Come the end of the 2022 season, the two teams at the bottom of the combined 2021-2022 FNB Varsity Cup log will be automatically relegated to the FNB Varsity Shield.
No team will be promoted from the FNB Varsity Shield to the FNB Varsity Cup at the end of the 2022 season. From the 2023 season, there will be eight teams in the FNB Varsity Cup and eight in the FNB Varsity Shield.
The team ending bottom on the Cup log will be automatically relegated to the Shield, while the team finishing top of the Shield log will be automatically promoted to the Cup.
There will be no promotion/relegation match between the seventh-placed FNB Varsity Cup team and the second-placed FNB Varsity Shield team.
Teams will be automatically promoted and relegated on an annual basis, rather than at the end of a two-year cycle. The Varsity Cup Board of Directors will review the system annually.
FNB Madibaz (5) will have to have a "miracle" season to escape relegation. FNB UWC (20), FNB UFS Shimlas (18), FNB Wits (17) and FNB UJ (15) are the other sides that will fight it out to escape relegation.
Unfortunately one can not see that the top teams will have "horror" enough seasons to be relegated. FNB UCT Ikeys (41), FNB Maties (35), FNB Tuks (34), FNB NWU Eagles (30) and FNB CUT Ixias (29).