KENDRA CONNOCK
The FLY@UP campaign exists to help us all make informed academic decisions and stay on the right track for finishing strong and graduating on time. TRY@UP is here to give you inspiration for some cool things you can get up to during the year for your own entertainment, as well as a number of events you can’t miss if you want the full UP experience. Let FLY@UP help you structure your academic calendar and graduate on time but leave your social calendar up to TRY@UP, to ensure you have more memories of university than just the pages of your textbooks.
Monday, 3 February 2020 will be your first day of university classes but it is also the date of the first Varsity Cup rugby game of 2020. Varsity Cup rugby is a collection of South African rugby union competitions played by the top rugby playing universities in the country. It began in 2008 and has been a crowd favourite ever since. The Miss Varsity Cup and Miss Varsity Shield pageant happens alongside the rugby tournament, where female rugby fans can represent their respective teams. Whether you’re a rugby fan or not there is nothing quite like being in the stands and watching the university team play their hearts out. PDBY’s first TRY@UP recommendation for 2020 is to get yourself into your TUKS stripes and make your way down to Hillcrest Campus. The electric atmosphere of the first Varsity Cup game of the year is one that cannot be replicated and it is an opportunity that should not be missed. It may be your first official day in university, but you’ll immediately feel at home in a sea of fellow Tukkies decked out in their UP merchandise and ready to cheer their university on.
The UP rugby team will play three games on their home ground between 3 February and 30 March, with further fixtures depending on how the tournament plays out this year. FNB TUKS won the 2017 Varsity Cup tournament and was runnerup of the 2019 tournament. Hopefully, 2020 will see them crowned champions once again. With these Varsity Cup games spread out over the next few weeks, they are great opportunities to take a break from the classwork for the night and meet up with friends for some fresh air and great rugby. In between the action on the field, there is time to grab something to eat or drink, as well as opportunities to win cool prizes from Varsity Cup sponsors. You can purchase tickets online or outside the stadium. They usually cost around R10, but prices are subject to change, so be sure to check on the website beforehand. If you are staying in a residence, tickets are often handed out for free so keep an eye out for those. For more information on what Varsity Cup is about and to purchase tickets online, visit www.varistycup.co.za.
Image: Provided