2015 Varsity Shield
The 2015 Varsity Shield was contested from 2 February to 6 April 2015. The tournament (also known as the FNB Varsity Shield presented by Steinhoff International for sponsorship reasons) was the fifth season of the Varsity Shield, an annual second-tier inter-university rugby union competition featuring five South African universities.
| 2015 Varsity Shield | |
|---|---|
| Countries | South Africa |
| Date | 2 February – 6 April 2015 |
| Champions | UKZN Impi (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Wits |
| Promoted | None |
| Matches played | 21 |
| Tries scored | 173 (average 8.2 per match) |
| Top point scorer | Brandan Hewitt (133) |
| Top try scorer | James Verity-Amm (11) |
The tournament was won by UKZN Impi for the first time; they beat Wits 29–24 in the final played on 6 April 2015. No team was promoted to the top-tier Varsity Cup competition for 2016.
Competition rules and information
There were five participating universities in the 2015 Varsity Shield. These teams played each other twice over the course of the season, once at home and once 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 two teams qualified for the title play-offs. The team that finished first had home advantage against the team that finished second.
There was no promotion/relegation between the Varsity Cup and the Varsity Shield at the end of 2015.
The 2015 Varsity Shield used a different scoring system than the common scoring system. Tries were worth five points as usual, but conversions were worth three points instead of two, while penalties and drop goals were only worth two points instead of three.[1]
Teams
The following teams took part in the 2015 Varsity Shield competition:
| 2015 Varsity Shield teams | |||
| Team Name | University | Stadium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TUT Vikings | Tshwane University of Technology | TUT Stadium, Pretoria | |
| UFH Blues | University of Fort Hare | Davidson Rugby Field, Alice | |
| UKZN Impi | University of KwaZulu-Natal | Howard College Rugby Stadium, Durban | |
| Peter Booysen Sports Park, Pietermaritzburg | |||
| UWC | University of the Western Cape | UWC Sport Stadium, Cape Town | |
| Wits | University of the Witwatersrand | Wits Rugby Stadium, Johannesburg | |
Standings
The final league standings for the 2015 Varsity Shield were:[2]
| 2015 Varsity Shield standings | |||||||||||||
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wits | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 407 | 162 | +245 | 55 | 23 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
| 2 | UKZN Impi | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 273 | 165 | +108 | 39 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 28 |
| 3 | UWC | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 259 | 165 | +94 | 37 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 24 |
| 4 | UFH Blues | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 108 | 320 | –212 | 15 | 45 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| 5 | TUT Vikings | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 133 | 368 | –235 | 20 | 52 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Legend and Competition rules | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Legend: | |||
| Top two teams; qualify to final. | 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 | ||
| No relegation. | |||
| Competition rules: | |||
Play-offs:
The top two teams qualify to the final, with the higher-placed team having home advantage. 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 | |||
Round-by-round
The table below shows each team's progression throughout the season. For each round, their cumulative points total is shown with the overall log position in brackets:
| Team Progression – 2015 Varsity Shield | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 | Final |
| Wits | 0 (3rd) |
5 (2nd) |
10 (1st) |
15 (1st) |
18 (1st) |
18 (1st) |
23 (1st) |
28 (1st) |
33 (1st) |
35 (1st) |
Lost |
| UKZN Impi | 4 (2nd) |
9 (1st) |
9 (2nd) |
9 (2nd) |
13 (2nd) |
17 (2nd) |
22 (2nd) |
23 (2nd) |
23 (2nd) |
28 (2nd) |
Won |
| UWC | 0 (5th) |
0 (4th) |
4 (4th) |
9 (3rd) |
12 (3rd) |
12 (3rd) |
12 (3rd) |
17 (3rd) |
22 (3rd) |
24 (3rd) |
N/A |
| UFH Blues | 5 (1st) |
5 (3rd) |
5 (3rd) |
6 (4th) |
6 (4th) |
11 (4th) |
11 (4th) |
11 (4th) |
11 (4th) |
11 (4th) |
N/A |
| TUT Vikings | 0 (3rd) |
0 (5th) |
1 (5th) |
2 (5th) |
2 (5th) |
2 (5th) |
3 (5th) |
3 (5th) |
3 (5th) |
3 (5th) |
N/A |
| Key: | win | draw | loss | bye |
Fixtures
The 2015 Varsity Shield fixtures were released as follows:
- All times are South African (GMT+2).
