2016 Varsity Cup

2016 Varsity Cup
Countries	South Africa
Date	8 February – 11 April 2016
Champions	NWU Pukke (1st title)
Runners-up	Maties
Relegated	None
Matches played	31
Tries scored	204 (average 6.6 per match)
Top point scorer	Divan Nel (84)
Top try scorer	Duhan van der Merwe (10)
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South African Rugby 2016
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The 2016 Varsity Cup was contested from 8 February to 11 April 2016. The tournament (also known as the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International for sponsorship reasons) was the ninth season of the Varsity Cup, an annual inter-university rugby union competition featuring eight South African universities.

The tournament was won by NWU Pukke, who beat Maties 7–6 in the final played on 11 April 2016. No team was automatically relegated to the second-tier Varsity Shield competition for 2017 and bottom side UCT Ikey Tigers beat UWC in a relegation play-off to remain in the competition for 2017.

Following a disruption during the Round Three match between UFS Shimlas and NMMU Madibaz^[1][2] and general unrest on various university campuses, all fixtures scheduled for 29 February were postponed to 4 April,^[3] with the semi-finals and final also postponed by a week. On 1 March, it was also announced that the round of matches scheduled for 7 March would also be postponed, with the situation at various universities being monitored to determine when the competition would resume.^[4] After a meeting by the executive management of Varsity Rugby on 9 March, it was decided that all remaining matches in the competition would be played at neutral venues and that matches should resume on 14 March.^[5]

There were eight participating universities in the 2016 Varsity Cup. These teams played each other once over the course of the season, either home or 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 four teams qualified for the title play-offs. In the semi-finals, the team that finished first had home advantage against the team that finished fourth, while the team that finished second had home advantage against the team that finished third. The winners of these semi-finals played each other in the final, at the home venue of the higher-placed team.

The bottom team in the Varsity Cup qualified for a relegation play-off against the runner-up of the Varsity Shield at the end of the season.

The Varsity Cup introduced a new scoring system for 2016, where tries could be worth five, seven or nine points, depending on the point where the try-scoring move originated. If the try-scoring move originated in the opponents' 22, it would count five points. If the try-scoring move originated between the halfway line and the opponents' 22, two bonus points were awarded for a seven-point try. If the try originated in the try-scoring team's own half, four bonus points were awarded and the try would be worth nine points. In another change from previous seasons, the points for kicks reverted to the common scoring system used in rugby union – conversions were worth two points, while penalties and drop goals were worth three points.

While the 2014 and 2015 editions of the Varsity Cup saw all matches officiated by two referees, this reverted to just one official for 2016.

The Varsity Cup also retained the White Card system introduced in 2015, but only for the semi-finals and the final. Under this system, either team's coach or captain could refer incidents for further review, similar to the Umpire Decision Review System used in cricket. They could have incidents reviewed that they believed were either given incorrectly or went unnoticed by the on-field referees. Each team was entitled to one review in each half of the match; if a review proved successful, the team retained their white card review for that half, but if it was unsuccessful, they lost the right to further reviews for the remainder of the half.^[6]

There were two further changes introduced for the 2016 season. Firstly, if a maul did not move forwards for a period of five seconds, the referee would give the team in possession a further three seconds to use the ball and failure to do so resulted in turnover of possession. Secondly, the traditional "crouch, bind, set" scrum call was changed to "crouch, bind, slide", with the slide call ensuring no impact between the front rows.^[7][8]

There were also some changes to the quota system: the number of players of colour that had to be included in a matchday 23 was increased from six to seven, with three of those in the starting line-up. Teams were allowed to field four first-year students under the age of 22, of which three have to be players of colour. Three additional first-year students could be fielded with no racial quotas, provided they were in Grade 12 at high school in 2015.^[9]

The following teams took part in the 2016 Varsity Cup competition:

2016 Varsity Cup teams
Team name	University	Stadium
CUT Ixias	Central University of Technology	CUT Stadium, Bloemfontein
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
UCT Ikey Tigers	University of Cape Town	UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town
UFS Shimlas	University of the Free State	Shimla Park, Bloemfontein
UJ	University of Johannesburg	UJ Stadium, Johannesburg
UP Tuks	University of Pretoria	LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria

The final standings for the 2016 Varsity Cup were:^{[10][note 1]}

2016 Varsity Cup standings
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
1	Maties	7	6	0	1	263	122	+141	33	14	5	0	29
2	UJ	7	6	0	1	254	151	+103	26	17	3	0	27
3	NWU Pukke	7	5	0	2	230	166	+64	27	18	5	1	26
4	UP Tuks	7	4	0	3	333	195	+138	38	23	5	1	22
5	UFS Shimlas	7	4	0	3	210	235	−25	26	26	3	0	19
6	CUT Ixias [note 2]	7	2	0	5	93	211	−118	11	26	1	1	8
7	NMMU Madibaz	7	1	0	6	169	251	−82	21	30	1	2	7
8	UCT Ikey Tigers	7	0	0	7	103	324	−221	11	39	1	2	3

Legend and competition rules
Legend:
	Top four teams; qualified to the semi-finals.		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
	Qualify to the relegation play-offs.
Competition rules:
Play-offs: The top four teams qualified to the semi-finals. The first-placed team hosted the fourth-placed team and the second-placed team hosted the third-placed team. The higher-ranked semi-final winner then hosted the lower-ranked semi-final winner in the final. The bottom side qualified for the relegation play-offs. 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

