# 2012 Varsity Rugby

The 2012 Varsity Cup was contested from 6 February to 9 April 2012. The tournament (also known as the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International for sponsorship reasons) was the fifth season of the Varsity Cup, an annual inter-university rugby union competition featuring eight South African universities.
The tournament was won by UP Tuks for the first time; they beat Maties 29–21 in the final played on 9 April 2012. TUT Vikings were automatically relegated to the second-tier Varsity Shield competition for 2013, but UCT Ikey Tigers won their relegation play-off match against CUT Ixias to remain in the Varsity Cup for 2013.

## Scoring

All four 2012 Varsity Rugby competitions will use a different scoring system to the regular system. Tries will be worth five points as usual, but conversions will be worth three points, while penalties and drop goals will only be worth two points.

## Varsity Cup
### Competition Rules

There are eight participating universities in the 2012 Varsity Cup. These teams will play each other once over the course of the season, either 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 will qualify for the title play-offs. In the semi-finals, 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 semi-finals will play each other in the final, at the home venue of the higher-placed team.
The team that finishes eighth in the Varsity Cup will be relegated to the 2013 Varsity Shield. The team that finishes seventh in the Varsity Cup will play a promotion/relegation match against the second-placed Varsity Shield team for a place in the 2013 Varsity Cup.

### Teams

The following teams took part in the 2012 Varsity Cup competition:
2012 Varsity Cup teams :
| Team Name | University | Stadium |
| Maties | Stellenbosch University | Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch |
| NMMU Madibaz | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University | NMMU Stadium, Port Elizabeth |
| NWU Pukke | North-West University | Fanie du Toit Sport Ground, Potchefstroom |
| TUT Vikings | Tshwane University of Technology | TUT Stadium, Pretoria |
| UCT Ikey Tigers | University of Cape Town | UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town |
| UFS Shimlas | University of the Free State | Shimla Park, Bloemfontein |
| UP Tuks | University of Pretoria | LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria |
| UJ | University of Johannesburg | UJ Stadium, Johannesburg |

### Standings

2012 Varsity Cup Log :
| | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Tries For | Tries Against | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points |
| 1 | UP Tuks | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 244 | 118 | +126 | 31 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 30 |
| 2 | Maties | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 206 | 84 | +122 | 28 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 29 |
| 3 | UJ | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 270 | 118 | +152 | 35 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 24 |
| 4 | NWU Pukke | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 237 | 163 | +74 | 32 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 24 |
| 5 | NMMU Madibaz | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 233 | 240 | -7 | 33 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 16 |
| 6 | UFS Shimlas | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 188 | 257 | -69 | 22 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 7 | UCT Ikey Tigers | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 164 | 195 | -31 | 23 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| 8 | TUT Vikings | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 82 | 449 | -367 | 10 | 60 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| The top 4 teams qualified for the semi-finals. The seventh-placed team played in the promotion/relegation play-offs. The bottom team was relegated. 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 ||||||||||||||

### Fixtures and results

* Fixtures are subject to change.
* All times are South African (GMT+2).

#### Play-off games
##### Semi-finals
##### Final
### Honours

| 2012 FNB Varsity Cup Champions: | UP Tuks (1st title) |
| Player That Rocks: | Wesley Dunlop, UP Tuks |
| Forward That Rocks: | Jaco Swanepoel, NMMU Madibaz |
| Back That Rocks: | Clayton Blommetjies, UP Tuks |
| Top Try Scorers: | Chrysander Botha, UJ Andrew van Wyk, NWU Pukke (9) |
| Top Points Scorer: | Wesley Dunlop, UP Tuks (83) |

## Varsity Shield
### Competition Rules

There are five participating universities in the 2012 Varsity Shield. These teams will play each other twice over the course of the season, once at home and once 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 two teams will qualify for the title play-offs. The team that finishes first will have home advantage against the team that finishes second.
The team that wins the Varsity Shield will be promoted to the 2013 Varsity Cup.
The team that loses in the play-off final will play a promotion/relegation match against the seventh placed Varsity Cup team for a place in the 2013 Varsity Cup.
The team that finishes bottom might also be challenged to play in a play-off.