Round One
The TUT Vikings hooker and captain Hamish Herd scored two tries to help his side to a 21–16 victory over UFH Blues in Pretoria to initially end the round in second spot. However, this result was later expunged and the fixture was awarded as a win to UFH Blues, with a scoreline of 0–0. This meant that UFH Blues moved into topped the log after Round One. The UKZN Impi moved into second spot on the log following a 16–5 victory over UWC in Cape Town, with fly-half Inny Radebe scoring a try and two conversions for the away side, ahead of joint-third sides TUT Vikings and newly relegated Wits who had a bye in this round. UWC were bottom of the log after the first round.[3]
| 2 February 2015 | UWC | 5–16 | UKZN Impi | UWC Sport Stadium, Cape Town | ||
| 16:45 | Try: Gavian Cloete  56'Con: Quaid Langeveldt (0/1) |
Report[4] Scoreboard[5] |
Try: Marius Louw 31' Inny Radebe 54'Con: Inny Radebe  32', 55' (2/2) |
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni |
| 2 February 2015 | TUT Vikings | 0–0 | UFH Blues | TUT Stadium, Pretoria | ||
| 19:00 | Try: Hamish Herd 9', 42' Vian Riekert 75'Con: Paul Walters 10', 43' (2/2) Dylan du Buisson (0/1) |
Report[6] Scoreboard[7] |
Try: Aziyena Mandaba 16' Con: Sivakele Ulana 17' (1/1)Pen: Sivakele Ulana 26', 34', 40', 59' (4/5) |
Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys |
| Bye/s: Wits |
Round Two
A hat-trick from centre Marcel Coetzee helped UKZN Impi to a comprehensive 68–5 victory over TUT Vikings to increase their lead at the top of the log to four points, with TUT dropping to bottom of the log. Wits played their first match of the campaign and ran out comfortable 39–24 winners over UFH Blues, with braces by Ish Nkolo and Constant Beckerling for the side from Johannesburg. Wits moved into second place on the log while UFH dropped down to third after suffering their first defeat of the season. UWC had a bye this round and remained in fourth spot on the log.
| 9 February 2015 | UFH Blues | 24–39 | Wits | Davidson Rugby Field, Alice | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Lwando Nteta 35' Sivakele Ulana 38' Lithabile Mgwadleka 70'Con: Sivakele Ulana 36', 38', 70' (3/3)Cards: Siphesihle Punguzwa  77' |
Report[8] Scoreboard[9] |
Try: Ish Nkolo 2', 8' Constant Beckerling 22', 63' Ruan van Rensburg 30' Tommy Damba 79'Con: Brandan Hewitt 3', 9', 31' (3/6)Cards: Cameron Shafto 66' to 76' |
Referee: Fernando Uithaler |
| 9 February 2015 | UKZN Impi | 68–5 | TUT Vikings | Peter Booysen Sports Park, Pietermaritzburg | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Spa Dube 2' Marcel Coetzee 5', 48', 65' Ado Wessels 7' Shayne Makombe 12', 72' Njabulo Mkize 15' Inny Radebe 43' Lwazi Ngcungama 69'Con: Inny Radebe 2', 15' (2/5) Spa Dube 43', 65', 69', 72' (4/5)Cards: Johan du Toit 55' to 66' |
Report[10] Scoreboard[11] |
Try: penalty try 25' Con: Dylan du Buisson (0/1) |
Referee: Ricus van der Hoven |
| Bye/s: UWC |
Round Three
Braces from Constant Beckerling and Tommy Damba helped Wits emerge victorious from the top-two clash against UKZN Impi, with a comprehensive 56–13 win – their second away win in a row – to move them to the top of the log and with a game in hand over UKZN. UWC moved up to third on the log by beating bottom side TUT Vikings 21–18 in Pretoria, with a two-try haul from Damian Stevens proving decisive. UWC leap-frogged UFH Blues, who dropped to fourth spot after a bye in Round Three.
| 16 February 2015 | TUT Vikings | 18–21 | UWC | TUT Stadium, Pretoria | ||
| 18:30 | Try: RW van der Wal 31' Wessel Jordaan 58' Claude Johannes 71'Con: Dylan du Buisson (0/1) Lewies van Deventer 72' (1/2)Pen: Dylan du Buisson (0/2) Cards: Ruan Pienaar 22' to 32' |
Report[12] Scoreboard[13] |
Try: José Julies 23' Damian Stevens 34', 52'Con: Herman Share (0/1) Quaid Langeveldt 35', 53' (2/2)Pen: Quaid Langeveldt (0/1) Herman Share (0/1) Cards: Octaven van Stade 65' to 76' |
Referee: Renier Vermeulen |
| 16 February 2015 | UKZN Impi | 13–56 | Wits | Peter Booysen Sports Park, Pietermaritzburg | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Chris de Beer 8' Spa Dube 70'Con: Spa Dube 70' (1/2) |
Report[14] Scoreboard[15] |
Try: Constant Beckerling 2', 17' Tommy Damba 19', 55' Luvuyo Pupuma 35' Graham Logan 41' Sibusiso Mngomezulu 67'Con: Brandan Hewitt 3', 18', 20', 37', 41', 56' (6/6) Ruan van Rensburg 67' (1/1)Cards: Constant Beckerling 22' to 33' Ben Baggott 70' |
Referee: Jaco Kotze |
| Bye/s: UFH Blues |
Round Four
The top-versus-bottom match between Wits and TUT Vikings went according to form, with Wits running out 71–36 winners to extend their lead at the top to six points. They ran in ten tries, with Tommy Damba, Ferdinand Kelly and Luxolo Ntsepe getting a brace each, while fly-half Brandan Hewitt scored one of their tries and slotted seven conversions. In the other match, UWC moved level on points with second-placed UKZN Impi who had a bye round, securing an eight-try victory over UFH Blues and running out 49–34 winners with James Verity-Amm grabbing a hat-trick of tries. Both of the losing sides, UFH Blues and TUT Vikings, picked up a bonus point for scoring five tries in their matches, but remained in fourth and fifth respectively.
| 19 February 2015 | UWC | 49–34 | UFH Blues | UWC Sport Stadium, Cape Town | ||
| 18:30 | Try: James Verity-Amm 2', 9', 63' Damian Stevens 7' Quaid Langeveldt 18' Wayrin Losper 22' Brandon Valentyn 55' penalty try 78'Con: Darian Hock 10' (1/4) Quaid Langeveldt 56' (1/3) Keanu Langeveldt 79' (1/1)Pen: Keanu Langeveldt (0/1) Cards: Brandon Valentyn 36' Tahriq Allan 44' to 55' |
Report[16] Scoreboard[17] |
Try: Lwando Mabenge 17' Aziyena Mandaba 26' Lithabile Mgwadleka 31', 67' Sanelise Getye 50'Con: Akhona Matutu 17', 27' (2/3) Sivakele Ulana 68' (1/2)Cards: Siphesihle Punguzwa 6' to 17' Aziyena Mandaba  54' |
Referee: Francois Pretorius |
| 19 February 2015 | Wits | 71–36 | TUT Vikings | Wits Rugby Stadium, Johannesburg | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Tommy Damba 7', 47' Luvuyo Pupuma 16' Luxolo Ntsepe 20', 68' Ferdinand Kelly 33', 40' Constant Beckerling 43' AJ van Blerk 60' Brandan Hewitt 71'Con: Brandan Hewitt 8', 17', 40', 43', 60', 68', 72' (7/10)Cards: AJ van Blerk 35' to 45' |
Report[18] Scoreboard[19] |
Try: Edwin Oliver 12' Tovhowani Nefale 50' Lewies van Deventer 63' Vian Riekert 77' Thabang Kibe 80'Con: Paul Walters 13', 50' (2/3) Lewies van Deventer 78' (1/2)Pen: Paul Walters 3' (1/2)Cards: Armand Marshall 23' to 33' |
Referee: Ricus van der Hoven |
| Bye/s: UKZN Impi |
Round Five
League leaders Wits dropped their first points of the season after they were held to a 37–all draw by third-placed UWC in Johannesburg. Wits were leading 37–16 after 55 minutes, but UWC responded with three more tries late in the game to level things up, with winger James Verity-Amm scoring a second consecutive hat-trick after also getting one in Round Four against UFH Blues. UKZN Impi took advantage of their main rivals drawing to secure a 21–13 victory over UFH, which saw them remain in second, but closed the gap to league leaders Wits to five points. UWC finished Round Five a further point behind UKZN, with UFH Blues remaining in fourth spot and TUT Vikings, who did not play this round, staying in fifth at the halfway point of the regular season.
