The third Varsity Cup bubble in Tshwane has been pushed out by a week after three UP-Tuks players tested positive for Covid-19 last week.

The tournament will now resume on Monday, 17 May, with the final taking place on 31 May.

The Varsity Cup board made the decision over this past weekend in consultation with the member universities, after three UP-Tuks players tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of their match against UCT Ikeys last Friday. The match was declared a 0-0 draw and both teams received two log points.

Friday’s round-six matches were the last of the second FNB Varsity Cup bubble, which had begun on 22 April.

‘It was always our intention to complete the tournament by the end of May, because of university examinations in June,’ explained Varsity Cup tournament director Xhanti-Lomzi Nesi.

‘As such, we built in a buffer week to deal with any unknowns that would require us to reshuffle dates.

‘During discussions with the member universities after the second bubble, we agreed that an additional week’s break before the third bubble would serve the entire competition well.’

Nesi said the extended break would allow for more Covid-19 testing to take place and give injured players more time to recover ahead of the business end of the tournament.

‘As always, our main priority is ensuring the health and safety of all our student-athletes and management staff.’

Photo: Varsity Cup