The 2026 Varsity Football Women's tournament kicked off on Saturday at the University of Pretoria and the opening day produced closely contested encounters as WSU and Wits played to a 1-1 draw, while newcomers UL marked their return with a goalless draw against CPUT. The UJ Orange Army were the only side to claim maximum points after edging TUT 1-0 in a repeat of last year’s semi-final, while hosts UP-Tuks were held to a 0-0 draw by defending champions UWC in the day's marque