| 23 February 2015 | UFH Blues | 13–21 | UKZN Impi | Davidson Rugby Field, Alice | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Athenkosi Manentsa 14' Siviwe Bisset 69'Con: Akhona Matutu 15' (1/1) Sivakele Ulana (0/1) Cards: Sivakele Ulana 48' to 58' |
Report[20] Scoreboard[21] |
Try: Inny Radebe 3' Lwazi Ngcungama 11', 32'Con: Inny Radebe 3', 12' (2/2) Rowan Gouws (0/1) Cards: Sanele Malwane 33' to 47' |
Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Vusi Msibi |
| 23 February 2015 | Wits | 37–37 | UWC | Wits Rugby Stadium, Johannesburg | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Luvuyo Pupuma 11' Luxolo Ntsepe 27' Ameer Williams 32' Tommy Damba 40' Constant Beckerling 54'Con: AJ van Blerk 11' (1/1) Brandan Hewitt 33', 40', 55' (3/4) |
Report[22] Scoreboard[23] |
Try: Quaid Langeveldt 7' James Verity-Amm 17', 57', 78' Stuart Austin 70'Con: Quaid Langeveldt 8', 18' (2/3) Herman Share 58', 79' (2/2) |
Referee: AJ Jacobs |
| Bye/s: TUT Vikings |
Round Six
With top-placed side Wits having a bye weekend, they saw their lead at the top reduced to just a single point from UKZN Impi, who ran out 21–5 winners over third-placed UWC. UFH Blues secured their second victory of the season, beating TUT Vikings 29–18 in Alice to also pick up a bonus point for scoring four tries. Their log positions remained unchanged, however, with UFH Blues still in fourth and TUT Vikings in last place with two log points.
| 2 March 2015 | UFH Blues | 29–18 | TUT Vikings | Davidson Rugby Field, Alice | ||
| 17:00 | Try: Hlubi Mvana 8' Akhona Matutu 19', 45' Aziyena Mandaba 28'Con: Akhona Matutu 20', 29' (2/3) Sivakele Ulana 46' (1/1)Pen: Akhona Matutu (0/1) Cards: Lwando Mabenge 58' to 68' Siphesihle Punguzwa 69' to 79' |
Report[24] Scoreboard[25] |
Try: Dylan du Buisson 25', 36' Lewies van Deventer 77'Con: Ruan Pienaar 26' (1/1) Paul Walters (0/1) Dylan du Buisson (0/1) Cards: Claude Johannes 29' to 39' |
Attendance: 3,200 Referee: Sindile Ngcese |
| 2 March 2015 | UKZN Impi | 21–5 | UWC | Howard College Rugby Stadium, Durban | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Ado Wessels 3' Marcel Coetzee 53' Langelihle Shange 60'Con: Spa Dube 4', 61' (2/3) |
Report[26] Scoreboard[27] |
Try: Lifa Ghana 24' Con: Quaid Langeveldt (0/1) Cards: José Julies 43' to 54' |
Referee: Kurt Weaver |
| Bye/s: Wits |
Round Seven
After their bye in Round Six, leaders Wits returned to form in spectacular style, running in twelve tries in a 93–0 demolition of UFH Blues in Johannesburg. Luxolo Ntsepe scored a hat-trick, while Constant Beckerling and Josh Jarvis got two tries apiece and fly-half Brandan Hewitt scored one try and nine conversions for a personal points tally of 32 points. Second-placed UKZN Impi kept the pressure on Wits however, scoring nine tries in their 66–41 victory over TUT Vikings to remain just one point behind Wits on the log. Marius Louw grabbed a hat-trick in their victory and Spa Dube contributed 21 points with the boot. UWC remained in third place in the league with their bye, while TUT's four-try bonus point wasn't enough to move them ahead of fourth-placed UFH Blues.
| 9 March 2015 | TUT Vikings | 41–66 | UKZN Impi | TUT Stadium, Pretoria | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Armand Marshall 10' Mandla Mdaka 27', 57', 77' Ross Middlecote 69' Neil de Witt 71'Con: Paul Walters (0/1) Dylan du Buisson 28', 72', 78' (3/5)Pen: Paul Walters 4' (1/1)Cards: Jaco van Staden 17' to 27' |
Report[28] Scoreboard[29] |
Try: Rico Lategan 13', 46' Marius Louw 18', 24', 35' Njabulo Mkize 31' Matthew Mandioma 48' Ado Wessels 50' Philip Marais 73'Con: Spa Dube 14', 19', 25', 32', 47', 49', 51' (7/8) Rowan Gouws (0/1) |
Referee: Vusi Msibi |
| 9 March 2015 | Wits | 93–0 | UFH Blues | Wits Rugby Stadium, Johannesburg | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Constant Beckerling 7', 18' penalty try 22' Brandan Hewitt 31' Luxolo Ntsepe 39', 53', 72' Josh Jarvis 40', 43' Rhyno Herbst 49' Tommy Damba 60' Ben Baggott 77'Con: Brandan Hewitt 8', 19', 22', 32', 39', 40', 44', 49', 54' (9/9) Ruan van Rensburg 72', 77' (2/3) |
Report[30] Scoreboard[31] |
Referee: Kurt Weaver |
| Bye/s: UWC |
Round Eight
Hosts Wits emerged victorious in the match between the top two teams in the league, beating UKZN Impi 40–26 to extend their lead at the top of the log to four points. Both teams picked up a four-try bonus point in the match that was only settled with a last-minute Tommy Damba try. This result also meant that Wits secured their place in the final of the competition. UWC kept up their attempt to clinch the other spot in the final by beating TUT Vikings 63–10 in Cape Town. They ran in nine tries, with Quaid Langeveldt, James Verity-Amm and Gordon-Wayne Plaatjes getting a brace each. This result saw them close the gap to second-placed UKZN to six points, with a game in hand. A bye round for UFH Blues saw them remain in fourth spot, well clear of bottom side TUT Vikings.
| 16 March 2015 | UWC | 63–10 | TUT Vikings | UWC Sport Stadium, Cape Town | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Quaid Langeveldt 22', 41' James Verity-Amm 27', 47' Stuart Austin 35' Brandon Valentyn 54' Matthew Faught 65' Gordon-Wayne Plaatjes 73', 78'Con: Darian Hock 23', 28', 48', 55' (4/6) Quaid Langeveldt 74', 79' (2/3) |
Report[32] Scoreboard[33] |
Try: Lewies van Deventer 5' Con: Dylan du Buisson 6' (1/1)Pen: Dylan du Buisson 1' (1/1)Cards: Edwin Oliver 19' to 29' |
Referee: Kurt Weaver |
| 16 March 2015 | Wits | 40–26 | UKZN Impi | Wits Rugby Stadium, Johannesburg | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Ayabulela Mdudi 2', 31' Koch Marx 24' Luvuyo Pupuma 57' Tommy Damba 80'Con: Brandan Hewitt 3', 25', 32', 57', 80' (5/5) |
Report[34] Scoreboard[35] |
Try: Lwazi Ngcungama 15' Spa Dube 47' Marius Louw 63' Philip Marais 75'Con: Spa Dube 16', 48' (2/3)Cards: Ado Wessels 33' to 43' David Harel 57' to 67' |
Referee: Renier Vermeulen |
| Bye/s: UFH Blues |
Round Nine
With their sixth win of the season, Wits ensured that they would finish the regular season top of the log, which meant that the final would be played in Johannesburg. They ran out 50–5 winners over TUT Vikings with two tries apiece from Tommy Damba and Koch Marx. The identity of their opposition in the final was still unknown, since second-placed UKZN Impi had a bye, which saw UWC reduce the gap to just one point. UWC ran out 58–8 winners over UFH Blues with James Verity-Amm getting his third hat-trick of the season and take his try tally up to eleven in just six appearances. That result also ensured that UFH Blues would finish the season in fourth spot with TUT Vikings guaranteed to finish bottom of the log.
| 23 March 2015 | TUT Vikings | 5–50 | Wits | TUT Stadium, Pretoria | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Claude Johannes 75' Con: Vian Riekert (0/1) |
Report[36] Scoreboard[37] |
Try: Koch Marx 33', 38' Tommy Damba 36' Richard Crossman 45' Ish Nkolo 48', 56' Josh Jarvis 65'Con: Brandan Hewitt 37', 39', 45' (3/5) Ruan van Rensburg 57', 66' (2/2) |
Referee: AJ Jacobs |
| 23 March 2015 | UFH Blues | 8–58 | UWC | Davidson Rugby Field, Alice | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Ntyatyambo Mkhafu 3' Con: Akhona Matutu 4' (1/1)Cards: Siviwe Bisset 39' to 50' Lwando Nteta 41' |
Report[38] Scoreboard[39] |
Try: Minenhle Mthethwa 14' James Verity-Amm 21', 34', 53' Quaid Langeveldt 46', 49' Gordon-Wayne Plaatjes 58' Yaasien Railoun 73'Con: Darian Hock 15', 22', 35', 47', 50', 54' (6/7) Herman Share (0/1) Cards: Brandon Beukman 1' Stuart Austin 41' to 51' |
Referee: Tahla Ntshakaza |
| Bye/s: UKZN Impi |
Round Ten
The final line-up was completed as UKZN Impi joined already-qualified Wits in the final. A hat-trick from centre Marius Louw secured a 42–0 victory for UKZN over fourth-placed UFH Blues in Durban to ensure the side finished second on the log. Meanwhile, log leaders Wits and third-placed UWC played out their second draw of the season, with their match finishing 21–all in Cape Town after drawing 37–all in their Round Five match in Johannesburg. TUT Vikings had a bye round and finished bottom of the log.
