Season III of Varsity Netball kicks off this spring and it is going to be colourful! Eight universities are set to battle it out for the top prize in university netball, that of Varsity Netball Champions. Participating teams this year include Kovsies (the University of the Free State), the University of Cape Town (UCT), UP-Tuks, Maties (Stellenbosch University), Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), Pukke (North-West University) and the University of Johannesburg (UJ). The action starts on Sunday, 6 September.

Part of this year’s tournament is an exciting new social media campaign aimed at making the match day experience more fun and entertaining. The #ShowYourColours initiative is an invitation for all varsity sport fanatics to get behind their teams, dress in their local university’s colours and win big on match day.

The campaign is the culmination of a national roadshow that went to each of the participating universities, where representatives from each team ‘showed their colours’ through magnificent interpretations of the theme using body paint, nail art and accessories.

‘We have added another exciting layer to the Varsity Netball match day experience,’ says Duitser Bosman, CEO of Varsity Sports. ‘Apart from the world-class netball action expected on court, fans will have the opportunity to show their pride and support for their local team.’

A prize for the best interpretation will be awarded weekly and anyone can enter by using the campaign hashtags #ShowYourColours and #VSNetball and tagging @VarsitySportsSA. Winners will be selected by the Varsity Sports team and announced on Friday each week.

Netball has become one of the most popular sports in the country, with over two million female participants and a growing support base. The widely received broadcast of Varsity Netball through broadcast partner SuperSport is crucial for profiling the sport’s future stars, as well as for the sport itself.

The large number of current and past Varsity Netball players who have been selected for the national squad representing South Africa at the 2015 Netball World Cup bears testament to the necessity of grassroots development.

‘We are extremely proud of what we have achieved and what our players have gone on to achieve,’ adds Bosman. ‘Varsity Sports strives to bridge the gap between high school and university sport, and netball is just another one of the sporting codes that needs some attention. It has one of the biggest drop-off rates in participation after high school, and we hope that, by showing them that there are career opportunities in netball, we can encourage even more women and young girls to take up the sport.’

This season will introduce new stars, bring new thrills and encourage fans to be a part of the experience.

For more content and updates on Varsity Netball 2015:

Online: www.varsitysportssa.com

Twitter: @VarsitysportsSA

Facebook: www.facebook.com/VarsitySportsSA

Instagram: @VarsitysportsSA

YouTube: Varsity Sports SA

Hash tags for this season’s Varsity Netball: #ShowYourColours #VSNetball

For more information, please contact: