The inaugural SA Cup competition will get off to a flyer on Human Rights Day with an exciting clash between Griquas and the Leopards in Kimberley.
Meanwhile, last year’s Currie Cup Premier and First Division champions collide in Bloemfontein on Friday.
A total of 46 matches will be staged during the new competition, which will mark the official launch of the local provincial season for 2024. One of the interesting features of this competition is the inclusion of five Sunday afternoon fixtures staged across the country.
The SA Cup serves as an important bridge between pre-season and the beginning of the Currie Cup Premier and First Division competitions, effectively replacing the Mzansi Challenge from 2023.
The new competition will involve 10 provincial teams (excluding those with a Vodacom URC franchise team) who will compete against each other over a span of nine consecutive weeks.
In 2025, the top four teams from the “SA Cup” competition will join the four URC franchises in the Currie Cup Premier Division, with the remaining six teams contesting the First Division. Both competitions will culminate in semi-finals and a final.
The first whistle in the SA Cup will go at 3pm in Kimberley on Thursday, and this encounter in the Diamond City is the first of five games scheduled between Thursday and Sunday.
Apart from Thursday’s opener in Kimberley, there are two matches scheduled for Friday. First up, the SWD Eagles host the Pumas at Outeniqa Park in George.
Later on Friday, Currie Cup champions, the Cheetahs, host the Boland Kavaliers, who won the Currie Cup First Division last year.
Saturday sees the Valke hit the road for their away game with Eastern Province in Gqeberha, while the Griffons entertain the Border Bulldogs in Welkom in Sunday’s only clash.
When the league phase of this single-round competition is eventually completed, the top two sides on the standings will battle it out for honours when the SA Cup Final will be staged on the weekend of 25 May.
Matches:
Thursday, 21 March
Griquas vs Leopards, Kimberley, 3pm
Friday, 22 March
SWD Eagles vs Pumas, George, 3:30pm
Cheetahs vs Boland Kavaliers, Bloemfontein, 6pm
Saturday, 23 March
Eastern Province vs Valke, Gqeberha, 3pm
Sunday, 24 March
Griffons vs Border Bulldogs, Welkom, 3pm
Photo: Charle Lombard/BackpagePix
The post SA Cup to lift off in Kimberley appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
