2026 Varsity Cup

Eight university teams participated in the 2026 Varsity Cup. During the pool stage, each team played the other seven sides once, either home or away.^[2]

Teams were awarded:

• four points for a win
• two points for a draw
• one bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match
• one bonus point for losing by seven points or fewer

Teams were ranked primarily by log points, and then by points difference (points scored minus points conceded).^[2]

The top four teams at the conclusion of the pool stage advanced to the semi-finals. The two highest-ranked teams hosted the semi-finals, and the highest-ranked remaining finalist hosted the final.^[8]

Location of teams in the 2026 Varsity Cup
CUT Ixias NWU Eagles UFS Shimlas UJ UP Tuks Wits Emeris Durban Western Cape
Western Cape
Maties UCT Ikey Tigers UWC

The teams that played in the 2026 Varsity Cup were:

The final log for the 2026 Varsity Cup was:

Results

The following matches were played in the 2026 Varsity Cup:

16 February 2026 16:45

UFS Shimlas	50–39	Maties
Try: du Preez  15' Botha  18' Jacobus  24, 41' Kleynhans  56' Shamburg  63' Con: Pierre Giddy  16' (4) Pen: Pierre Giddy (76 p), (78 p) Cards: Shamburg  83'	Report	Try: Mpofu  27' Rynhardt  35' Marx  37' Christiaan  40' Combrinck  44' Erasmus  82' Poswa  84' Con: Christiaan

UWC Sport Stadium, Cape Town Referee: Jonathan Lottering FNB Player of the Match - Liam Shamburg UFS Shimlas [9]

16 February 2026 19:00

CUT Ixias	42–59	NWU Eagles
Try: Seyoko Swartbooi Muller Jacobs Con: Myburgh Pen: Myburgh (p) Cards: Frans	Report	Try: Prins (2) Venter McLoughlin Krugel Doyi Du Bois Turner De Villiers Con: Mostert Van Willing Cards: McLoughlin

CUT Stadium, Bloemfontein Referee: Juan de Bod FNB Player of the Match - Kehan Myburgh CUT [10]

16 February 2026 19:00

UJ	61–41	Emeris
Try: Du Toit (2) Mphafi Gabreilsen Marimo Ferreira Africa Molefe Sibisi Con: Gabrielsen (3) Pen: Gabrielsen (p) Jt Kapank (p) Cards: Africa	Report	Try: Marais Orde Steyl Okota Sigauke Con: Marx (2) Cards: Davis

UJ Stadium, Johannesburg Referee: Sean Muller FNB Player of the Match - Zian Cilliers UJ [11]

16 February 2026 19:00

UP Tuks	38–22	UCT Ikey Tigers
Try: Smith  4' Myeni  12',  21' Pretorius  33' Kobus  67' Ntshangase  77' Con: Divan  5',  34'	Report	Try: Davids  0' Benade  7' Aidan Norris  70' Pen: Vermeulen (19 p)

LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria Referee: Dylen November FNB Player of the Match - Divan Du Toit UP Tuks [12]

23 February 2026 16:45

NWU Eagles	63–15	Emeris
Try: Prins  14' Van Zyl  22' Luan  27' McLoughlin  30' Oosthuizen  39' Prins Fourie  47' Van Zyl  55' Prins  68' Prins  75' Con: Moster  22', 28', 40', 48' Van Willing  56', 76' Cards: Serfontein  63'	Report	Try: Okonta  10' Siguake  63' Etzebeth  64' Etzebeth  76' Cards: Mbonambi  27' Ncwana  27'

Fanie du Toit Sport Ground, Potchefstroom FNB Player of the Match - Therlow Prins NWU Eagles [13] Referee: Zoe Naude

23 February 2026 19:00

UCT Ikey Tigers	83–34	CUT Ixias
Try: Norris (2) Benade (2) Miller (2) Beckett Jack Gordon Vermeulen Mokoena Brawen Con: Vermeulen (7)	Report	Try: Swartbooi Myburgh Abrahams Gouveia Vergotine Shebu Con: Myburgh (2) Cards: Taljaard

UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town Referee: Eon van Zyl FNB Player of the Match - Jack Benade UCT Ikey Tigers [14]

23 February 2026 19:00

UFS Shimlas	22–38	UP Tuks
Try: Mobo De Beer Visser Con: Giddy Ray Pen: Ray (p)	Report	Try: Valentine  23' Smith  48' Nortje  64' Kunene  76' Con: Du Toit  23' Du Toit  48' Pen: Du Toit (4)

Shimla Park, Bloemfontein Referee: Juan de Bod FNB Player of the Match - Divan du Toit UP Tuks [15]

23 February 2026 19:00

Maties	39–19	UJ
Try: Rynhardt  18' Marx  45' Erasmus  62' Volmoer  65' Manuel  72' Ngobeni  76' Con: Christiaan  46' Christiaan  63' Christiaan  77' Pen: Christiaan (31 p) Cards: Strydom  60'	Report	Try: Molefa  20' Mphafi  32' Con: Gabrielsen  21' Gabrielsen  33' Pen: Gabrielsen (54 p) Cards: Swarts  75'

Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch Referee: Lulutho Matomela FNB Player of the Match - CJ Marx Maties [16]

2 March 2026 16:45

UJ	35-29	NWU Eagles
Try: Cilliers  10' Africa  14',  28' Cilliers  20' Molefe  78' Con: Kapank  11',  14',  21',  29' Cards: Strydom  23' Ferreira  55' Prinsloo  79'	Report	Try: McLoughlin  7' van der Walt  38' Fourie  43',  64',  65' Con: Mostert  39' Cards: Serfontein  46' Engelbercht  59' du Bois  67'

UJ Stadium, Johannesburg FNB Player of the Match - Zian Cilliers UJ [17] Referee: Jonathan Lottering

2 March 2026 19:00

UP Tuks	33-17	Maties
Try: Fourie (2) Austin Van Vuuren Dukuswa Con: Du Toit (3) Cards: Myeni	Report	Try: Manuel Erasmus Con: Christiaan (2) Pen: Christiaan (p) (1) Cards: Burton Hahn

LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria FNB Player of the Match - Jayd Austin UP Tuks [18] Referee: Eon van Zyl

2 March 2026 19:00

CUT Ixias	19-71	UFS Shimlas
Try: Abrahams  57',  75' Vergotine  67' Cards: Corneluis Malan  25' Van Aswegen  35' Holiday  45'	Report	Try: Visser  2' Bezuidenhout  11',  15',  21',  43' Vergottini  26',  35',  51' Van Heerden  27',  35' Kriek  64' Winter  79' Stopforth  80' Con: Ray  16' Kriek  52',  65' Cards: Kriek  67'

CUT Stadium, Bloemfontein FNB Player of the Match - Jaco Bezuidenhout UFS Shimlas [19] Referee: Caleb Hibbert

2 March 2026 19:00

Emeris	10-32	UCT Ikey Tigers
Try: Sigauke Davis Cards: Number 25  22'	Report	Try: L. Davis K. Davis Benade De Waal Con: Vermeulen (4) Cards: Mokoena

Emeris, Durban North Referee: Daniel Canhenga FNB Player of the Match - Alex Vermuelen UCT Ikey Tigers [20]

9 March 2026 16:45

UCT Ikey Tigers	87-28	UJ
Try: Benade  3',  21',  52' Davis  10',  26' Mokoena  13',  40' Daars  17' De Costa  28' Norris  36' Nyali  75' Con: Vermeulen  3',  11',  13',  17',  21',  27',  29',  37',  41',  53',  77' Cards: Vorster  61' Whitson  73'	Report	Try: Ferreira  11' Strydom  65' Engelbercht  69' Mashigo  71' Con: Gabrielsen  11' Cards: Masimola  76'

UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town Attendance: 4,000+ FNB Player of the Match - Monray Daars UCT Ikey Tigers [21] Referee: Lulutho Matomela

9 March 2026 19:00

Maties	55-20	Emeris
Try: Van Zitters  19' Badenhorst  29',  50' Hahn  33' Poswa  34' Ngobeni  40' Erasmus  42' Liversage  66',  74' Con: Van Heerden Smith  19',  29',  42',  51'	Report	Try: Okonta  48' Sigauke  52',  79' Pen: Marx (5 p) Cards: Luthuli  39'

Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch Attendance: 16,000+ FNB Player of the Match - Samuel Badenhorst Maties [22] Referee: Zoe Naude

9 March 2026 19:00

UP Tuks	78-17	CUT Ixias
Try: Pretorius (3) Myeni (3) Fourie (2) Van Vuuren Kunene Van Rensburg Smith Con: Du Toit (4) De Leeuw (1) Cards: Myeni	Report	Try: Davids (2) Nel Cards: Abrahams

LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria Attendance: 14,150 FNB Player of the Match - Ben Jansen Van Vuuren UP Tuks [23] Referee: Jonathan Lottering

9 March 2026 19:00

UFS Shimlas	31-43	NWU Eagles
Try: Visser (2) De Beer Du Preez Con: Kriek (2)	Report	Try: Fourie (2) McLoughlin Oosthuizen Serfontein Prins Fortuin Con: Can Willing (2) Cards: Du Toit Anonymous (2)

Fanie du Toit Sport Ground, Potchefstroom Attendance: 4,500 FNB Player of the Match - Ricardo Fourie NWU Eagles [24] Referee: Eon van Zyl

16 March 2026 16:45

UCT Ikey Tigers	07-34	Maties
Try: Benade  47' Cards:	Report	Try: Botha  6' Basson  43',  45' Ngobeni  41' Poswa  42' Volmoer  80'

UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town Referee: Juan de Bod [25] FNB Player of the Match - Ezekiel Ngobeni (Maties)

16 March 2026 19:00

UJ	29-17	UFS Shimlas
Try: Prinsloo (2) Engelbercht Gamede Con: Kapank (3) Pen: Kapank (p) Cards: Mphafi Anonymous	Report	Try: Visser (2) Laubscher Con: Botha Cards: Venter Anonymous Anonymous

UJ Stadium, Johannesburg Referee: Caleb Hibbert [26] FNB Player of the Match - Thabang Mphafi (UJ)

16 March 2026 19:00

Emeris	26-24	CUT Ixias
Try: Okonta (2) Marais Luthuli Con: Marx (2) Cards: Anonymous Anonymous	Report	Try: Muller (2) Abrahams Corneluis Malan Con: Myburgh Cards: Muller

Emeris, Durban North Referee: Dylen November [27] FNB Player of the Match - Chijindu Okonta (Emeris)

16 March 2026 19:00

NWU Eagles	30-22	UP Tuks
Try: Serfontein  7' Petersen  18' McLoughlin  26' Van Der Walt  45' Con: Van Willing  7',  19',  27',  46'	Report	Try: Mjawule  38' Myeni  41' Van Der Merwe  62',  70' Con: Du Toit  63' Cards: De Meyer  15'

Fanie du Toit Sport Ground, Potchefstroom Referee: Hernus Coetzee [28] FNB Player of the Match - Zack Serfontein (NWU Eagles)

23 March 2026 16:45

CUT Ixias	13–29	UJ
Try: Louis Theron  70' Pen: Myburgh (30 p), (41 p) Cards: Nel  33'	Report	Try: Prinsloo  10' Kapank  58' Engelbercht  67' Koekman  74' Kevani  76' Con: Kapank  75' Cards: Sibisi  1'

CUT Stadium, Bloemfontein FNB Player of the Match - Jeandre Uithaler (UJ) Referee: Daniel Canhenga

23 March 2026 19:00

UP Tuks	27–24	Emeris
Try: Fourie (3) Engongo Smith Con: Du Toit Cards: Planga	Report	Try: Mbonambi Sigauke Fortuin Marais Con: Marx (2) Cards: Horak

LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria FNB Player of the Match - Jean Fourie (UP Tuks) Referee: Eon van Zyl

23 March 2026 19:00

Maties	30–26	NWU Eagles
Try: Michaels Marx Poswa Du Toit Fourie Con: Van Heerden Smith Pen: Van Heerden Smith (p)	Report	Try: Janeke Petersen Venter Con: Van Willing (2) Pen: Van Willing (p)

Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch Attendance: 15,000+ Referee: Hernus Coetzee FNB Player of the Match - Ruan van Willing (NWU Eagles)

23 March 2026 19:00

UFS Shimlas	40–33	UCT Ikey Tigers
Try: Hofmeyer  13' Bezuidenhout  35',  78' Du Preez  47' Visser  53' Vergottini  68' Con: Pierre Giddy  14',  48',  53',  68'	Report	Try: Louw  18' Brawen  59' Benade  61' Lombard  64' Con: Vermeulen  19',  60',  61' Pen: Vermeulen (40 p) Cards: De Costa  33' De Waal  76' Lombard  77'

Fanie du Toit Sport Ground, Potchefstroom FNB Player of the Match - Henri van Heerden (UFS Shimlas) Referee: Jonathan Lottering

30 March 2026 16:45

NWU Eagles	56-53	UCT Ikey Tigers
Try: Van Der Walt  5' Janeke  25',  35' McLoughlin  41' Buthelezi  42' Serfontein  46' Mostert  58',  76' Otto  66' Con: Mostert  36',  67' Van Willing  77' Pen: Van Willing (40 p) Cards: Krugel  5' Du Bois  7' Janeke  12'	Report	Try: Vermeulen  0' Daars  9' Basson  14' Davis  22' Gordon  33' Mazibuko  50' Mokoena  62' Con: Vermeulen  1',  10',  15',  23',  34',  51',  63' Cards: Gordon  42' Basson  52'

Fanie du Toit Sport Ground, Potchefstroom FNB Player of the Match - MJ Mostert (NWU Eagles) Referee: Juan de Bod

30 March 2026 19:00

UJ	22-51	UP Tuks
Try: Sibisi  7' Kevani  18' Uithaler  60' Con: Kapank  19' Pen: Kapank (10 p) Cards: Fourie  68'	Report	Try: Vlok  12' Oberholzer  15' Obi  26' Kunene  35' Mjawule  57' Smith  73' Dukuswa  78' Con: Du Toi  13',  16',  27',  36',  79'

UJ Stadium, Johannesburg FNB Player of the Match - Divan du Toit (UP Tuks) Referee: Caleb Hibbert

30 March 2026 19:00

CUT Ixias	22-38	Maties
Try: Malothane Seyaga Vergotine Con: Malan Pen: Malan (p) (2) Cards: (2)	Report	Try: Erasmus (3) Van Heerden Smith Fourie Burton Con: Van Heerden Smith (2) Ngobeni Cards: (2)

CUT Stadium, Bloemfontein FNB Player of the Match - Tsebano Stemer (CUT Ixias) Referee: Eon van Zyl

30 March 2026 19:00

Emeris	41-19	UFS Shimlas
Try: Barnard (2) Sigauke (2) Els Marais Jordaan Con: Marx (2)	Report	Try: Bezuidenhout Van Rensbug Vergottini Con: Botha Cards: (2)

Emeris, Durban North FNB Player of the Match - Jacques Marais Emeris Referee: Lulutho Matomela

6 April 2026 16:45

NWU Eagles	50-10	Maties
Try: Roulston  24' McLoughlin  43' Krugel  48' Janeke  58', 76' Dampies  63' Otto  72' Con: Mostert  25', 44', 59', 64', 73', 77' Pen: Mostert (15 p)	Report	Try: Basson  8' Con: van Heerden Smith  8' Pen: van Heerden Smith (25 p) Cards: Ngobeni  37'

Fanie du Toit Sport Ground, Potchefstroom Attendance: 5,000+ Referee: Hernus Coetzee FNB Player of the Match - Ricardo Fourie NWU Eagles

6 April 2026 19:00

UP Tuks	53-34	UJ
Try: Dukuswa  19', 62', 80' Janse Van Rensburg  43' Fourie  55' Mjawule  68' Oberholzer  75' Con: Du Toit  44', 76', 80' Pen: Du Toit (40 p)	Report	Try: Sibisi  3', 78' Molefe  41' Kapank  65' Con: Kapank  42', 66' Pen: Kapank (36 p) Cards: Uithaler  8' Koekman  29' Mthiyana  54' Reuven Ferreira  72'

LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria Attendance: 10,000+ Referee: Jonathan Lottering FNB Player of the Match - Akha Mjawule UP Tuks

13 April 2026 19:00

UP Tuks	31-03	NWU Eagles
Try: Penalty try  32' Myeni  44' Fourie  50' Pen: du Toit '26, '53, '75, '78 Cards: Dukuswa  18' Vlok  40'	Report	Pen: Mostert '18 Cards: du Bois  33'

LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria Attendance: 14,150+ Referee: Hernus Coetzee FNB Player that rocks - Andile Myeni, UP Tuks

Tuks	NWU Eagles

At the end of the Varsity Cup season, a promotion–relegation system determines movement between the Varsity Cup and the Varsity Shield. The team that finishes last in the Varsity Cup standings is automatically relegated to the Varsity Shield for the following season.

The winner of the Varsity Shield is automatically promoted to the Varsity Cup. In addition, the second-last placed Varsity Cup team plays a promotion–relegation playoff match against the Varsity Shield runner-up, with the winner earning a place in the next season's Varsity Cup.

* Correct as at the end of regular season - 31 March 2026 (Round 7) ^{[30] [31]}