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The Varsity Cup will continue its role as a testing ground for rule changes and a breeding ground for future South African stars.

The Varsity Cup will continue its role as a testing ground for rule changes and a breeding ground for future South African stars.

The competition, now in its fourth year, will trial a new points-scoring system this season with the approval of the International Rugby Board (IRB), according to Jurie Roux, the chairman of the Varsity Cup board and the CEO of the SA Rugby Union.

The organisers said the value of points would be switched around, with a conversion worth three points, and penalty kicks and drop goals worth two.

They embarked on the experimental point-scoring system with the hope of promoting more tries in matches.

“We referred it to the IRB which referred it to the technical committee,” Roux said.

“They reviewed it and there was quite a debate on what the effect on rugby would be.

“Like any other experiment all over the world in rugby, if it works locally they will probably try to roll it out internationally, see what the appetite for it is on an international level and move to national or international acceptance of that.”

Roux and former Springbok captain Francois Pienaar also announced another extension of the Varsity Cup competition.

Last year the organisers introduced the five-team second-tier Varsity Shield competition, and this season have added the Varsity Young Guns – a students-only Under-20 tournament – which will involve eight teams.

Organisers also opted to tighten players' eligibility as they are no longer allowed to transfer between Varsity Cup university teams except in extenuating circumstances.

Another addition, according to Varsity Cup managing director Duitser Bosman, would see greater emphasis on academic performance as players would be compelled to pass at least 30 percent of their subjects to be eligible to play.

“What might happen at some of the member universities is that they might enrol players, but the players don't really attend classes,” Bosman said.

“They are not there for the core principal of being a student and that is to get a tertiary qualification.

“We thought it was good to bring in a principal where the coach becomes the academic coach and it is in his interest to see the players pass the subjects.

“If they don't pass then they can't play for him the next year.”

The competition had come under scrutiny regarding players with Super Rugby and international experience playing in the Varsity Cup.

These had been addressed, organisers said, and players with Test rugby experience and more than four Super Rugby matches behind their names would be ineligible to play in the competition.

The 2012 Varsity Rugby season gets underway on January 30 with the start of the Varsity Shield.

The Cup kicks off the following week, on February 6, along with the Young Guns competition. – Sapa