### Participating teams

Varsity Shield :
| Team Name | University | Stadium |
| CUT Ixias | Central University of Technology | CUT Stadium |
| UFH Blues | University of Fort Hare | Davidson Rugby Field |
| UKZN Impi | University of KwaZulu-Natal | Peter Booysen Sports Park |
| UWC | University of the Western Cape | UWC Sport Stadium |
| Wits | University of the Witwatersrand | Wits Rugby Stadium |

### Standings

2012 Varsity Shield Log :
| | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Tries For | Tries Against | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points |
| 1 | CUT Ixias | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 283 | 120 | +163 | 35 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 29 |
| 2 | Wits | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 210 | 124 | +86 | 25 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 29 |
| 3 | UWC | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 230 | 242 | -12 | 29 | 34 | 4 | 1 | 21 |
| 4 | UFH Blues | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 143 | 235 | -92 | 17 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 15 |
| 5 | UKZN Impi | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 111 | 256 | -145 | 16 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| The top 2 teams qualified for the Final. The winner of the Final will be promoted. The loser of the Final will play in the promotion/relegation play-off. 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 ||||||||||||||

### Fixtures and results

* Fixtures are subject to change.
* All times are South African (GMT+2).

#### Regular season
##### Round one

* Bye/s: UKZN Impi

##### Round two

* Bye/s: UWC

##### Round three

* Bye/s: CUT Ixias

##### Round four

* Bye/s: Wits

##### Round Five

* Bye/s: UFH Blues

##### Round Six

* Bye/s: UKZN Impi

##### Round Seven

* Bye/s: UWC

##### Round Eight

* Bye/s: UFH Blues

##### Round Nine

* Bye/s: CUT Ixias

##### Round Ten

* Bye/s: Wits

#### Play-off games
##### Final
### Squads

The following players made at least one matchday squad during the season:

### Honours

| 2012 FNB Varsity Shield Champions: | Wits (1st title) |
| Player That Rocks: | Masixole Banda, UFH Blues |
| Forward That Rocks: | Charlton van Jaarsveld, UWC |
| Back That Rocks: | Inus Kritzinger, CUT Ixias |
| Top Try Scorers: | Inus Kritzinger, CUT Ixias Alec Mhlanga, CUT Ixias Cheslyn Roberts, UWC (6) |
| Top Points Scorer: | Jannie Myburgh, CUT Ixias (108) |

## Promotion/relegation

* Wits was promoted to the 2013 Varsity Cup.
* TUT Vikings was relegated to the 2013 Varsity Shield.
* UCT Ikey Tigers beat CUT Ixias in a promotion/relegation game and will play in the 2013 Varsity Cup, while CUT Ixias will play in the 2013 Varsity Shield.
* UKZN Impi beat NWU Vaal Triangle in a promotion/relegation game and will play in the 2013 Varsity Shield.

### Promotion/relegation play-off
#### 2013 Varsity Shield play-off
## Young Guns
### Competition Rules

There are eight participating universities in the 2012 Young Guns competition. These teams are divided into two pools (the FNB pool and the Steinhoff pool) and will play the other teams in the pool once over the course of the season, either 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 two teams in each pool will qualify for the title play-offs. In the semi-finals, the teams that finish first will have home advantage against the teams that finish second in their respective pools. The winners of these semi-finals will play each other in the final.

