We are mid-way into the 201 Super 14 campaign, and highlights of the weekend’s games will be up tomorrow, but something so much more exciting is happening in South African rugby this evening, The following are excerpts from Sports Network throughout the week

Full house signs went up for the Monday’s 18h30 kick-off 2010 Varsity Cup Final, between FNB Maties and FNB UCT  at the Danie Craven Stadium. 

Francois Pienaar, co-founder of the Varsity Cup was quoted, during the week, as saying,

“Who can forget those scenes in 2008 when some fans had to climb trees and walk up the mountains to catch a glimpse of that dramatic finale?

“I have no doubt we will see similar scenes come this Monday. Maties deserve a lot of credit for their various initiatives, and their huge crowds, but then again, who can blame the spectators for wanting to watch a cracking final (like Maties v the Ikeys)?”

“It’s a final that everyone is looking forward to and I have no doubt that it, and the two teams in the final, will once again do the Varsity Cup proud.”

Monday is not just about the Varsity Cup Final. The 2010 final will, again, be preceded by the Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championships Final, this time between Steinhoff Dagbreek (Maties) and Steinhoff Vishuis (Shimlas).

The Koshuis Final between the country’s top rugby residences will kick-off at 16h15 and top SA singer Kurt Darren will also be performing at the Danie Craven Stadium, as he did last year, before the Varsity Cup Final gets underway.

It seems like just the other day that the FNB Varsity Cup, presented by Steinhoff International, was born. And, as a ‘parent’ of this exciting tournament, Francois Pienaar could not be any prouder of his so-called ‘baby’.

“I’d say this baby of ours is still crawling,” said Pienaar.

“It’s just about to stand up and grab hold of a chair… (and) I have no doubt that the Varsity Cup will be walking soon… then running… and, finally, sprinting!”

It is hard to blame Pienaar for being so proud of the Varsity Cup, a tournament that has, in just three years, captured the imagination of the South African rugby public.

Having kicked-off for the first time in February 2008, the first-ever Varsity Cup will best be remembered for its dramatic final at Coetzenburg a few weeks later when the Maties scored a try on the full-time hooter to beat UCT and lift the trophy.

Since then, the tournament has continued to make headlines. Not only for its exciting rugby and various cutting edge off-field innovations, but also because of its worth as a ‘feeder-system’ to the Currie Cup and Super 14 competitions.

Provincial talent aside, however, the Varsity Cup has also produced Sevens Springboks in Kyle Brown, Chase Minnaar and Robert Ebersohn and a full Springbok tourist in the shape of Juan de Jongh.

Pienaar and his Varsity Cup brainstrust will sit down after the 2010 tournament for their annual ‘audit’, to see what did and did not work this year, but he was happy to report that most of the new innovations this year had been very well received.

The Pink Shorts Campaign:

“I ‘borrowed’ the Pink Shorts concept from the IPL [cricket]. People were skeptical at first that the players wouldn’t embrace it, but it has produced a huge debate amongst the supporters and the players have treated it as a real honour. It’s been a great concept and we’ve also managed to do some good (through the Pink Shorts campaign) with the Varsity Cup Trust.

The Pink Shorts campaign is a campaign where every player who wins a man-of-the-match award gets to wear pink shorts in his next match, to show support for current and past rugby players living with cancer improve their circumstances.

You can also show your support for the pink Shorts Campaign by SMSing your favourite team’s name to 36199 and your R5 donation will go to The Varsity Cup Trust.

Scenes from 2009′s Steinhoff Varsity Cup final:[BEJStudios]

The 2010 Steinhoff Varsity Cup final promises to be even more unbelieeeevaaaabllle

Just one change for Maties

The FNB Maties have made just one change to their starting line-up ahead of Monday’s Varsity Cup Final against FNB UCT at Coetzenburg. (Kick-off 18h30.)

Head coach Chean Roux has wisely kept faith with 14 of the 15 starting players that helped the Maties beat Pukke 47-11 last Monday, with the only change seeing Johan Roets take over from Mike De Neuilly-Rice at loosehead prop.

De Neuilly-Rice drops down to the replacements bench where he will be joined by fit-again squad captain Cameron Peverett.

Peverett missed the semifinal with an ankle injury, but he replaces Hannes van Wyk in the No.19 shirt, giving the back-to-back Varsity Cup champions even more firepower for Monday’s final at the Danie Craven Stadium.

Stellenbosch, who beat UCT 16-10 in the inaugural final at this very venue, have not lost a Varsity Cup play-off match and are also unbeaten this season.

The FNB Maties team: 15 Adnaan Oesman 14 Wilhelm Loock 13 Danie Poolman 12 Charl Weideman 11 Tythan Adams 10 André Kemp 9 Johan Herbst 8 Josh Strauss 7 Jonathan Adendorf 6 Sam Mabombo 5 Hugo Kloppers 4 Andrew Prior 3 Lourens Adriaanse (captain) 2 Matthew Dobson 1 Johan Roets.

Replacements: 16 Gareth Light 17 Mike De Neuilly-Rice 18 Marinus Pretorius 19 Cameron Peverett 20 Johan Laker 21 Hayden Groepes 22 Jonathan Francke 23 Andrew Crausaz.

Head coach: Chean Roux

Unchanged Ikey Tigers keep the faith

FNB UCT head coach John Dobson has announced an unchanged matchday 23 squad for Monday night’s Varsity Cup Final meeting with FNB Maties in Stellenbosch.

The Ikeys will travel to Coetzenburg to take on the back-to-back and defending champions in their own backyard, the second time that these two sides will clash in the final of this tournament.

On that occasion, in 2008, the Maties won 16-10 thanks to a last-gasp Morné Jooste try, but the Men from Cape Town will be hoping for a different result this year.

For UCT captian, Nick Fenton-Wells, who recently recovered from a knee injury, it will be his first Varsity Cup Final, but Pete Haw, Matt Rosslee, JJ Gagiano, Mark Goosen, Mike Ledwidge and Wesley Chetty were all part of the 2008 event at this selfsame venue.

Monday’s all-Cape final will get underway at 18h30 and will be televised live on SuperSport One.

The FNB UCT team: 15 Therlow Pietersen 14 Pete Haw 13 Marcel Brache 12 Sean van Tonder 11 Marcello Sampson 10 Matt Rosslee 9 Stu Commins (vice-captain) 8 JJ Gagiano 7 Mike Morris 6 Nick Fenton-Wells (captain) 5 Donovan Armand 4 Levi Odendaal 3 Grant Kemp 2 Mark Goosen 1 Ash Wells.

Replacements: 16 Matt Page 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Mike Ledwidge 19 Sam Peter 20 Nic Groom 21 Douglas Mallett 22 Mark Esterhuizen 23 Wesley Chetty

Head coach: John Dobson