The road to qualification for the 2025 Currie Cup kicks off in Mpumalanga this week with the start of the second edition of the SA Cup.
Ten provincial sides will battle it out for supremacy and the prestigious trophy, and four places at the top table of the oldest competition in rugby. The first match is on Friday when Pumas host the SWD Eagles at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.
The remaining four fixtures take place on Saturday, starting with the clash between the Valke and Eastern Province on the East Rand of Gauteng, before the Leopards host defending champions Griquas in Potchefstroom, Boland Kavaliers face Cheetahs in Wellington and Border take on the Griffons in East London.
The Pumas will be hoping for a good start to the competition as they will be keen to continue with their good form in recent seasons, which include winning the Currie Cup in 2023 and finishing runners up in the SA Cup last year.
Valke and EP meet at the Barnard Stadium in Kempton Park and another competitive meeting is in the offering between these two rivals, especially after EP managed to pull off a last-gasp 31-27 victory in last year’s opening round.
The Leopards will be hoping to avoid last year’s whitewash in the corresponding fixture, which the men from Kimberley easily won 88-0 as they started their charge towards the title and a perfect season.
Arguably the toughest match of the opening round takes place in Wellington, where the Kavaliers face the Cheetahs at Boland Stadium. The Free Staters – now under a new coach in former Springbok star Frans Steyn – won this fixture 38-7 in Bloemfontein last year, and they went on to clinch fourth place on the final league table, one place above Boland.
However, the Bolanders, who are coached by former Free State mentor Hawies Fourie, are an extremely difficult customer at home, which will present the Cheetahs with a tough away assignment.
Border Bulldogs host the Griffons at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane and the Eastern Cape side will be hoping for a better performance than last year’s 52-8 opening-round defeat in Welkom.
The SA Cup was established in 2024, replacing the Mzansi Challenge to fill an important gap between pre-season and the start of the Carling Currie Cup Premier and First Division competitions.
Griquas were crowned the first champions of the SA Cup, capping off an unbeaten season with a 46-24 victory over the Pumas in the final in Kimberley.
This year, the top four teams on the log will not only book their spots in the SA Cup semi-finals on the weekend of 17 May, but they will also qualify for the Currie Cup Premier Division along with the four Vodacom URC franchises. The rest of the teams will contest the Currie Cup First Division.
The competition will conclude with the final on the weekend of 24 May.
Top performers from 2024 SA Cup:Most points: George Whitehead (Griquas) – 150 pointsMost tries: Darnell Osaugwu (Pumas) – 11 triesMost conversions: George Whitehead (Griquas) – 55 conversionsMost penalty goals: Clinton Swart (Pumas) – SixMost tackles: Tertius Kruger (Griquas) – 85 tackles
SA Cup round 1 fixtures:FridayPumas vs SWD Eagles, Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit, 5pmSaturdayValke vs EP, Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park, 1pmBoland Kavaliers vs Cheetahs, Boland Stadium, Wellington, 3pmLeopards vs Griquas, Olën Park, Potchefstroom, 3pmBorder Bulldogs vs Griffons, Sisa Dukashe Stadium, East London, 3pm
Photo: Danie Van Der Lith/Gallo Images