### Participating teams

Young Guns :
| Team Name | Sponsored Name | University | Stadium |
| Maties Juniors | Steinhoff Maties Juniors | Stellenbosch University | Craven Stadium |
| NMMU Young Guns | FNB NMMU Young Guns | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University | Xerox NMMU Stadium |
| NWU Pukke Young Guns | FNB NWU Pukke Young Guns | North-West University | Fanie du Toit Stadium |
| TUT Vikings Young Guns | FNB TUT Vikings Young Guns | Tshwane University of Technology | TUT Stadium |
| UCT Trojans | FNB UCT Trojans | University of Cape Town | UCT Rugby Fields |
| UFS Shimlas Young Guns | FNB UFS Shimlas Young Guns | University of the Free State | Xerox Shimla Park |
| UJ Young Guns | FNB UJ Young Guns | University of Johannesburg | UJ Stadium |
| UP Tuks Young Guns | FNB UP Tuks Young Guns | University of Pretoria | L.C. de Villiers Rugby Stadium |

### Standings

2012 Young Guns FNB Pool Log :
| | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Tries For | Tries Against | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points |
| 1 | UP Tuks Young Guns | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 248 | 41 | +207 | 32 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
| 2 | UFS Shimlas Young Guns | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 147 | 76 | +71 | 20 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
| 3 | UCT Trojans | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 73 | 95 | -22 | 9 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | TUT Vikings | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 278 | -256 | 2 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 Young Guns Steinhoff Pool Log ||||||||||||||
| | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Tries For | Tries Against | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points |
| 1 | Maties Juniors | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 128 | 52 | +76 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
| 2 | NWU Pukke Young Guns | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 139 | 55 | +84 | 17 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 3 | UJ Young Guns | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 106 | 79 | +27 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 4 | NMMU Young Guns | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 208 | -187 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| The top 2 teams in each pool will qualify for the semi-finals. 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 ||||||||||||||

### Fixtures and results

* Fixtures are subject to change.
* All times are South African (GMT+2).

#### Play-off games
##### Semi-finals
##### Final
### Honours

| 2012 FNB Young Guns Champions: | UP Tuks Young Guns (1st title) |

## Koshuis Rugby Championship
### Competition Rules

There are eight participating teams in the 2012 Koshuis Rugby Championship - the winners of the internal leagues of each of the eight Varsity Cup teams. These teams are divided into two pools (the Penny Pinchers pool and the Hertz pool) and will play the other teams in the pool once over the course of the season, either 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 two teams in each pool will qualify for the title play-offs. In the semi-finals, the teams that finish first will have home advantage against the teams that finish second in their respective pools. The winners of these semi-finals will play each other in the final.

### Participating teams

Koshuis Rugby Championship :
| Koshuis Name | University Team Name | University Team |
| Bastion | UJ | University of Johannesburg |
| Cobras | UCT Ikey Tigers | University of Cape Town |
| Dagbreek | Maties | Stellenbosch University |
| Monitor | TUT Vikings | Tshwane University of Technology |
| Mopanie | UP Tuks | University of Pretoria |
| Oppidani | NMMU Madibaz | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University |
| Patria | NWU Pukke | North-West University |
| Vishuis | UFS Shimlas | University of the Free State |

### Standings

2012 Koshuis Rugby Championship Penny Pinchers Pool Log :
| | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Bonus Points | Points |
| 1 | Vishuis, UFS Shimlas | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 174 | 45 | +129 | 2 | 14 |
| 2 | Dagbreek, Maties | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 72 | 46 | +26 | 2 | 10 |
| 3 | Mopanie, UP Tuks | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 75 | 50 | +25 | 3 | 7 |
| 4 | Monitor, TUT Vikings | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 37 | 217 | -180 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 Koshuis Rugby Championship Hertz Pool Log |||||||||||
| | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Bonus Points | Points |
| 1 | Patria, NWU Pukke | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 156 | 57 | +99 | 4 | 12 |
| 2 | Cobras, UCT Ikey Tigers | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 96 | 61 | +35 | 3 | 11 |
| 3 | Bastion, UJ | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 84 | 86 | -2 | 1 | 9 |
| 4 | Oppidani, NMMU Madibaz | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 36 | 168 | -132 | 0 | 0 |
| The top 2 teams in each pool will qualify for the semi-finals. 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 |||||||||||

### Fixtures and results

* All times are South African (GMT+2).

#### Play-off games
##### Semi-finals
##### Final
### Honours

| 2012 Steinhoff Koshuis Rugby Champions: | Vishuis, UFS Shimlas (2nd title) |