In most competitions, the euphoria of winning a title is short-lived. Teams celebrate long into the night, having been rewarded for their sweat and toil, lifting silverware – crowned champions. But the following day it feels surreal, the joy has waned and the moment is soon forgotten as champions pack their bags and the next practice looms. Not in Varsity Cricket. Winning the title is only the beginning. Thanks to Red Bull the champions will quite literally fly. Their newly-attained ‘wings’ providing another journey.
Red Bull Campus Cricket is an annual international T20 tournament for university cricket teams, providing a platform for young talent to play on a world stage and make their way into professional cricket without having to give up on college education. The competition was launched in 2012 and is now in its sixth year.
Each year the winner from Varsity Cricket automatically qualifies as the South African champions of Red Bull Campus Cricket. As a result, the respective team goes on to represent their country at the World Finals later in the year.
South Africa’s very own Tuks side (University of Pretoria) has been the most successful team in the World Finals to date, winning both the 2014 and 2015 events and narrowly missing out on the 2016 finals due to their defeat by eventual winners Sri Lanka in the semi-finals.
Can South Africa reclaim this prestigious title? Will the nation be represented by Tuks for a fourth year in succession or will another university lay claim to the title?
Catch Varsity Cricket from 30 January until 4 February to find out.