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 – 2016 Varsity Cup
Team	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Semi	Final
Maties	5 (1st)	10 (1st)	14 (1st)	19 (1st)	24 (1st)	29 (1st)	29 (1st)	Won	Lost
UJ	4 (3rd)	8 (3rd)	12 (3rd)	12 (4th)	17 (3rd)	22 (2nd)	27 (2nd)	Lost	—
NWU Pukke	5 (2nd)	7 (4th)	11 (4th)	16 (3rd)	16 (4th)	21 (3rd)	26 (3rd)	Won	Won
UP Tuks	0 (7th)	2 (8th)	2 (8th)	7 (5th)	12 (5th)	17 (5th)	22 (4th)	Lost	—
UFS Shimlas	4 (4th)	9 (2nd)	14 (2nd)	18 (2nd)	19 (2nd)	19 (4th)	19 (5th)	—	—
CUT Ixias	0 (8th)	4 (5th)	4 (5th)	5 (6th)	3 [note 2] (8th)	3 (7th)	8 (6th)	—	—
NMMU Madibaz	1 (6th)	2 (7th)	2 (7th)	2 (7th)	7 (6th)	7 (7th)	7 (7th)	—	—
UCT Ikey Tigers	1 (5th)	2 (6th)	2 (6th)	2 (8th)	3 (7th)	3 (8th)	3 (8th)	—	—
Key:	win	draw	loss

The following matches were played in the 2016 Varsity Cup:^{[15][note 3]}

	8 February 2016	UP Tuks	15–38	NWU Pukke	LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria
	16:45	Try: Andrew Beerwinkel  45' Duhan van der Merwe  59' Con: Joshua Stander  46' (1/2) Pen: Joshua Stander  15' (1/1)	Report[18] Scoreboard[19] Video[20]	Try: Walt Steenkamp  7' Benhard Janse van Rensburg 9' (4BP), 21' Sylvian Mahuza  72' Con: Rhyno Smith  8', 10', 22', 73' (4/4) Pen: Rhyno Smith  42', 55' (2/2)	Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys

	8 February 2016	Maties	40–0	CUT Ixias	Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch
	18:30	Try: Beyers de Villiers  2' Kobus van Dyk  20', 26' Ernst Stapelberg  29' Craig Corbett  51' Edwill van der Merwe 76' (2BP) Con: Ernst Stapelberg  2', 20', 29', 76' (4/6)	Report[21] Scoreboard[22] Video[23]		Referee: Francois Pretorius

	8 February 2016	UJ	19–12	NMMU Madibaz	UJ Stadium, Johannesburg
	18:30	Try: Jeremy Jordaan  68' Con: Divan Nel  69' (1/1) Pen: Divan Nel  12', 28', 46', 58' (4/4) Kobus Engelbrecht (0/1)	Report[24] Scoreboard[25] Video[26]	Try: Jayson Reinecke 61' (2BP) Con: Simon Bolze  61' (1/1) Pen: Simon Bolze  33' (1/2)	Referee: Rodney Boneparte

	8 February 2016	UCT Ikey Tigers	17–23	UFS Shimlas	UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town
	19:00	Try: Khanyo Ngcukana  45' Nate Nel 74' (2BP) Con: Robert Anderson (0/1) Hilio de Abreu  75' (1/1) Pen: Hilio de Abreu  81' (1/1) Cards: Joel Carew 39' to 50'	Report[27] Scoreboard[28] Video[29]	Try: Arthur Williams  7' Nardus Erasmus 69' (2BP) Mosolwa Mafuma 72' (2BP) Con: Stephan Janse van Rensburg  8', 73' (2/3) Cards: Teunis Nieuwoudt 42' to 53'	Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni

	15 February 2016	NMMU Madibaz	25–27	Maties	NMMU Stadium, Port Elizabeth
	16:45	Try: Kevin Kaba 61' (2BP) Yamkela Ngam 70' (2BP) Marzuq Maarman  76' Con: Tom Kean (0/3) Pen: Simon Bolze  17', 28' (2/3)	Report[30] Scoreboard[31] Video[32]	Try: Paul Streicher  32' Beyers de Villiers  40' Craig Corbett  46' Brendon Nell  81' Con: Ernst Stapelberg  40', 82' (2/4) Pen: Ernst Stapelberg  66' (1/1) Cards: Beyers de Villiers 70' to 79' Ian Groenewald  74'	Referee: Sindile Ngcese

	15 February 2016	CUT Ixias	10–9	UCT Ikey Tigers	CUT Stadium, Bloemfontein
	18:30	Try: Clinton Toua  43' Con: Darren Baron  44' (1/1) Pen: Darren Baron  27' (1/4) Cards: Marius Grobler 8' to 28'	Report[33] Scoreboard[34]	Try: Rico Lategan 15' (2BP) Con: Robert Anderson  26' (1/1) Cards: Michael Kumbirai 42' to 53'	Referee: Jaco Kotze

	15 February 2016	UP Tuks	46–47	UFS Shimlas	LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria
	18:30	Try: Neethling Fouché  4' penalty try 21' (2BP) Duhan van der Merwe 24' (4BP) Riaan Britz 38' (4BP) Ruan Steenkamp  43' Con: Joshua Stander  21', 25', 39', 44' (4/5) Pen: Joshua Stander  61' (1/1)	Report[36] Scoreboard[35]	Try: Teunis Nieuwoudt  27' Pieter-Steyn de Wet  34'[note 4] Mosolwa Mafuma 47' (2BP)[note 4] Nicolaas Immelman  57' Conraad van Vuuren 66' (4BP) Marco Klopper  72' Con: Stephan Janse van Rensburg  28' (1/2) Marco Mason  58', 67', 73' (3/4) Pen: Stephan Janse van Rensburg  4' (1/1) Cards: Marco Mason  21'	Referee: AJ Jacobs

	15 February 2016	NWU Pukke	31–36	UJ	Fanie du Toit Sport Ground, Potchefstroom
	19:00	Try: Lucian Cupido  2' Jeandré Rudolph  24' Sylvian Mahuza 42' (4BP) Wilmar Arnoldi  61' Con: Rhyno Smith  3', 43' (2/4) [note 5] Pen: Rhyno Smith  69' (1/2) [note 5] Drop: Rhyno Smith (0/1) Cards: Jeandré Rudolph 48' to 59'	Report[38] Scoreboard[37] Video[39]	Try: Aphiwe Dyantyi 14' (4BP), 53' (2BP) penalty try  49' Con: Divan Nel  15', 50', 54' (3/3) Pen: Divan Nel  8', 31', 72' (3/4) Drop: Divan Nel (0/1) Cards: Wian Conradie 18' to 29' Ronald Brown 22' to 34'	Referee: Lourens van der Merwe

	22 February 2016	UJ	14–0	CUT Ixias	UJ Stadium, Johannesburg
	16:45	Try: Emmanuel Morowane  29' PJ Walters  35' Con: Divan Nel  30', 36' (2/2) Cards: Etienne Oosthuizen  47'	Report Scoreboard[40] Video[41]	Pen: Henry Immelman (0/2)	Referee: Ben Crouse

	22 February 2016	UCT Ikey Tigers	6–22[note 1]	NWU Pukke	UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town
	18:30	Pen: Robert Anderson  39', 46' (2/2)	Report[12] Scoreboard[11]	Try: Wilmar Arnoldi  14' Bart le Roux  33' Walt Steenkamp  71' Con: Rhyno Smith  15', 34' (2/3) Pen: Rhyno Smith  7' (1/1) Cards: Jeandré Rudolph  77'	Referee: Francois Pretorius

	22 February 2016	UFS Shimlas	46–19	NMMU Madibaz	Shimla Park, Bloemfontein
	18:30	Try: Stephan Janse van Rensburg 2' (2BP) Marco Mason  8' Mosolwa Mafuma 45' (2BP) Renier Botha  56' Arthur Williams 65' (2BP) Chase Morison 74' (2BP) Con: Pieter-Steyn de Wet (0/2) Marco Mason  46', 57', 66', 75' (4/4) Cards: Nicolaas Immelman 49' to 60'	Report[42] Scoreboard[43]	Try: Ivan-John du Preez 5' (2BP) Ivan Ludick  60' Keanu Vers  72' Con: Tom Kean (0/1) Simon Bolze  61' (1/2) Cards: Kevin Kaba 64' to 75'	Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys

	22 February 2016	Maties	29–16	UP Tuks	Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch
	19:00	Try: Duncan Saal 15' (4BP), 31' (4BP), 72' (2BP) Con: Ernst Stapelberg  32', 73' (2/3)	Report[44] Scoreboard[45] Video[46]	Try: Keanan van Wyk 10' (4BP) Corniel Els  44' Con: Joshua Stander  45' (1/2)	Referee: Rodney Boneparte

	14 March 2016	UFS Shimlas	10–9	CUT Ixias	FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
	13:00	Try: Mosolwa Mafuma  24' Con: Marco Mason  25' (1/1) Pen: Marco Mason  79' (1/1) Cards: Chase Morison  61'	Report[47] Scoreboard[48]	Pen: Meyer van Tonder  12', 36', 76' (3/6)	Referee: Jaco Kotze

	14 March 2016	NMMU Madibaz	18–46	NWU Pukke	FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
	15:00	Try: Brandon Brown  30' Warren Swarts 66' (4BP) Con: Simon Bolze  31' (1/1) Tom Kean  67' (1/1)	Report[49] Scoreboard[50]	Try: Sylvian Mahuza 4' (4BP), 73' Jaco Jordaan 8' (2BP) penalty try  22' Benhard Janse van Rensburg 45' (4BP) Louis van der Westhuizen  80' Con: Rhyno Smith  9', 23', 46' (3/4) Benhard Janse van Rensburg (0/2) Cards: Walt Steenkamp 52' to 62'	Referee: Rodney Boneparte

	14 March 2016	UP Tuks	43–8	UJ	FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
	17:00	Try: Corniel Els  6' André Warner 21' (4BP) Aston Fortuin  49' Duncan Matthews  67' Marco van Staden  78' Con: Joshua Stander  7', 22', 68', 79' (4/5) Pen: Joshua Stander  18', 39' (2/2)	Report[51] Scoreboard[52]	Try: Jannes Snyman  44' Con: Divan Nel (0/1) Pen: Divan Nel  9' (1/1)	Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni

	14 March 2016	Maties	60–13	UCT Ikey Tigers	FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
	19:00	Try: John-Roy Jenkinson 9', 38' (2BP) Duncan Saal  22' Edwill van der Merwe 31', 74' (4BP) Kobus van Dyk  55' Craig Barry 71' (4BP) Con: Ernst Stapelberg  10', 23', 39', 56' (4/5) Chris Smith  72', 75' (2/2) Pen: Ernst Stapelberg  43' (1/1)	Report[53] Scoreboard[54]	Try: Luke Stringer  77' Con: Robert Anderson  78' (1/1) Pen: Tom Bednall  5', 12' (2/2)	Referee: Archie Sehlako

	21 March 2016	NMMU Madibaz	46–33	UCT Ikey Tigers	FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
	12:45	Try: Ivan-John du Preez 13' (4BP), 76' Tyler Paul  26' Brandon Brown  58' Junior Pokomela 61' (2BP) SF Nieuwoudt 80' (2BP) Con: Simon Bolze  27' (1/2) Tom Kean  59', 62', 77' (3/4)	Report[55] Scoreboard[56]	Try: Lihleli Xoli 3', 15' (4BP) Gary Porter  32' Bradley Janse van Rensburg 54' (2BP) Con: Tom Bednall  4', 16' (2/4) Pen: Tom Bednall  68' (1/1)	Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys

	21 March 2016	NWU Pukke	12–56	Maties	FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
	14:45	Try: Malherbe Swart  19' Benhard Janse van Rensburg  44' Con: Rhyno Smith  45' (1/2)	Report[57] Scoreboard[58]	Try: Craig Barry 13', 54' (2BP) Edwill van der Merwe 27' (4BP) Paul Streicher 34' (4BP) Beyers de Villiers  39' Duncan Saal 68' (2BP) Con: Ernst Stapelberg  14', 28', 55', 69' (4/6) Pen: Ernst Stapelberg  52', 62' (2/2)	Referee: Ben Crouse

	21 March 2016	CUT Ixias	25–68	UP Tuks	FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
	16:45	Try: Darren Baron 23' (4BP) Jasper Wiese  31' Vincent Maruping 40' (2BP) Con: Darren Baron  24', 32' (2/3) Pen: Meyer van Tonder (0/1) Darren Baron (0/1)	Report[59] Scoreboard[60]	Try: Duncan Matthews  9' Duhan van der Merwe 18', 66' (2BP) Riaan Britz 25', 54' (2BP), 56' (4BP) André Warner 62' (4BP) Luke van der Smit 70' (2BP) Con: Joshua Stander  9', 19', 26', 57', 63', 67', 71' (7/8) Cards: Eli Snyman 39' to 49'	Referee: AJ Jacobs

	21 March 2016	UFS Shimlas	49–72	UJ	FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
	19:00	Try: Mosolwa Mafuma 10' (4BP) Arthur Williams 32' (2BP) Stephan Janse van Rensburg 54' (2BP) Boela Venter 76' (4BP) Vuyani Maqina 79' (2BP) Con: Pieter-Steyn de Wet  11', 33', 55', 77', 80' (5/5)	Report[61] Scoreboard[62]	Try: Ronald Brown 12' (4BP), 27' (2BP) David Antonites 18' (2BP) Bradley Moolman 29' (4BP) Caswell Khoza 58' (2BP) Wian Conradie 64' (2BP) Robert de Bruyn  71' Con: Divan Nel  13', 19', 28', 30', 59', 65' (6/7) Pen: Divan Nel  5', 47', 63' (3/3) Cards: Emmanuel Morowane  78'	Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge

	24 March 2016	UP Tuks	45–23	NMMU Madibaz	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
	13:00	Try: Corniel Els  23' penalty try  40' Riaan Britz 41' (2BP) Dries Swanepoel 45' (4BP) Luke van der Smit 47' (4BP) Con: Joshua Stander  23', 40', 42', 46', 48' (5/5) Cards: Gerrit Engelbrecht  75'	Report[63] Scoreboard[64]	Try: Tyler Paul 29' (4BP) Lindelwe Zungu  38' Ivan-John du Preez  58' Con: Tom Kean  39', 58' (2/3) Cards: SF Nieuwoudt 39' to 50'	Referee: Jaco Kotze

	24 March 2016	UJ	63–0	UCT Ikey Tigers	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
	15:00	Try: David Antonites 5' (2BP) Aphiwe Dyantyi 16', 80' (4BP) Robert de Bruyn 24' (2BP) Jannes Snyman 27' (4BP), 37' Jeremy Jordaan  57' Bradley Moolman  68' Con: Divan Nel  6', 28' (2/6) Ronald Brown  68', 80' (2/2) Pen: Divan Nel  47' (1/2) Cards: Siya Nzuzo 40' to 50'	Report[65] Scoreboard[66]	Cards: Olwethu Hans 15' to 24'	Referee: Lourens van der Merwe

	24 March 2016	NWU Pukke	44–14	CUT Ixias	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
	17:00	Try: Jeandré Rudolph  22' Lucian Cupido 27' (2BP) Louis van der Westhuizen 43' (4BP) Bart le Roux  53' Malherbe Swart 65' (2BP) Con: Rhyno Smith  23', 44', 53', 65' (4/5) Pen: Rhyno Smith  75' (1/2) Cards: Jeandré Rudolph 32' to 44' Walt Steenkamp 48' to 61'	Report[67] Scoreboard[68]	Try: Johann Grundlingh  50' Len Noort  61' Con: Meyer van Tonder  50', 61' (2/2)	Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge

	24 March 2016	Maties	35–14	UFS Shimlas	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
	19:00	Try: Remu Malan 9' (4BP) penalty try  17' Edwill van der Merwe  28' Ernst Stapelberg  48' Kobus van Dyk  74' Con: Ernst Stapelberg  18', 49', 75' (3/5) Cards: Remu Malan 35' to 44' Craig Barry  78'	Report[69] Scoreboard[70]	Try: Mosolwa Mafuma  3' Arthur Williams  39' Con: Marco Mason  3', 40' (2/2) Cards: Teunis Nieuwoudt 17' to 27'	Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni

	28 March 2016	UCT Ikey Tigers	25–100	UP Tuks	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
	12:45	Try: Guy Alexander 16' (2BP) Robert Anderson 41' (4BP), 45' (4BP) Con: Tom Bednall (0/1) Robert Anderson (0/2)	Report[72] Scoreboard[71]	Try: Duhan van der Merwe 12' (2BP), 20' (4BP), 22' (4BP), 59' (2BP), 75' (2BP), 78' (4BP)[note 6] Dries Swanepoel 18' (2BP) Ruan Steenkamp  27' Clyde Davids 33' (4BP) Jan Enslin  38' [note 6] Tinus de Beer  51' [note 6] Con: Joshua Stander  13', 19', 21', 23', 28', 33' (6/7) Tinus de Beer  52', 60', 78' (3/4) Pen: Tinus de Beer  80' (1/1) Cards: Clyde Davids  18' Fred Eksteen 43' to 57'	Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni

	28 March 2016	CUT Ixias	35–26	NMMU Madibaz	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
	15:15	Try: Dean Rossouw  29' Mauro Bucuchane  39' Jasper Wiese  68' Len Noort  73' Meyer van Tonder 78' (2BP) Con: Meyer van Tonder  30', 40', 68', 74' (4/5) [note 7] Pen: Meyer van Tonder (0/1)	Report[75] Scoreboard[74]	Try: Riaan Esterhuizen  25' NJ Oosthuizen  51' Tyler Paul 55' (4BP) Con: Simon Bolze  26', 56' (2/3) Pen: Tom Kean  63' (1/1) Cards: Luvo Claassen 27' to 38' Marzuq Maarman 28' to 39' Elandré van der Merwe  72'	Referee: Lourens van der Merwe

	28 March 2016	NWU Pukke	37–21	UFS Shimlas	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
	17:05	Try: Lucian Cupido  3' Jeandré Rudolph 17', 35' (2BP) Wilmar Arnoldi 23' (2BP) Con: Rhyno Smith  18', 23' (2/4) [note 8] Pen: Rhyno Smith  15' (1/1) Benhard Janse van Rensburg  70', 80' (2/2) Cards: Jaco Jordaan  66'	Report[78] Scoreboard[77]	Try: Arthur Williams  20', 75' Elandré Huggett  61' Con: Marco Mason  21' (1/1) Pieter-Steyn de Wet  62', 76' (2/2)	Referee: AJ Jacobs

	28 March 2016	UJ	42–16	Maties	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
	19:00	Try: Ronald Brown  33' Kobus Porter 39' (4BP) Caswell Khoza  67' Etienne Oosthuizen  69' Con: Divan Nel  34', 40', 70' (3/4) Pen: Divan Nel  8', 17', 63' (3/3) Drop: Divan Nel  21' (1/1)	Report[80] Scoreboard[81]	Try: Brandon Asher-Wood 5' (4BP) Carlisle Nel 81' (2BP) Con: Chris Smith (0/2) Cards: Chris Smit 34' to 41'	Referee: Francois Pretorius

	4 April 2016	UJ	7–35	NWU Pukke	UJ Stadium, Johannesburg
	16:30	Try: Devon Maré  33' Con: Divan Nel  34' (1/1) Pen: Divan Nel (0/2)	Report[82] Scoreboard[83]	Try: Sylvian Mahuza 8' (2BP), 38' (4BP) Con: Rhyno Smith  9', 39' (2/2) Pen: Rhyno Smith  2', 37', 65', 78' (4/5) Drop: Rhyno Smith  40' (1/1)	Referee: Archie Sehlako

	4 April 2016	Maties	49–11	UP Tuks	Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch
	19:00	Try: Edwill van der Merwe  4' Brandon Asher-Wood 16' (2BP) Beyers de Villiers  36', 49' Remu Malan  74' Con: Ernst Stapelberg  5', 17', 37', 50', 75' (5/5) Pen: Ernst Stapelberg  13', 30', 44', 79' (4/4)	Report[84] Scoreboard[85]	Try: Dries Swanepoel 31' (4BP) Con: Joshua Stander  32' (1/1)	Referee: AJ Jacobs

	11 April 2016	Maties	6–7	NWU Pukke	Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch
	19:00	Pen: Chris Smith  46', 50' (2/3) Drop: Chris Smith (0/1) Cards: Chris Smit  83' Remu Malan  88'	Report Scoreboard[86]	Try: Marno Redelinghuys  89' Con: Rhyno Smith  90' (1/1)	Referee: Lourens van der Merwe

The honour roll for the 2016 Varsity Cup was as follows:

2016 Varsity Cup Honours
Champions:	NWU Pukke
Player That Rocks:	Mosolwa Mafuma, UFS Shimlas[87]
Forward That Rocks:	Beyers de Villiers, Maties[88]
Back That Rocks:	Craig Barry, Maties[89]
Top Try Scorers:	Duhan van der Merwe, UP Tuks (10)
Top Points Scorer:	Divan Nel, UJ (84)

The following table contain points that were scored in the 2016 Varsity Cup:^[90]

All point scorers
No	Player	Team	T	TB	C	P	DG	Pts
1	Divan Nel	UJ	0	0	18	15	1	84
2	Ernst Stapelberg	Maties	2	0	24	8	0	82
3	Rhyno Smith [note 8]	NWU Pukke	0	0	21	10	1	75
4	Duhan van der Merwe [note 6]	UP Tuks	10	24	0	0	0	74
5	Joshua Stander [note 6]	UP Tuks	0	0	29	4	0	70
6	Sylvian Mahuza	NWU Pukke	6	14	0	0	0	44
7	Mosolwa Mafuma [note 4]	UFS Shimlas	6	10	0	0	0	40
	Edwill van der Merwe	Maties	6	10	0	0	0	40
9	Riaan Britz	UP Tuks	5	12	0	0	0	37
	Duncan Saal	Maties	5	12	0	0	0	37
11	Benhard Janse van Rensburg	NWU Pukke	4	8	0	2	0	34
	Arthur Williams	UFS Shimlas	6	4	0	0	0	34
13	Aphiwe Dyantyi	UJ	4	10	0	0	0	30
	Marco Mason	UFS Shimlas	1	0	11	1	0	30
15	Robert Anderson	UCT Ikey Tigers	2	8	2	2	0	28
	Meyer van Tonder [note 7]	CUT Ixias	1	2	6	3	0	28
17	Ivan-John du Preez	NMMU Madibaz	4	6	0	0	0	26
18	Ronald Brown	UJ	3	6	2	0	0	25
	Beyers de Villiers	Maties	5	0	0	0	0	25
	Dries Swanepoel	UP Tuks	3	10	0	0	0	25
21	Stephan Janse van Rensburg	UFS Shimlas	2	4	3	1	0	23
	Tyler Paul	NMMU Madibaz	3	8	0	0	0	23
23	Jeandré Rudolph	NWU Pukke	4	2	0	0	0	22
24	Craig Barry	Maties	3	6	0	0	0	21
	Simon Bolze	NMMU Madibaz	0	0	6	3	0	21
26	Kobus van Dyk	Maties	4	0	0	0	0	20
27	Pieter-Steyn de Wet [note 4]	UFS Shimlas	1	0	7	0	0	19
	Jannes Snyman	UJ	3	4	0	0	0	19
29	Darren Baron	CUT Ixias	1	4	3	1	0	18
	André Warner	UP Tuks	2	8	0	0	0	18
31	Wilmar Arnoldi	NWU Pukke	3	2	0	0	0	17
	Lucian Cupido	NWU Pukke	3	2	0	0	0	17
33	Brandon Asher-Wood	Maties	2	6	0	0	0	16
	Luke van der Smit	UP Tuks	2	6	0	0	0	16
35	Corniel Els	UP Tuks	3	0	0	0	0	15
	Tom Kean	NMMU Madibaz	0	0	6	1	0	15
37	David Antonites	UJ	2	4	0	0	0	14
	Tinus de Beer [note 6]	UP Tuks	1	0	3	1	0	14
	Remu Malan	Maties	2	4	0	0	0	14
	Bradley Moolman	UJ	2	4	0	0	0	14
	Paul Streicher	Maties	2	4	0	0	0	14
	Louis van der Westhuizen	NWU Pukke	2	4	0	0	0	14
	Lihleli Xoli	UCT Ikey Tigers	2	4	0	0	0	14
44	Tom Bednall	UCT Ikey Tigers	0	0	2	3	0	13
45	Robert de Bruyn	UJ	2	2	0	0	0	12
	John-Roy Jenkinson	Maties	2	2	0	0	0	12
	Caswell Khoza	UJ	2	2	0	0	0	12
	Malherbe Swart	NWU Pukke	2	2	0	0	0	12
49	Brandon Brown	NMMU Madibaz	2	0	0	0	0	10
	Craig Corbett	Maties	2	0	0	0	0	10
	Jeremy Jordaan	UJ	2	0	0	0	0	10
	Bart le Roux	NWU Pukke	2	0	0	0	0	10
	Duncan Matthews	UP Tuks	2	0	0	0	0	10
	Len Noort	CUT Ixias	2	0	0	0	0	10
	Chris Smith	Maties	0	0	2	2	0	10
	Ruan Steenkamp	UP Tuks	2	0	0	0	0	10
	Walt Steenkamp	NWU Pukke	2	0	0	0	0	10
	Jasper Wiese	CUT Ixias	2	0	0	0	0	10
59	Clyde Davids	UP Tuks	1	4	0	0	0	9
	Kobus Porter	UJ	1	4	0	0	0	9
	Warren Swarts	NMMU Madibaz	1	4	0	0	0	9
	Conraad van Vuuren	UFS Shimlas	1	4	0	0	0	9
	Keanan van Wyk	UP Tuks	1	4	0	0	0	9
	Boela Venter	UFS Shimlas	1	4	0	0	0	9
65	Guy Alexander	UCT Ikey Tigers	1	2	0	0	0	7
	Wian Conradie	UJ	1	2	0	0	0	7
	Nardus Erasmus	UFS Shimlas	1	2	0	0	0	7
	Bradley Janse van Rensburg	UCT Ikey Tigers	1	2	0	0	0	7
	Jaco Jordaan	NWU Pukke	1	2	0	0	0	7
	Kevin Kaba	NMMU Madibaz	1	2	0	0	0	7
	Rico Lategan	UCT Ikey Tigers	1	2	0	0	0	7
	Vincent Maruping	CUT Ixias	1	2	0	0	0	7
	Vuyani Maqina	UFS Shimlas	1	2	0	0	0	7
	Chase Morison	UFS Shimlas	1	2	0	0	0	7
	Carlisle Nel	Maties	1	2	0	0	0	7
	Nate Nel	UCT Ikey Tigers	1	2	0	0	0	7
	Yamkela Ngam	NMMU Madibaz	1	2	0	0	0	7
	SF Nieuwoudt	NMMU Madibaz	1	2	0	0	0	7
	Junior Pokomela	NMMU Madibaz	1	2	0	0	0	7
	Jayson Reinecke	NMMU Madibaz	1	2	0	0	0	7
81	Andrew Beerwinkel	UP Tuks	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Renier Botha	UFS Shimlas	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Mauro Bucuchane	CUT Ixias	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Hilio de Abreu	UCT Ikey Tigers	0	0	1	1	0	5
	Jan Enslin [note 6]	UP Tuks	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Riaan Esterhuizen	NMMU Madibaz	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Aston Fortuin	UP Tuks	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Neethling Fouché	UP Tuks	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Johann Grundlingh	CUT Ixias	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Elandré Huggett	UFS Shimlas	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Nicolaas Immelman	UFS Shimlas	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Marco Klopper	UFS Shimlas	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Ivan Ludick	NMMU Madibaz	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Marzuq Maarman	NMMU Madibaz	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Devon Maré	UJ	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Emmanuel Morowane	UJ	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Brendon Nell	Maties	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Khanyo Ngcukana	UCT Ikey Tigers	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Teunis Nieuwoudt	UFS Shimlas	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Etienne Oosthuizen	UJ	1	0	0	0	0	5
	NJ Oosthuizen	NMMU Madibaz	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Gary Porter	UCT Ikey Tigers	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Marno Redelinghuys	NWU Pukke	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Dean Rossouw	CUT Ixias	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Luke Stringer	UCT Ikey Tigers	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Clinton Toua	CUT Ixias	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Marco van Staden	UP Tuks	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Keanu Vers	NMMU Madibaz	1	0	0	0	0	5
	PJ Walters	UJ	1	0	0	0	0	5
	Lindelwe Zungu	NMMU Madibaz	1	0	0	0	0	5
—	penalty try	UP Tuks	2	2	0	0	0	12
		Maties	1	0	0	0	0	5
		NWU Pukke	1	0	0	0	0	5
		UJ	1	0	0	0	0	5
Note: Two or four Conversions count three points, while penalties and drop goals count two points. * Legend: T = Tries, TB = Try bonus points,[note 3] C = Conversions, P = Penalties, DG = Drop Goals, Pts = Points.

The following squads were named for the 2016 Varsity Cup:

2016 CUT Ixias squad^[91]

Forwards		Gerard Baard • Justin Basson • Junior Burger • Wikus Davis • Johann Grundlingh • Günther Janse van Vuuren • Sylvester Makakole • George Marich • Vincent Maruping • Rayno Nel • Len Noort • Dean Rossouw • SJ Roux • Neil Schoombee • Theunis Truter • Cameron van Heerden • Jean Volkwyn • Jasper Wiese • Did not play: • Stefan Kruger • JJ Nell • Bester Olivier • Ian Smith • Ian van Wyk
Backs		Darren Baron • Mauro Bucuchane • Marius Grobler • Charlie Hitchcock • Henry Immelman • Dean Jacobs • Tiisetso Madonsela • Ali Mgijima • Lethole Mokoena • Olwethu Ndakisa • Johan Nel • Mosego Toolo • Clinton Toua • Meyer van Tonder • Ruan Wasserman • Did not play: • Jesse du Toit • Muller Joubert
Coach		Skillie Bester

2016 Maties squad^[92]

Forwards		Saud Abrahams • Wesley Adonis • Conal Brown • Craig Corbett • Beyers de Villiers • Ian Groenewald • Martin Groenewald • Marko Janse van Rensburg • John-Roy Jenkinson • Freddie Kirsten • Boeta Kleinhans • Robey Labuschagné • Geor Malan • Derick Marais • Justin Moberly • Johan Momsen • Niel Oelofse • Martin Oosthuizen • Tyron Schultz • Jacobus van der Merwe • Wilhelm van der Sluys • Kobus van Dyk • Janco Venter • Did not play: • Iver Aanhuizen • Michael Smuts de Waal • CF du Toit • Hadley Hendricks • Liam Hendricks • Devon Nash • Francois Jacobus van der Merwe
Backs		Brandon Asher-Wood • Craig Barry • Bjorn Bernardo • SP Ferreira • Carlton Fortune • Remu Malan • Carlisle Nel • Brendon Nell • Duncan Saal • Chris Smit • Chris Smith • Ernst Stapelberg • Kyle Steyn • Paul Streicher • Edwill van der Merwe • Braam Venter • Jason Worrall • Did not play: • Eduan Keyter • Ronald Rijk Albertus Melck • Louis Nel • James Edward Vorster
Coach		Hawies Fourie

2016 NMMU Madibaz squad^[93]

Forwards		Tango Balekile • Ronnie Beyl • Brandon Brown • Wynand Grassmann • Jedwyn Harty • Gerrit Huisamen • JP Jamieson • Kevin Kaba • Marzuq Maarman • SF Nieuwoudt • Andisa Ntsila • NJ Oosthuizen • Tyler Paul • Junior Pokomela • Jayson Reinecke • Nemo Roelofse • Hayden Tharratt • Elandré van der Merwe • Warrick Venter • Did not play: • Lusanda Badiyana • Greg Jackson • JP Jonck • Sintu Manjezi • Roché van Zyl • CJ Velleman • Xandré Vos
Backs		Simon Bolze • Luvo Claassen • Ivan-John du Preez • Riaan Esterhuizen • Andile Jho • Tom Kean • Ivan Ludick • Khaya Malotana • Yamkela Ngam • Sibusiso Ngcokovane • Luan Nieuwoudt • Warren Swarts • Keanu Vers • Jeremy Ward • Lindelwe Zungu • Did not play: • Davron Cameron • Malcolm Jaer • Somila Jho • Garrick Mattheus • Athi Mayinje • Charles Radebe • Franswa Ueckermann • Courtney Winnaar
Coach		David Maidza

2016 NWU-Pukke squad^[94]

Forwards		Wilmar Arnoldi • Dewald Dekker • Danie Jordaan • Jaco Jordaan • Bart le Roux • Tiaan Liebenberg • Mogau Mabokela • Mash Mafela • Loftus Morrison • Marno Redelinghuys • Jeandré Rudolph • Joe Smith • Walt Steenkamp • Gideon van der Merwe • Louis van der Westhuizen • Ruan Venter • Did not play: • Wian Fourie • Louis Grey • Roan Grobbelaar • Funani Mabala • DJ Putter • Bhekisa Shongwe • Dolf van Deventer • Estehan Visagie
Backs		Lucian Cupido • Johan Deysel • Schalk Hugo • Benhard Janse van Rensburg • Sylvian Mahuza • Henko Marais • Nkululeko Mcuma • Akhona Nela • Elden Schoeman • Chriswill September • Rhyno Smith • Dean Stokes • Malherbe Swart • Ryno Wepener • Percy Williams • Did not play: • Jaco Hayward • Eswyn Heyns • Tapiwa Mafura • Alvino Montjies • Francois Nel • Ryno Pienaar • Gene Willemse
Coach		Jonathan Mokuena

2016 UCT Ikey Tigers squad^[95]

Forwards		Guy Alexander • Joel Carew • Brenton Greaves • Olwethu Hans • Jason Klaasen • Jade Kriel • Michael Kumbirai • Jayson Landman • David Maasch • Struan Murray • Sean Paterson • Gary Porter • Mark Prior • Duncan Saffy • Alva Senderayi • Luke Stringer • Nyasha Tarusenga • Samuel Theron • Keagan Timm • Msizi Zondi • Did not play: • Brendan Ross Clements • Alex Goldstein • Aphiwe Qaba • Stuart Stopforth • Tino Zakeyo
Backs		Robert Anderson • Kofi Appiah • Tom Bednall • Suwi Chibale • Hilio de Abreu • Justin Heunis • Bradley Janse van Rensburg • Rico Lategan • Nate Nel • Khanyo Ngcukana • Gerard Pieterse • Sebastian Roodt • Joel Smith • Dylan-Lee Tidbury • Steve Wallace • Lihleli Xoli • Did not play: • Stefano de Gouveia • Paul Hendry • Rayno Mapoe • Jesse Wilensky
Coach		Hanyani Shimange

