There will be added significance in the 'C' section of the USSA tournament in Grahamstown next week, with the winner given a shot at playing in the Varsity Shield next year.
The annual University Sports South Africa rugby tournament will be hosted by Rhodes University from June 30 to July 4, and there will be just as much attention on the third tier of the competition as any other.
With FNB TUT having finished in last place in the Varsity Shield this season, the Pretoria-based side will have to defend their place in the competition in a promotion/relegation play-off at home on July 19.
They will square off with the team that finishes top of the 'C' section of the USSA tournament in Grahamstown next week to determine which team goes through to compete in the Varsity Shield next year.
The teams in Pool C ranked from are:
1 NWU Vaal 2 CPUT 3 NMMU G 4 WSU BCC 5 Mangusuthu University of Technology 6 WSU Ibika 7 University of Zululand 8 University of Limpopo Turfloop campus
There will be some interesting derbies on Day One when FNB Varsity Cup champions UCT meet Cape rivals Maties, the Joburg Derby between UJ and Wits, Shimlas and the Pukke play each other and in Pool B the UKZN Impi will play Varsity College.
The semifinals will be played on Wednesday, July 2, and the finals on Friday, July 4.
USSA Day One fixtures:
NWU Vaal v Limpopo - Kings Field (09.00) NWU Pukke v UFS-Shimlas - St.Andrews (09.00) Varsity College v UKZN - Prospect 1 (09.00) WSU Mthata v NWU Mafikeng - Prospect 2 (09.00) CPUT v Zululand - Kings Field (10.40) UP-Tuks v NMMU - St.Andrews (10.40) WSU B v MUT - Prospect 1 (10.40) VUT v Invitatinal XV - Prospect 2 (10.40) CUT v Namibia - Kings Field (12.20) UJ v Wits - St.Andrews (12.20) NMMU G v WSU Ibika - Prospect 1 (12.20) Maties v UCT - Kings Field (14.00) TUT v UFH - Prospect 1 (14.00) TUT Shos v Venda - Prospect 2 (14.00) UWC v Rhodes - Kings Field (16.30)
