Madibaz back on home turf for Varsity Cup tourney
AFTER being forced to play all their matches away from Port Elizabeth last year, the NMU Madibaz will make a welcome return to home turf, when Varsity Cup rugby kicks off in Port Elizabeth on February 5.
The students will fine-tune preparations for their opening match against the UCT Ikey Tigers, with a training game against the Southern Kings today.
Because of an upgrade at the Madibaz Stadium, the Bay team played all eight of their matches away during a tough campaign, which saw them win only two games last year.
This season, four matches have been scheduled for the NMU Stadium, which will boost prospects of a better showing.
“It is a welcome relief that the stadium has been sorted out and we are looking forward to having home comforts this season,” Madibaz coach David Maidza said.
“It will be a big boost having our home support in Port Elizabeth.
“Our fans have been brilliant over the years and we hope to step up our performances.”
Nine of the country’s top universities will be competing for top honours, and this is a promotion/relegation year, which adds a cutting edge to the tournament.
Every second year, the team that finishes last in the Varsity Cup competition is automatically relegated to the Varsity Shield while the team finishing first in the Varsity Shield goes up to Varsity Cup.
The Varsity Cup team finishing second from the bottom will play a promotion/ relegation match against the second-from-top Varsity Shield team.
The nine university teams competing are University of Pretoria (UP-Tuks), University of the Free State (Shimlas), University of Johannesburg (UJ), University of Stellenbosch (Maties), Nelson Mandela University (Madibaz), University of Cape Town (UCT), University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), North West University (NWU) and Central University of Technology (CUT).
Defending champions UP-Tuks will host Shimlas at the Tuks Stadium on January 29 in the opening game of the tournament.
Madibaz have a bye in round one and will have to wait until February 5 for their first game, when they host UCT.
The top four teams will qualify for the title playoffs, and in the semifinals, the team that finishes first will have home advantage against the team that finishes fourth, while the team that finishes second will have home advantage against the team that finishes third.
The winners of these semifinals will play each other in the final, at the home venue of the higher-placed team. Madibaz squad to play Kings (Nos 15 to 1): Michael Botha, Athenkosi Mayinje, Liam Blake-Taylor, Jordan Koekemoer, Lindelwe Zungu, Simon Bolze, Sibusiso Ngcokovane, Justin Hollis, Henry Brown, Hayden Tharratt, Gerrit Huisamen, Reyno du Toit, Keegan Branford, J P Jamieson, Tembelihle Yase Replacements: Stephan Zeelie, Fabio Mapaling, Henrique Olivier, Dundre Maritz, Rob Izaks, Wynand Grassman, Lukhona Masoka, Jedwyn Harty, Similile Qinela