Varsity Beach Volleyball and Varsity Sevens will make a welcome return to the Varsity Sports fold after the codes took a break in 2014.

While they have been played alongside each other in the past, things will be done slightly differently this year with each code being played at it’s own venue. Beach Volleyball kicks things off on April 22-23 at the University of the Western Cape, followed by Sevens at Villager F.C. in Claremont on April 25-27 with both events being broadcast live on SuperSport 210.

With both sporting codes being played at the 2016 Rio Olympics, these short but sweet tournaments will offer a chance for some of South Africa’s young talent to stake a claim and show off their skills, whilst entertaining the crowds.

“With Varsity Cup now over, these two codes epitomise the sportainment side of Varsity Sports. They are both fun and intensely competitive and we are confident that the players will put on a great show,” commented Duitser Bosman, CEO of Varsity Sports.

Six universities will participate in the Beach Volleyball tournament: Kovsies, Tuks, UCT, University of Limpopo, UWC and the Vaal University of Technology. Kovsies are the newcomers and say they will be going to the tournament with an open mind and to have fun.

“We are all really looking forward to the Varsity Beach Volleyball tournament even though we have no idea what to expect. Seeing as though we have not played in this event, the experience of playing in the tournament will do us the world of good and we are looking forward to it. We are yet to set ourselves objectives, but the one thing we will do is enjoy every moment and have fun while doing it,” Kovsies player Imke Stehn said.

The University of the Western Cape have been a formidable force in the Beach Volleyball tournament, having won the tournament twice. This year they have the added advantage of playing the tournament on their home turf and Bejancke Della, one of South Africa’s top ranked players and a UWC stalwart, says the university will be out to defend their title.

“I am looking forward to playing in another Varsity Beach Volleyball competition and it is exciting to know that we [UWC] will be hosting the event. We obviously want to retain our title, that is non-negotiable, but we know it is going to be tough because the other universities will be stepping up their game,” Della said.

In the Sevens tournament, 10 universities from across the country will compete at this year’s tournament. They are: University of the Free State (Kovsies), University of Stellenbosch (Maties), NMMU, Pukke, Tuks, UCT, University of Fort Hare, University of Johannesburg, University of the Western Cape and Walter Sisulu University.

Maties have won the tournament twice and while their main aim is to defend their title, they also want to entertain spectators.

“We want to play a brand of Sevens that people will enjoy both on and off the field. That will be our main goal and hopefully the results will go in our favour. It is not the end of the world for us if we lose because our goal is to have fun and play some quality Sevens,” said head coach, Ian Campbell-McGeachy.