Home fans are set for a treat as the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Senior Men’s Rugby Team kicks off their 2025 FNB Varsity Cup campaign at the UJ Rugby Stadium in Westdene. UJ will begin their Varsity Cup journey against Central University of Technology (FNB CUT Ixias) on Monday, 17 February 2025, at 19:00. This opening fixture offers a chance for UJ to avenge last year’s narrow 23-19 defeat to CUT Ixias in the Free State Province.
Last year in a fierce opening contest away from home, FNB UJ agonizingly fell short in their away match against FNB CUT Ixias. CUT Ixias were 20-0 up after 50 minutes when UJ attempted a comeback scoring 19 points to reduce the deficit in the second half.
In their second match in this year’s tournament, FNB UJ locks horns with the FNB Varsity Shield champions, University of Pretoria, at UP-Tuks Stadium on Monday, 24 February 2025. The Orange Army will also face off against defending champions University of Free State on Monday, 3 March 2025 at 19:00 at Shimla Park.
Each of the eight participating teams plays seven round robin matches before the playoffs and the final. Tickets to the matches will be available soon on the FNB Varsity Cup website.
The UJ Senior Men’s FNB Varsity Cup fixtures for 2025 as follows:
| Date: | Fixture: | Venue: | Time: |
| 17 February 2025 | FNB UJ vs FNB CUT | UJ Stadium | 19:00 |
| 24 February | FNB UJ vs FNB UP-Tuks | Tuks Stadium | 16:45 |
| 3 March 2025 | FNB UJ vs FNB UFS Shimlas | Shimla Park | 19:00 |
| 10 March 2025 | FNB UJ vs FNB Maties | UJ Stadium | 19:00 |
| 17 March 2025 | FNB UJ vs FNB Wits | Wits Stadium | 16:45 |
| 24 March 2025 | FNB UJ vs FNB NWU Eagles | Fanie Du Toit Sports Ground | 19:00 |
| 31 March 2025 | FNB UJ vs FNB UCT Ikeys | UJ Stadium | 16:45 |
FNB Women’s Varsity Cup fixtures:
UJ’s Women’s Varsity Cup and Varsity Young Guns teams also have exciting fixtures lined up.
| Date: | Fixture: | Venue: | Time: |
| 14 March 2025 | FNB UJ vs FNB UKZN | Howard College Stadium | 15:00 |
| 21 March 2025 | FNB UJ vs FNB UP-Tuks | Tuks Stadium | 15:00 |
| 28 March 2025 | FNB UJ vs FNB UFH | UJ Stadium | 15:00 |
FNB Varsity Young Guns fixtures:
| Date: | Fixture: | Venue: | Time: |
| 24 Feb. 2025 | UJ YG vs UFS YG | Shimla Park | 16:00 |
| 3 March 2025 | UJ YG vs UCT YG | UCT Rugby Fields | 16:00 |
| 10 March 2025 | UJ YG vs CUT YG | CUT Rugby Stadium | 13:45 |
| 17 March 2025 | UJ YG vs UFS YG | UJ Stadium | 15:00 |
| 24 March 2025 | UJ YG vs UCT YG | UJ Stadium | 15:00 |
| 31 March 2025 | UJ YG vs CUT YG | UJ Stadium | TBC |
In 2024, UJ finished in 6th position on the FNB Varsity Cup log after crucial victories against Wits and the University of the Western Cape (UWC). These wins came just in time, as UJ narrowly avoided the relegation playoff game thanks to Central University of Technology’s (CUT) loss to Stellenbosch University (SU Maties) in the last round robin fixture.
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