South Africa’s top inter-varsity football competition, Varsity Football, gets off to another exciting start on 21 July.
The first round sees NMMU take on NWU in Port Elizabeth, while Tuks challenges UFS in Pretoria. UWC comes up against UJ in Bellville and Limpopo is pitted against UCT in Cape Town.
The competition continues until 15th September.
Tuks won the Varsity Football trophy in 2013, the inaugural year, with a 4-1 victory over NMMU and will be hoping to retain their title.
This year, the competition between South Africa’s top university football teams will once again attract the attention of the who’s who in football.
Star supporters seen at last year’s matches included the former Bafana Bafana coach, Gordon Igesund, SuperSport United’s assistant coach, Mamelodi Sundowns development coach and various Orlando Pirates stars.
CEO for Varsity Sports, Duitser Bosman, is excited by this year’s competition.
“The excitement and quality of Varsity Football is what draws the crowds to these events,” said Bosman.
“These high-energy events are well organised and offer huge spectator entertainment.”
Marketing and Sponsorship Executive for Varsity Sports, Trent Key, added: “Varsity Sports is seeing many promising sportsmen and women successfully compete at its events and gain the attention they deserve.”
The Varsity Sports events are going to be shown live and weekly on SuperSport Channel 210, bringing much of the excitement often seen at American baseball games to the screen: flashy cheerleaders, pyrotechnics, thumping music and blaring fans are all part of the event.
The concept is a playground where the best footballers can test themselves against their peers.
Market-leading brands sponsor the platform, with Samsung, Debonairs Pizza, FNB, Cell C and Jet Mart as the lead sponsors.
The first round of Varsity Football will roll out from 21 July, 2014 in Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, Bellville and Cape Town.
“This field will contribute to the development of Stellenbosch talent and this is what Botman so dearly desired.”
Stellenbosch University’s team, Maties, campaign in the SAB Regional League (South Africa’s fourth tier). Their technical partnership with PEC Zwolle continues to grow from strength to strength.
Johan van Geijn, director of World Coaches, a KNVB programme that trains coaches and builds soccer fields as a legacy of the 2010 World Cup, reflected on his interaction with the professor, saying it had been a real privilege to have worked with the inspirational leader.
Acting vice-chancellor at the University of Stellenbosch Prof Louis van Huyssteen said: “The opening of this mini soccer field is both a special and sad occasion.
“We know how much soccer meant to him. Russel would have been over the moon today.”
