The captains of UCT Tigers and the NWU Eagles pictured at the coin toss before their Varsity Cup match was postponed on Monday.
Image: @varsitycup via X
The student protests linked to the housing crisis at higher learning institutions across the country have spilled over onto the rugby field, with the opening 2025 Varsity Cup match between the University of Cape Town Tigers and North-West University Eagles postponed.
The teams were unable to take the field for the 4.45pm kickoff at the Green Mile in Cape Town after many students sat right in the middle of the rugby field and refused to move.
There is currently a massive student accommodation crisis around the country, with students left stranded and some even sleeping on the streets.
On Monday morning there were two protests in Cape Town, with students at Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s (CPUT) District Six campus and UCT demanding accommodation ahead of the start of the academic year.
The sit-in protest by students on the UCT rugby field
Image: Facebook
The Varsity Cup match between UCT and NWU will now be played on Tuesday at an undisclosed venue. It will also be played behind closed doors, possibly to safeguard the fixture from further disruptions.
"Due to protest action at UCT, the round 1 fixture between FNB UCT and FNB NWU has been rescheduled for Tuesday," the official Varsity Cup account posted on X. "The game will take place at an undisclosed venue and will be closed to the public. For ticket refund enquires please contact the UCT rugby club."
Three other Varsity Cup matches are due to be played on Monday night, with the match between Stellenbosch University Maties and the defending champions University of the Free State Shimlas in Stellenbosch the main attraction.
Monday's other Varsity Cup fixtures (kickoffs 7pm):
Maties vs Shimlas
Wits vs Tuks
UJ vs CUT