2016 Varsity Rugby was the 2016 edition of four rugby union competitions annually played between several university teams in South Africa. It was contested from 1 February to 18 April 2016 and was the ninth edition of these competitions. Following a disruption during the Varsity Cup Round Three match between and and general unrest on various university campuses, all fixtures scheduled for 29 February were postponed to 4 April, with the semi-finals and final also postponed by a week. On 1 March, it was also announced that the round of matches scheduled for 7 March would also be postponed, with the situation at various universities being monitored to determine when the competition will resume.
Rules
All four 2016 Varsity Rugby competitions used a different scoring system to the regular system. In the Varsity Cup, tries could be worth five, seven or nine points, depending on the point of origin of the try. In the Varsity Shield, Young Guns and Koshuis Rugby Championship competitions, tries were worth five points as usual, but conversions were worth three points, while penalties and drop goals were only worth two points.
Varsity Cup
The following teams competed in the 2016 Varsity Cup:,,,,,, and. All these teams also played in the competition in 2015. The tournament was won by, who beat 7–6 in the final. finished bottom of the log, but beat 2016 Varsity Shield runner-up in a [|relegation play-off] to remain in the Varsity Cup for 2017.
Varsity Shield
The following teams competed in the 2016 Varsity Shield:,,, and. The tournament was won by, who beat 39–2 in the final. Wits were automatically promoted to an expanded nine-team 2017 Varsity Cup, but runner-up lost to in a [|promotion play-off] to remain in the Varsity Shield for 2017.
Promotion/relegation play-offs
2017 Varsity Cup play-off
There was a promotion/relegation match between, who finished bottom team in the 2016 Varsity Cup and, who finished as runners-up in the 2016 Varsity Shield. UCT Ikey Tigers won 40–5 to retain their place in the Varsity Cup for 2017, while UWC remained in the Varsity Shield competition.
Young Guns
Competition Rules
There were eight participating universities in the 2016 Young Guns competition. These teams were divided into two pools and each team played every team in the other pool once over the course of the season, either home or away. Teams received four points for a win and two points for a draw. Bonus points were awarded to teams that scored four or more tries in a game, as well as to teams that lost a match by seven points or less. Teams were ranked by log points, then points difference. The top two teams overall qualified for the title play-off final.
Teams
Standings
The final league standings for the 2016 Varsity Cup Young Guns were:
Matches
The following matches were played in the 2016 Varsity Young Guns:
Round One
Round Two
Round Three
Round Four
Round Five
Round Six
Final
Koshuis Rugby Championship
Competition Rules
There were eight participating teams in the 2016 Koshuis Rugby Championship competition, the winners of the internal leagues of each of the eight Varsity Cup teams. These teams were divided into two pools and each team played every team in the other pool once over the course of the season, either home or away. Teams received four points for a win and two points for a draw. Bonus points were awarded to teams that scored four or more tries in a game, as well as to teams that lost a match by seven points or less. Teams were ranked by log points, then points difference. The top two teams overall qualified for the title play-off final.
Teams
Standings
The final league standings for the 2016 Koshuis Rugby Championship were:
Matches
The following matches were played in the 2016 Koshuis Rugby Championship:
