At the end of a thrilling 2024 season, the FNB Varsity Cup and FNB Varsity Shield once again saw dramatic changes in the promotion and relegation battle, proving how fierce university rugby in South Africa has become.
FNB Tuks dominated the Varsity Shield competition, finishing at the top of the log and securing automatic promotion. Their consistent performances and commanding wins made their return back into the Cup a certainty. Meanwhile, 2023 Shield winners, FNB UWC, struggled to string together enough wins and were automatically relegated back down.
It was FNB CUT who finished 7th on the Cup log and found themselves in a precarious position, facing the threat of relegation. Their fate rested on a high-stakes promotion/relegation clash against FNB Madibaz, who finished second on the Varsity Shield log at the end of the group stages. However, the Ixias delivered a statement performance, crushing Madibaz 64-16 to retain their spot in the Varsity Cup for another season.
The drama extended to the Shield competition as well, where FNB SPU pulled off a nail-biting victory over last-placed TUT, securing their place in the 2025 Varsity Shield tournament.
With the 2025 season set to bring fresh challenges, the newly promoted teams will be eager to prove themselves, while others will be fighting to hold onto their places.
2025 Promotion/Relegation
At the end of the 2025 season, the team ending bottom of the FNB Varsity Cup log at the end of the group stages will automatically be relegated to the FNB Varsity Shield, while the team finishing top of the Varsity Shield log at the end of the group stages will automatically be promoted to the Varsity Cup.
The team that finishes 7th on the Varsity Cup log will play in a promotion/relegation match against the team that finishes 2nd on the Varsity Shield log.
The team that finishes bottom of the Varsity Shield log will play off against the top USSA team to decide who plays in the 2026 tournament.
2025 fixtures and logs HERE.
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