The Free State will have three teams as representatives in this year\u2019s Varsity Football Cup, South Africa\u2019s premier university football competition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, will compete in both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s tournament while the University of the Free State (UFS) will compete in the men\u2019s section only. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the second time the province will have three clubs in the football tournament, which features top eight university clubs comprising both men and women. The CUT\u2019s women\u2019s outfit returns to prestigious competition having last featured in 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team qualified for this year\u2019s edition after finishing top in the University Sports South Africa (USSA) championship staged in Cape Town, Western Cape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite record participation, the province\u2019s two university men\u2019s teams are yet to annex the sought-after championship. The UFS\u2019 men\u2019s team came close in 2021 when they lost 1 \u2013 4 to the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in the final. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The CUT men also almost tasted success in 2016 when they lost 1 \u2013 2 to the University of Pretoria (UP) in the final played in Bloemfontein. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The men\u2019s competition is set to run from 25 July, ending on 26 September with the final. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The women\u2019s tournament is scheduled to commence on 26 July with the grand final taking place on 9 August, tying with the commemoration of national Women\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lisa Roux, head of Varsity Sports, highlights the incredible opportunities and life-changing impact of the football tournaments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVarsity Football is the birthplace of future football stars and the stage where their talents shine. It is a place where dreams take flight, and lives are transformed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis season will not just be another competition; it will be a celebration you cannot afford to miss! The #iyachesa atmosphere, the community spirit, and the limitless potential that defines Varsity Football,\u201d said Roux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other men\u2019s teams in the competition are the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), University of the Western Cape (UWC), Durban University of Technology (DUT), UP, and the Vaal University of Technology (VUT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the women\u2019s tournament are the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), North-West University (NWU), University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), UWC, UJ, TUT, and the UP.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Free State will have three teams as representatives in this year\u2019s Varsity Football Cup, South Africa\u2019s premier university football 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