Varsity 7s is proud to announce that Varsity Women’s 7s will be introduced at the Varsity 7s Festival from October 4 to 5.
Four Varsity Women’s 7s teams will feature in the new tournament during the Varsity 7s festival at the Pirates Rugby Club in Johannesburg.
Sponsored by FNB, MTN and Steers, the competition is a first for Varsity Sports as it pioneers the way for women’s sports in South Africa. Varsity 7s manager Jana Arlow explained that the inclusion of a Varsity Women’s 7s tournament is a natural progression for Varsity Sports as it paves the way for gender equality in sports.
“At Varsity Sports, we pride ourselves on equality and being progressive, and we are ecstatic to create a platform in which these incredibly talented athletes can show their worth,” she said.
“We have seen the impact that Varsity Netball has had on the South African netball side with 10 of our players in the recent Netball World Cup squad, and how Varsity Women’s Football has impacted the South African National Women’s team with seven Varsity Women’s Football players in that World Cup squad. So, we are confident Varsity Women’s 7s will contribute to the development of South African women’s rugby.”
The teams competing are Tuks (University of Pretoria), UJ (University of Johannesburg), UKZN (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and UFH (University of Fort Hare).
The format of the tournament will be that of a round-robin, with all four teams playing each other. The top two teams will then play in the final.
Tuks recently came back from Costa Blanca 7s in Spain, where they were placed second, losing out to the Poland national team in the final, and beat the French national team in the semi-final. Tuks captain Libbie Janse van Rensburg believes the new tournament is exactly what women’s rugby needs and lauded Varsity Sports for being ahead of the curve.
“I think it’s a great initiative, with the exposure that goes with all Varsity Sports tournaments. This will provide a great platform for us to promote and get women’s rugby growing in South Africa.
“With women in sport being such a hot topic lately and with the emergence of all these top female athletes in South Africa, the future really is looking incredibly bright for women in sport,” said Janse van Rensburg.
