Varsity Shield Returns With Full Capacity
After no tournament in 2020, a bio-bubble in 2021, and limited spectators in 2022, it’s
finally time for action in front of full-capacity stadiums when the 2023 FNB Varsity Shield
kick-off in just over a month.
Twenty-eight matches will be played over seven rounds on Thursday evenings to determine
who will advance to the playoffs.
Defending champions FNB UFH Blues, who beat FNB CPUT 28-27 in the dying minutes of last
year’s final will take on FNB WSU All Blacks in the first match of the opening round on 16
February at the Davidson stadium in Alice in the Eastern Cape.
SuperSport will broadcast the game live at 7pm. For the rest of the tournament, the channel
will broadcast one featured game live every Thursday.
There are eight teams in the 2023 tournament with former two-time champions FNB UWC
and FNB Madibaz joining the competition after being relegated from the FNB Varsity Cup.
The other teams are FNB CPUT, FNB UKZN Impi, FNB Rhodes and FNB TUT Vikings.
FNB, Steers, and Suzuki are continuing their loyal sponsorship of the Varsity Shield where the
stars of tomorrow are born. The most recent is Kurt-Lee Arendse who made his Springbok
debut against Wales in July last year. and at the time said
“I never thought I would be selected for the Springboks so early in my career, so I am very grateful for the opportunity,” Arendse said at the time.
Other notable Springboks that began their careers in the Varsity Shield include Trevor Nyakane, Curwin Bosch, S’bu Nkosi, and Herschel Jantjies.
