2026 Varsity Shield
| 2026 Varsity Shield | |
|---|---|
| Countries | South Africa |
| Date | 13 February – 10 April 2026 |
The 2026 Varsity Shield is the 16th season of the Varsity Shield, the second-tier competition in the annual Varsity Rugby series. The tournament will be played between 13 February and 10 April 2026 and will feature eight university teams. [1] [2]
Wits were relegated from the Varsity Cup in 2025, whilst Emeris were promoted to the 2026 varsity Cup shortly after making their debut only a year prior to that.[3]
Competition rules and information
There are eight participating university teams in the 2026 Varsity Shield. Each team will play each other once during the pool stage, either at home or away. Teams receive four points for a win and two points for a draw. Bonus points are awarded to teams that score four or more tries in a game, as well as to teams that lose a match by seven points or less. Teams are ranked by log points, then points difference (points scored less points conceded).
The top four teams after the pool stage will qualify for the semifinals, which are followed by a final.
Teams
The teams that played in the 2026 Varsity Shield are:
| 2026 Varsity Shield teams | ||
|---|---|---|
| Team name | University | Stadium |
| CPUT | Cape Peninsula University of Technology | CPUT Sports Stadium, Cape Town |
| NMU Madibaz | Nelson Mandela University | NMU Stadium, Port Elizabeth |
| UFH Blues | University of Fort Hare | Davidson Rugby Field, Alice |
| UKZN Impi | University of KwaZulu-Natal | Peter Booysen Sports Park, Pietermaritzburg |
| WSU All Blacks | Walter Sisulu University | Buffalo City Stadium, East London |
| UWC | Western Cape University | University of the Western Cape Stadium |
| Wits | University of the Witwatersrand | Wits Rugby Stadium, Johannesburg |
| FNB SBU | Sol Plaatje University | Griqua Park, Kimberley |
Standings
2026 varsity Shield Log
The current log for the 2026 Varsity Shield is:[4]
| 2026 Varsity Shield Log | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PD | TS | BP | PTS |
| 1 | Wits | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 284 | 60 | 6 | 28 |
| 2 | UWC | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 63 | 32 | 5 | 25 |
| 3 | WSU All Blacks | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 56 | 34 | 6 | 24 |
| 4 | NMU Madibaz | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 33 | 6 | 18 |
| 5 | CPUT | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −51 | 33 | 6 | 14 |
| 6 | UKZN Impi | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -53 | 25 | 6 | 14 |
| 7 | UFH Blues | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −79 | 23 | 2 | 10 |
| 8 | FNB SBU | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -222 | 21 | 3 | 3 |
| Correct as at 23 March 2026 (Round 6). |
| Legend and competition rules | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Legend: | |||
| Qualify 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 qualify for the semifinals. Points breakdown: |
Round-by-round
| Team Progression – 2026 Varsity Shield | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Semi | Final |
| Wits | 3 (4th) |
8 (2nd) |
13 (1st) |
18 (1st) |
23 (1st) |
28 (1st) |
|||
| NMU Madibaz | 1 (6th) |
6 (4th) |
11 (3rd) |
16 (2nd) |
16 (4th) |
18 (4th) |
|||
| UWC | 5 (2nd) |
10 (1st) |
10 (5th) |
15 (3rd) |
20 (2nd) |
25 (2nd) |
|||
| WSU All Blacks | 3 (5th) |
8 (3rd) |
13 (2nd) |
14 (4th) |
19 (3rd) |
24 (3rd) |
|||
| CPUT | 5 (3rd) |
6 (6th) |
11 (4th) |
12 (5th) |
13 (5th) |
14 (5th) |
|||
| UKZN Impi | 5 (1st) |
6 (5th) |
6 (6th) |
11 (6th) |
12 (6th) |
14 (6th) |
|||
| FNB SBU | 0 (7th) |
1 (7th) |
2 (7th) |
2 (7th) |
3 (8th) |
3 (8th) |
N/a | N/a | |
| UFH Blues | 0 (8th) |
0 (8th) |
0 (8th) |
0 (8th) |
5 (7th) |
10 (7th) |
|||
The table above shows a team's progression throughout the season. For each round, their cumulative points total is shown with the overall log position in brackets. | |||||||||
| Key: | win | draw | loss |
Pool stage
The following matches were played in the 2026 Varsity Shield:
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Fixtures
Round 7
Play-offs
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 3 April 2026 | ||||||
| 2nd Place | ||||||
| 10 April 2026 | ||||||
| 3rd Place | ||||||
| Winner of SF1 | ||||||
| 3 April 2026 | ||||||
| Winner of SF2 | ||||||
| 2nd Place | ||||||
| 3rd Place | ||||||
Semi-finals
Final
References
- ^ "Wits, UWC, Madibaz and WSU secure statement wins in FNB Varsity Shield action". Super sport. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "How the opening round could shape the Varsity Cup title race". Rugby 365. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "FNB Emeris set for debut FNB Varsity Cup season after securing promotion". Varsity Cup. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "2026 Varsity Shield Log". Varsity Cup. 10 March 2026. Retrieved 10 March 2026.