2016 UFS Shimlas squad^[96]

Forwards		Anrich Alberts • Murray Bondesio • Dolph Botha • Neil Claassen • Nardus Erasmus • Elandré Huggett • Nicolaas Immelman • Thabiso Khanye • Marco Klopper • Johan Kotze • Willandré Kotzenberg • Daniel Maartens • Musa Mahlasela • Chase Morison • Ox Nché • Teunis Nieuwoudt • Fiffy Rampeta • Conraad van Vuuren • Boela Venter • Reinach Venter • Ntokozo Vidima • Dennis Visser • Did not play: • De Wet Kruger • Hennie-Schalk Theron
Backs		Renier Botha • Carel-Jan Coetzee • Pieter-Steyn de Wet • Apiwe Dinga • Pieter Faber • Stephan Janse van Rensburg • Mosolwa Mafuma • Vuyani Maqina • Marco Mason • Sechaba Matsoele • Naldo Meyer • Zee Mkhabela • Armand Pretorius • Arthur Williams • Did not play: • Barend Bornman • TJ Goddard • Michael Coenraad Marx • Tanaks Takudzwa Matsinde • Francois Pretorius • Louis Venter
Coach		Hendro Scholtz

2016 UJ squad^[97]

Forwards		David Antonites • Derick Bezuidenhout • Wian Conradie • Nico du Plessis • Jeremy Jordaan • Kyle Kruger • Emmanuel Morowane • Siya Nzuzo • Etienne Oosthuizen • FP Pelser • Kobus Porter • Phenyo Seriteng • Jannes Snyman • Kyle van Dalen • Waldo Weideman • Did not play: • Dillon Bakos • Stephen Bhasera • Roelof Diedericks • Estian Enslin • Brendon Landsberg • Ethan Louw • Vernon Petersen
Backs		Ronald Brown • Robert de Bruyn • Aphiwe Dyantyi • Kobus Engelbrecht • Johan Esterhuizen • Caswell Khoza • Dominic Kroezen • Devon Maré • Bradley Moolman • Hilton Mudariki • Divan Nel • Andries Oosthuizen • Godfrey Ramaboea • PJ Walters • Did not play: • Jamie Campbell • Jaco Fourie
Coach		Skollie Janse van Rensburg

2016 UP Tuks squad^[98]

Forwards		Andrew Beerwinkel • FJ Binneman • Clyde Davids • Fred Eksteen • Corniel Els • Gerrit Engelbrecht • Jan Enslin • Aston Fortuin • Justin Forwood • Neethling Fouché • Du Toit Genis • Pieter Jansen van Vuren • Eli Snyman • Ruan Steenkamp • Luke van der Smit • Marco van Staden • Did not play: • Mervano da Silva • Pieter Griesel • Denzel Hill • Sam Mitchell • Hendré Stassen • Jsuan-re Swanepoel • Franco van den Berg • Dandré van der Westhuizen • Xander van Wyk • Heinrich Viljoen
Backs		Riaan Britz • Max Calitz • Tinus de Beer • Carlo Engelbrecht • Stedman Gans • Quaid Langeveldt • Adrian Maebane • Duncan Matthews • Joshua Stander • Dries Swanepoel • Duhan van der Merwe • Keanan van Wyk • André Warner • Did not play: • Daylan Daniels • Boeta Hamman • Alcino Izaacs • Andries Kruger • Theo Maree • Philip Orffer • Jacques Rossouw • Peet Schoeman • Francois Tredoux • Damian van Wyk • Impi Visser
Coach		Pote Human

The following table contains all the cards handed out during the tournament:^[99]

Cards
Player	Team
Chase Morison	UFS Shimlas	1	0
Jeandré Rudolph	NWU Pukke	0	3
Remu Malan	Maties	0	2
Teunis Nieuwoudt	UFS Shimlas	0	2
Chris Smit	Maties	0	2
Walt Steenkamp	NWU Pukke	0	2
Craig Barry	Maties	0	1
Ronald Brown	UJ	0	1
Joel Carew	UCT Ikey Tigers	0	1
Luvo Claassen	NMMU Madibaz	0	1
Wian Conradie	UJ	0	1
Clyde Davids	UP Tuks	0	1
Beyers de Villiers	Maties	0	1
Fred Eksteen	UP Tuks	0	1
Gerrit Engelbrecht	UP Tuks	0	1
Marius Grobler	CUT Ixias	0	1
Ian Groenewald	Maties	0	1
Olwethu Hans	UCT Ikey Tigers	0	1
Nicolaas Immelman	UFS Shimlas	0	1
Jaco Jordaan	NWU Pukke	0	1
Kevin Kaba	NMMU Madibaz	0	1
Michael Kumbirai	UCT Ikey Tigers	0	1
Marzuq Maarman	NMMU Madibaz	0	1
Marco Mason	UFS Shimlas	0	1
Emmanuel Morowane	UJ	0	1
SF Nieuwoudt	NMMU Madibaz	0	1
Siya Nzuzo	UJ	0	1
Etienne Oosthuizen	UJ	0	1
Eli Snyman	UP Tuks	0	1
Elandré van der Merwe	NMMU Madibaz	0	1
* Legend: = Sent off, = Sin-binned

The following referees officiated matches in the 2016 Varsity Cup:

• Varsity Cup
• 2016 Varsity Rugby
• 2016 Varsity Shield
• 2016 Gold Cup

• "Official site". Varsity Cup. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
• "SA Rugby Competition – 2016 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 8 June 2016.