SportPesa Joins the FNB Varsity Cup as New National Sponsor

The FNB Varsity Cup welcome SportPesa as a new National partner, marking a significant step forward in expanding opportunities for South African rugby talent. SportPesa’s involvement aligns strongly with the tournaments’ mission to provide a platform for player development, academic balance, and long-term growth within the sport – a fact already demonstrated through their multi-year partnership with Varsity Football men’s and women’s competitions which launched in January 2025.

“Partnering with SportPesa is an incredibly exciting step for the FNB Varsity Cup” said Lisa Roux, Sponsorship Manager at Advent Sport Entertainment and Media (ASEM), managing agency for Varsity Cup. “Their passion for developing talent aligns perfectly with our vision for the tournaments and we’ve quickly built a strong working relationship with them. We see real value in joining forces with an organisation that not only invests in high-performance rugby, but also in community upliftment and long-term athlete development.”

As a brand already deeply invested in South African rugby through their partnership with the Stormers, SportPesa has consistently demonstrated a commitment to supporting pathways that nurture emerging athletes. Their focus on uplifting the next generation of players made this collaboration a natural extension of their existing footprint in the rugby landscape.

“We’re incredibly excited to extend our involvement in South African rugby through this partnership with the FNB Varsity Cup,” says Dean Delaney, Managing Director of SportPesa South Africa. “Following our recent collaboration with Varsity Sports, we’ve seen first-hand the power of authentic engagement in building strong brand association and trust with teams, institutions, and supporters alike.”

“Our objective is to support and celebrate local, community-based sport whether that’s within universities or at a local level, by meaningfully contributing to the ecosystems that allow sport to thrive. We believe that by investing responsibly in structured competitions and development pathways, we can play a small but important role in growing rugby as a category and supporting the journey of future sporting stars” adds Delaney. 

This partnership enables Varsity Cup to amplify the competition, creating even more opportunities for both male and female student athletes across South Africa. 

The FNB Varsity Cup kicks off on Monday, 16 February, with the FNB Varsity Shield competition starting on Friday, 13 February. The FNB Varsity Cup Women’s competition will take place between 6 March and 17 April.

For upcoming fixtures and logs click HERE.

For more info on SportPesa click HERE.