2019 Varsity Cup

2019 Varsity Cup
Countries	South Africa
Date	4 February – 22 April 2019
Champions	Template:Rut Maties (5th title)
Runners-up	Template:Rut UP Tuks

The 2019 Varsity Cup was the 12th season of the Varsity Cup, the top competition in the annual Varsity Rugby series. It was played between 4 February and 22 April 2019 and featured nine university teams.

There was a debut in the competition for Template:Rut UWC, who won promotion from the Varsity Shield in 2018.

Competition rules and information

There were nine participating university teams in the 2019 Varsity Cup. They played each other once during the pool stage, either at home or away. Teams received four points for a win and two points for a draw. Bonus points were awarded to teams that scored four or more tries in a game, as well as to teams that lost a match by seven points or less. Teams were ranked by log points, then points difference (points scored less points conceded).

The top four teams after the pool stage qualified for the semifinals, which were followed by a final.

Teams

Location of teams in the 2019 Varsity Cup
Template:Rut CUT Ixias Template:Rut NWU Pukke Template:Rut UFS Shimlas Template:Rut UJ Template:Rut UP Tuks Template:Rut Wits Western Cape
Western Cape
Template:Rut Maties Template:Rut UCT Ikey Tigers Template:Rut UWC

The teams that played in the 2019 Varsity Cup are:

Pool stage

Standings

The final log for the 2019 Varsity Cup was:

2019 Varsity Cup log
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
1	Template:Rut Maties	8	8	0	0	385	129	+256	52	18	6	0	38
2	Template:Rut UP Tuks	8	6	1	1	284	115	+169	38	14	3	1	30
3	Template:Rut NWU Pukke	8	6	0	2	267	152	+115	35	18	5	0	29
4	Template:Rut UFS Shimlas	8	4	0	4	245	255	-10	34	35	5	1	22
5	Template:Rut UCT Ikey Tigers	8	3	1	4	227	262	−35	30	34	5	1	20
6	Template:Rut Wits	8	3	0	5	215	309	−94	30	37	3	1	16
7	Template:Rut CUT Ixias	8	3	0	5	156	276	−120	17	39	2	0	14
8	Template:Rut UJ	8	1	0	7	159	239	−80	20	31	2	1	7
9	Template:Rut UWC	8	1	0	7	198	399	−201	26	56	3	0	7
Correct as at 4 April 2019.

Legend and Competition rules
Legend:
	Qualified for the semifinals.		P = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, PD = Points Difference, TF = Tries For, TA = Tries Against, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, Pts = Log Points
Competition rules:
Qualification: The top four teams qualified for the semifinals. Points breakdown: * 4 points for a win * 2 points for a draw * 1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less * 1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match

Matches

The following matches were played in the 2019 Varsity Cup:

Round One

	4 February 2019	Template:Rut UJ	8–23	Template:Rut NWU Pukke	Template:Rus UJ Stadium
	16:45

	4 February 2019	Template:Rut UCT Ikey Tigers	32–24	Template:Rut UWC	Template:Rus UCT Rugby Fields
	18:30

	4 February 2019	Template:Rut UP Tuks	23–6	Template:Rut CUT Ixias	Template:Rus LC de Villiers Stadium
	18:30

	4 February 2019	Template:Rut Maties	33–17	Template:Rut Wits	Template:Rus Danie Craven Stadium
	19:00

Bye/s: Template:Rut UFS Shimlas

Round Two

	11 February 2019	Template:Rut UWC	25–47	Template:Rut UFS Shimlas	Template:Rus UWC Sport Stadium
	16:45

	11 February 2019	Template:Rut Wits	25–15	Template:Rut CUT Ixias	Template:Rus Wits Rugby Stadium
	18:30

	11 February 2019	Template:Rut UCT Ikey Tigers	5–66	Template:Rut Maties	Template:Rus UCT Rugby Fields
	19:00

	12 February 2019	Template:Rut UJ	19–40	Template:Rut UP Tuks	Template:Rus UJ Stadium
	14:00

Bye/s: Template:Rut NWU Pukke

Round Three

	18 February 2019	Template:Rut CUT Ixias	27–26	Template:Rut UJ	Template:Rus CUT Stadium
	16:45

	18 February 2019	Template:Rut NWU Pukke	37–21	Template:Rut UWC	Template:Rus Fanie du Toit Stadium
	18:30

	18 February 2019	Template:Rut Wits	26–33	Template:Rut UFS Shimlas	Template:Rus Wits Rugby Stadium
	18:30

	18 February 2019	Template:Rut UP Tuks	24–26	Template:Rut Maties	Template:Rus LC de Villiers Stadium
	19:00

Bye/s: Template:Rut UCT Ikey Tigers

Round Four

	25 February 2019	Template:Rut UCT Ikey Tigers	42–23	Template:Rut UJ	Template:Rus UCT Rugby Fields
	16:45

	25 February 2019	Template:Rut CUT Ixias	15–50	Template:Rut Maties	Template:Rus CUT Stadium
	18:30

	25 February 2019	Template:Rut UP Tuks	46–12	Template:Rut Wits	Template:Rus LC de Villiers Stadium
	18:30

	25 February 2019	Template:Rut UFS Shimlas	13–26	Template:Rut NWU Pukke	Template:Rus Shimla Park
	19:00

Bye/s: Template:Rut UWC

Round Five

	4 March 2019	Template:Rut UJ	39–16	Template:Rut Wits	Template:Rus UJ Stadium
	16:45

	4 March 2019	Template:Rut UFS Shimlas	51–40	Template:Rut UCT Ikey Tigers	Template:Rus Shimla Park
	18:30

	4 March 2019	Template:Rut UWC	12–70	Template:Rut UP Tuks	Template:Rus UWC Sport Stadium
	18:30

	4 March 2019	Template:Rut Maties	43–15	Template:Rut NWU Pukke	Template:Rus Danie Craven Stadium
	19:00

Bye/s: Template:Rut CUT Ixias

Round Six

	11 March 2019	Template:Rut UWC	21–38	Template:Rut CUT Ixias	Template:Rus UWC Sport Stadium
	16:45

	11 March 2019	Template:Rut Maties	24–13	Template:Rut UJ	Template:Rus Danie Craven Stadium
	18:30

	11 March 2019	Template:Rut NWU Pukke	32–17	Template:Rut UCT Ikey Tigers	Template:Rus Fanie du Toit Stadium
	18:30

	11 March 2019	Template:Rut UFS Shimlas	14–27	Template:Rut UP Tuks	Template:Rus Shimla Park
	19:00

Bye/s: Template:Rut Wits

Round Seven

	18 March 2019	Template:Rut Wits	30–29	Template:Rut UCT Ikey Tigers	Template:Rus Wits Rugby Stadium
	16:45

	18 March 2019	Template:Rut UWC	29–17	Template:Rut UJ	Template:Rus UWC Sport Stadium
	18:30

	18 March 2019	Template:Rut CUT Ixias	38–35	Template:Rut UFS Shimlas	Template:Rus CUT Stadium
	18:30

	18 March 2019	Template:Rut NWU Pukke	0–28	Template:Rut UP Tuks	Template:Rus Fanie du Toit Stadium
	19:00

Bye/s: Template:Rut Maties

Round Eight

	25 March 2019	Template:Rut UP Tuks	26–26	Template:Rut UCT Ikey Tigers	Template:Rus LC de Villiers Stadium
	16:45

	25 March 2019	Template:Rut CUT Ixias	7–60	Template:Rut NWU Pukke	Template:Rus CUT Stadium
	18:30

	25 March 2019	Template:Rut Wits	74–40	Template:Rut UWC	Template:Rus Wits Rugby Stadium
	18:30

	25 March 2019	Template:Rut UFS Shimlas	14–59	Template:Rut Maties	Template:Rus Shimla Park
	19:00

Bye/s: Template:Rut UJ

Round Nine

	1 April 2019	Template:Rut UCT Ikey Tigers	36–10	Template:Rut CUT Ixias	Template:Rus UCT Rugby Fields
	16:45

	1 April 2019	Template:Rut UJ	14–38	Template:Rut UFS Shimlas	Template:Rus UJ Stadium
	18:30

	1 April 2019	Template:Rut Maties	84–26	Template:Rut UWC	Template:Rus Danie Craven Stadium
	18:30

	1 April 2019	Template:Rut NWU Pukke	74–15	Template:Rut Wits	Template:Rus Fanie du Toit Stadium
	19:00

Bye/s: Template:Rut UP Tuks

Play-offs

Semi-Finals

	8 April 2019	Template:Rut UP Tuks	24–18	Template:Rut NWU Pukke	Template:Rus LC de Villiers Stadium
	16:45

	8 April 2019	Template:Rut Maties	47–5	Template:Rut UFS Shimlas	Template:Rus Danie Craven Stadium
	19:00

Final

	15 April 2019	Template:Rut Maties	34–12	Template:Rut UP Tuks	Template:Rus Danie Craven Stadium
	19:00

North v South match

After the season, a further match was played between a selection of players from the northern universities — Template:Rut CUT Ixias, Template:Rut NWU Pukke, Template:Rut UJ, Template:Rut UP Tuks and Template:Rut Wits — and a selection of players from the southern universities — Template:Rut Maties, Template:Rut UCT Ikey Tigers, Template:Rut UFS Shimlas and Template:Rut UWC:

	22 April 2019	North	–	South