust

The Varsity Cup Trust, IT 199/2010, was established in 2010 to manage donations to the social responsibility program of the FNB Varsity Cup Presented by Steinhoff International.

Objective of the Trust

The objective of the Trust is to distribute income or capital profits of the Trust to beneficiaries of the Trust who are selected at the discretion of the trustees. The beneficiaries must be a charitable organization or organizations.

Trustees

Prof Theuns Eloff (chairperson)

Duitser Bosman

Henk Kriek

Ilhaam Groenewald

Marius van Rensburg

Organizations supported by Each Club

Maties

Maties Rugby Club supports L’Abrie de Dieu Safehouse, a place of refuge for abused women and their children. The mission of the Safehouse is “to provide protection, comfort, support and healing in a homely Christian environment, restoring body, soul and spirit”. During the campaign the club plans to erect a new playground in the garden for the benefit the children staying in the facility.

CUT

CUT Rugby Club supports Bloem Shelter, a registered NPO which provides shelter for the homeless, catering for adults, children, the elderly and frail persons. It was nominated as a Bloemfontein Institution of the Year 2012. During the campaign, the Club will be assisting the Shelter with upgrading their facilities and raising funds.

NMMU

NMMU Rugby Club supports Yokhuselo Haven which provides safety and shelter for abused woman and their children. Women at the Haven receive accommodation and care, legal assistance, counselling and help finding employment. During the campaign, the Club will be assisting with maintenance, repairs and paintwork of the safe houses and the outdoor play
facilities for the children at the haven.

UKZN

In 2012 UKZN Rugby launched the "Rugby Against Rape" project together with the Jes Foord Foundation. The Foundation’s aim is to support rape victims, to restore lives after rape, and to educate people about the realities of rape in South Africa. During 2013 the Club has committed to collecting funds for the Foundation and landscaping the gardens at the Jes Foord Community Care Centre.

NWU

NWU-PUKKE Rugby Club supports the E.S. le Grange School, a school for physically and mentally handicapped children. Often victims of abuse, many of these children come from broken homes with many who are fully dependent. The Club will be supporting the school by doing physical work and assisting with upgrading facilities.

UWC

UWC Rugby Club supports the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children. The centre is a one-stop haven for women and children who are the survivors of abuse and offers care, counselling, legal advice, emergency shelter and other services. The Club supports the Centre by volunteering, fun and games with the children at the centre, maintenance work, financial donations and material donations.

UCT

UCT Rugby Club supports Sisters Incorporated, a shelter for abused women and their children, rape survivors and pregnant women placing their babies for adoption. Sisters Incorporated assists those at the home to heal physically, emotionally and spiritually. The club supports Sisters Incorporated by fixing, painting, gardening, cleaning and general
duties.

UP/TUKKIES

Up- TUKS Rugby Club supports the Mercy House, a transitional shelter for women in distress. The club supports Mercy House in various manners including doing general maintenance working and collecting necessities for the House.

TUT

TUT Rugby Club supports the Beth Shan (House of Quiet) Place of Safety, a non-profit organization which provides shelter for female victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. The club will be supporting the shelter by assisting with upgrading of existing facilities and security systems.

WITS

WITS Rugby Club supports Usindiso Ministries, a shelter which offers support, assistance and care to abused women and their children and teenage girls. The club will be supporting the shelter by doing maintenance work and will also be offering the women at the shelter access to the club’s sport facilities and the children coaching clinics on campus.

UFH

UFH Rugby Club supports Alice Victim Support Centre, a care centre which provides counselling and emergency shelter to the victims of abuse. The club will be supporting the shelter by fundraising for a bigger consulting space at the Centre.

UFS/SHIMLAS

UFS Rugby Club will be involved with the SA Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges who run a campaign in the Free State to raise awareness of violence against women. The club will be supporting a project called the "The Woman Behind The Mask", a Gala Dinner to raise funds and awareness about, and give insight into the lives of abused women.

UJ

UJ Rugby Club will be involved with Shalom Sanctuary a place of safety, shelter and counselling for abused women and children. The Shalom Sanctuary recently moved into a new house and the club will be supporting the Shalom Sanctuary by doing painting, fixing and other maintenance work at the venue.

The Varsity Cup Pink Shorts campaign is way more than just rewarding the various Players that Rock throughout the season. It's about creating awareness of abuse against women and, in the process, raising money via a special Varsity Cup Trust.

A fantastic amount was raised for the trust during the 2013 Varsity Cup in the effort to support the Pink Shorts campaign. The support came from alumni, fans and supporters, the Varsuty Cup Trust and the five sponsors, FNB, Steinhoff, Carling Black Lable, CellC and Spur who committed funds for each try scored in the "Rugby that Rocks time". 

• All Varsity Cup and Varsity Shield university teams had accepted the challenge to support an organization in their area that works with abused woman.

• The Auctions were again in support of your team's efforts towards raising funds for their "Pink Shorts campaign"

• There were two exclusive and signed balls available per round to the highest bidder on each match day. The winning Pink balls were either signed by your team or all the Varsity Cup and Varsity Shield captains - the winner could choose.

• The highest bids at the beginning of halftime of the second televised match won the balls