| 30 March 2015 | UKZN Impi | 42–0 | UFH Blues | Howard College Rugby Stadium, Durban | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Marius Louw 6', 38', 46' Philip Marais 14' Langelihle Shange 27' Ado Wessels 78'Con: Spa Dube 7', 28', 39', 47' (4/6)Cards: Langelihle Shange 31' to 41' |
Report[40] Scoreboard[41] |
Cards: Lwando Nteta 31' to 41' Siphesihle Punguzwa 64' |
Referee: Fernando Uithaler |
| 30 March 2015 | UWC | 21–21 | Wits | UWC Sport Stadium, Cape Town | ||
| 18:30 | Try: Quaid Langeveldt 19' Gordon-Wayne Plaatjes 44' Chadwin Robertson 74'Con: Darian Hock 44' (1/2) Quaid Langeveldt 75' (1/1)Cards: Heynes Kotze 48' |
Report[42] Scoreboard[43] |
Try: Angus Gordon 9' Josh Jarvis 16' Rhyno Herbst 78'Con: Brandan Hewitt 10', 79' (2/3) |
Referee: Quinton Immelman |
| Bye/s: TUT Vikings |
Final
The 2015 Varsity Shield was won by UKZN Impi, who won their first ever title after handing Wits their first defeat of the season; a 29–24 defeat in the match played in Johannesburg. UKZN Impi took the lead fifteen minute in through captain Lwazi Ngcungama and didn't relinquish it for the remainder of the match. Fly-half Inny Radebe was the top scorer in the match with eleven points.
| 6 April 2015 | Wits | 24–29 | UKZN Impi | Wits Rugby Stadium, Johannesburg | ||
| 16:45 | Try: Tommy Damba 40' Constant Beckerling 47' Ferdinand Kelly 78'Con: Brandan Hewitt 40', 48', 78' (3/3) |
Report[44] Scoreboard[45] |
Try: Lwazi Ngcungama 15' Chris de Beer 32' Inny Radebe 43' Alwayno Visagie 68'Con: Inny Radebe 16', 44' (2/3) Spa Dube 69' (1/1)Drop: Inny Radebe (0/1) |
Referee: Ricus van der Hoven |
Honours
The honour roll for the 2015 Varsity Shield was as follows:
| 2015 Varsity Shield Honours | |
|---|---|
| Champions: | UKZN Impi |
| Player That Rocks: | Lwazi Ngcungama, UKZN Impi |
| Forward That Rocks: | |
| Back That Rocks: | |
| Top Try Scorer: | James Verity-Amm, UWC (11) |
| Top Points Scorer: | Brandan Hewitt, Wits (133) |
Players
Player statistics
The following table contain points which were scored in the 2015 Varsity Shield:[46]
| Top Ten points scorers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Player | Team | T | C | P | DG | Pts |
| 1 | Brandan Hewitt | Wits | 2 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 133 |
| 2 | Spa Dube | UKZN Impi | 3 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| 3 | Quaid Langeveldt | UWC | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 59 |
| 4 | James Verity-Amm | UWC | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 55 |
| 5 | Tommy Damba | Wits | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| 6 | Constant Beckerling | Wits | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 |
| 7 | Inny Radebe | UKZN Impi | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 44 |
| 8 | Marius Louw | UKZN Impi | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| 9 | Darian Hock | UWC | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| 10 | Sivakele Ulana | UFH Blues | 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 31 |
| Other point scorers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Player | Team | T | C | P | DG | Pts |
| 11 | Luxolo Ntsepe | Wits | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| 12 | Akhona Matutu | UFH Blues | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| 13 | Lwazi Ngcungama | UKZN Impi | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| 14 | Dylan du Buisson | TUT Vikings | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 24 |
| 15 | Lewies van Deventer | TUT Vikings | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| 16 | Marcel Coetzee | UKZN Impi | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Josh Jarvis | Wits | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Ish Nkolo | Wits | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Gordon-Wayne Plaatjes | UWC | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Luvuyo Pupuma | Wits | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Ruan van Rensburg | Wits | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Ado Wessels | UKZN Impi | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| 23 | Paul Walters | TUT Vikings | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 24 | Ferdinand Kelly | Wits | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Aziyena Mandaba | UFH Blues | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| Philip Marais | UKZN Impi | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| Koch Marx | Wits | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| Mandla Mdaka | TUT Vikings | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| Lithabile Mgwadleka | UFH Blues | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| Damian Stevens | UWC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| 31 | Stuart Austin | UWC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Chris de Beer | UKZN Impi | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Rhyno Herbst | Wits | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Hamish Herd | TUT Vikings | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Claude Johannes | TUT Vikings | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Rico Lategan | UKZN Impi | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Shayne Makombe | UKZN Impi | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Ayabulela