Staff Reporter
For the first time since its inception, the FISU (Fédération Internationale du sport universitaire) will host the FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens will be hosted in South Africa.
Stellenbosch University will be honoured to become only the second African university – the 2018 edition took place at the University of Namibia – to host the biannual international university rugby showpiece in 2026.
Incidentally, it was also the year that the South African men’s team won the gold medal, while the women finished in fourth place after narrowly losing to Belgium in the bronze medal match.
This year’s tournament will be hosted in Aix-Marseille-Provence, France, and will take place over two days, 10-12 June. Drikus Hancke, head of Rugby at Maties Sport, believes the 2026 edition of the FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens will show the world what Maties Sport has to offer. Stellenbosch University is well-known for producing top-quality athletes in individual and team sporting events.
However, it is the logistics, potential tourist influx, and event management of this magnitude that a very proud Hancke hopes the public will get to experience and view what the beautiful town of Stellenbosch offers. A tournament of this magnitude has certain standards that have to be adhered to even before the event is awarded to a university.
Maties’ facilities and the people who manage them across all sporting codes have the necessary experience hosting large groups of international travelling teams. This keen sense of detail has set the Maties organising committee on a path to setting a new bar for hosting world-class university competitions.
“We are very proud to have been awarded the bid,” Hancke said.
“The significance of it lies in the fact that it is an international competition showcasing the best Universities 7’s talent of participating countries. We are very proud to host such a big event, allowing us to showcase our facilities and capabilities. It will give us international exposure and bring a high-quality international event to Stellenbosch. The large influx of teams and supporters will benefit the town of Stellenbosch and its surrounds.”
Events of this size have a lasting impact on the community within the institution and the broader communities, districts, towns, and neighbourhoods in which it is situated. Tourists flock to the Cape Winelands town to experience its vineyards, wine farms, and beautiful summer events. The Maties Sports leadership hopes to leave a legacy that will forever be etched in the annals of Stellenbosch.
“The exposure we receive from the tournament will be wide and might attract talent we do not normally reach. Our facility and event management will hopefully attract more potential tournaments to be held here. An event of this size creates a lot of awareness and hopefully attracts more people to rugby in our area.”
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