Mdudi | Wits | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Njabulo Mkize | UKZN Impi | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Vian Riekert | TUT Vikings | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Langelihle Shange | UKZN Impi | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Brandon Valentyn | UWC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| 43 | AJ van Blerk | Wits | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 44 | Herman Share | UWC | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 45 | Ben Baggott | Wits | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Siviwe Bisset | UFH Blues | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Gavian Cloete | UWC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Richard Crossman | Wits | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Neil de Witt | TUT Vikings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Matthew Faught | UWC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Sanelise Getye | UFH Blues | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Lifa Ghana | UWC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Angus Gordon | Wits | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Wessel Jordaan | TUT Vikings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| José Julies | UWC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Thabang Kibe | TUT Vikings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Graham Logan | Wits | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Wayrin Losper | UWC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Lwando Mabenge | UFH Blues | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Matthew Mandioma | UKZN Impi | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Athenkosi Manentsa | UFH Blues | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Armand Marshall | TUT Vikings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Ross Middlecote | TUT Vikings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Sibusiso Mngomezulu | Wits | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Minenhle Mthethwa | UWC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Hlubi Mvana | UFH Blues | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Tovhowani Nefale | TUT Vikings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Lwando Nteta | UFH Blues | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Edwin Oliver | TUT Vikings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Ntyatyambo Mkhafu | UFH Blues | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Yaasien Railoun | UWC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Chadwin Robertson | UWC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| RW van der Wal | TUT Vikings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Alwayno Visagie | UKZN Impi | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Ameer Williams | Wits | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| 75 | Keanu Langeveldt | UWC | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Ruan Pienaar | TUT Vikings | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| — | penalty try | TUT Vikings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| UWC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
| Wits | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
| * Legend: T = Tries, C = Conversions, P = Penalties, DG = Drop Goals, Pts = Points. | |||||||
Squad lists
The teams released the following squad lists:
Discipline
The following table contains all the cards handed out during the tournament:[52]
| Sendings-off and multiple sin-binnings | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | |
|
| Brandon Beukman | UWC | 1 | 0 |
| Heynes Kotze | UWC | 1 | 0 |
| Aziyena Mandaba | UFH Blues | 1 | 0 |
| Siphesihle Punguzwa | UFH Blues | 0 | 4 |
| Lwando Nteta | UFH Blues | 0 | 2 |
| Single sin-binnings | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | |
|
| Tahriq Allan | UWC | 0 | 1 |
| Stuart Austin | UWC | 0 | 1 |
| Ben Baggott | Wits | 0 | 1 |
| Constant Beckerling | Wits | 0 | 1 |
| Siviwe Bisset | UFH Blues | 0 | 1 |
| Johan du Toit | UKZN Impi | 0 | 1 |
| David Harel | UKZN Impi | 0 | 1 |
| Claude Johannes | TUT Vikings | 0 | 1 |
| José Julies | UWC | 0 | 1 |
| Lwando Mabenge | UFH Blues | 0 | 1 |
| Sanele Malwane | UKZN Impi | 0 | 1 |
| Armand Marshall | TUT Vikings | 0 | 1 |
| Edwin Oliver | TUT Vikings | 0 | 1 |
| Ruan Pienaar | TUT Vikings | 0 | 1 |
| Cameron Shafto | Wits | 0 | 1 |
| Langelihle Shange | UKZN Impi | 0 | 1 |
| Sivakele Ulana | UFH Blues | 0 | 1 |
| Brandon Valentyn | UWC | 0 | 1 |
| AJ van Blerk | Wits | 0 | 1 |
| Octaven van Stade | UWC | 0 | 1 |
| Jaco van Staden | TUT Vikings | 0 | 1 |
| Ado Wessels | UKZN Impi | 0 | 1 |
| * Legend: = Sent off, = Sin-binned | |||
Referees
The following referees officiated matches in the 2015 Varsity Shield:
References
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- "SA Rugby Log – 2015 FNB Varsity Shield presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- Ebrahim, Tauriq (2 February 2015). "Impi get their noses in front". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- De Vries, Michael (2 February 2015). "Impi claim Bellville scrap". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UWC 5-16 FNB UKZN". South African Rugby Union. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- Ebrahim, Tauriq (2 February 2015). "Vikings pip Blues in nail-biter". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB TUT 0-0 FNB UFH". South African Rugby Union. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- Ebrahim, Tauriq (9 February 2015). "Wits too much for Fort Hare". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UFH 24-39 FNB WITS". South African Rugby Union. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- Ebrahim, Tauriq (9 February 2015). "UKZN demolish TUT". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UKZN 68-5 FNB TUT". South African Rugby Union. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- Ebrahim, Tauriq (16 February 2015). "UWC get off the mark". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB TUT 18-21 FNB UWC". South African Rugby Union. 16 February 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- Ebrahim, Tauriq (16 February 2015). "Wits leapfrog UKZN". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UKZN 13-56 FNB WITS". South African Rugby Union. 16 February 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- De Vries, Michael (19 February 2015). "UWC outrun Fort Hare". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UWC 49-34 FNB UFH". South African Rugby Union. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- De Vries, Michael (19 February 2015). "Wits show Vikings no mercy". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB WITS 71-36 FNB TUT". South African Rugby Union. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- De Vries, Michael (23 February 2015). "Impi back to winning ways". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UFH 13-21 FNB UKZN". South African Rugby Union. 23 February 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- De Vries, Michael (23 February 2015). "UWC fight back to hold Wits". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB WITS 37-37 FNB UWC". South African Rugby Union. 23 February 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- warren (2 March 2015). "Blues hold off Vikings". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UFH 29-18 FNB TUT". South African Rugby Union. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- warren (2 March 2015). "Impi knock over UWC". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UKZN 21-5 FNB UWC". South African Rugby Union. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- warren (9 March 2015). "Impi take Vikings apart". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB TUT 41-66 FNB UKZN". South African Rugby Union. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- warren (9 March 2015). "Wits thrash Fort Hare". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB WITS 93-0 FNB UFH". South African Rugby Union. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- warren (16 March 2015). "UWC thump TUT". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 9 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UWC 63-10 FNB TUT". South African Rugby Union. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- warren (16 March 2015). "Wits do the double over UKZN". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB WITS 40-26 FNB UKZN". South African Rugby Union. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- warren (23 March 2015). "TUT taken apart by Wits". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB TUT 5-50 FNB WITS". South African Rugby Union. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- warren (23 March 2015). "UWC thump Blues to keep hopes alive". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UFH 8-58 FNB UWC". South African Rugby Union. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- warren (30 March 2015). "Impi secure place in Shield final". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UKZN 42-0 FNB UFH". South African Rugby Union. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- De Vries, Michael (30 March 2015). "UWC and Wits all square...again". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UWC 21-21 FNB WITS". South African Rugby Union. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- De Vries, Michael (6 April 2015). "Impi sink Wits to claim Shield". Varsity Cup. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB WITS 24-29 FNB UKZN". South African Rugby Union. 6 April 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- "SA Rugby Top Scorers – 2015 FNB Varsity Shield presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- "SA Rugby Squad – FNB TUT : 2015 FNB Varsity Shield presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- "SA Rugby Squad – FNB UFH : 2015 FNB Varsity Shield presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- "SA Rugby Squad – FNB UKZN : 2015 FNB Varsity Shield presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- "SA Rugby Squad – FNB UWC : 2015 FNB Varsity Shield presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- "SA Rugby Squad – FNB WITS : 2015 FNB Varsity Shield presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- "SA Rugby Cards – 2015 FNB Varsity Shield presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
External links
- "Official site". Varsity Cup. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
- "SA Rugby Competition – 2015 FNB Varsity Shield presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 8 June 2016.