Friday 8 April 2016 marks the start of this year’s edition of the Currie Cup. As the first round of fixtures kicks off this weekend, it is important to note the new changes to the format of the tournament, and how it will affect the relevant teams playing in it.
Friday 8 April 2016 marks the start of this year’s edition of the Currie Cup. As the first round of fixtures kicks off this weekend, it is important to note the new changes to the format of the tournament, and how it will affect the relevant teams playing in it.
A total of 15 teams will be contesting this season’s Currie Cup with each team playing each other once in the preliminary stage in at total of 14 matches per team.
The six Super Rugby franchises, including the Eastern Province Kings, are already guaranteed a place in the second round. They will then be joined by the three best performing teams from the remaining nine in the second round.
This preliminary round is what has replaced the Vodacom Cup tournament, with the benefits for the winners of the tournament being the opportunity to compete against the ‘Big Six’ Super Rugby teams.
In the second round, each team will again play each other once after which the top four placed teams will move into the semi-finals and then ultimately the final.
The teams other than the ‘Big Six’ taking part in this season’s Currie Cup are the Boland Cavaliers, Border Bulldogs, Down Touch Griffons, Leopards, ORC Griquas, Steval Pumas, SWD Eagles, Valke, and newly included team Windhoek Draught Welwetschias from Namibia.
The first match of the tournament will see the ORC Griquas take on Down Touch Griffons while The EP Kings will close the weekends Currie Cup action when they take on the SWD Eagles on Saturday, 4pm at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium as a curtain raiser for the Super Rugby game between the EP Kings and the Vodacom Bulls.
Robbie Kempson’s EP Kings team for this Saturday’s fixture is as follows:
Forwards:
David Murray, Warrick Venter, Louis Albertse, Philip du Preez, Tazz Fuzani, JP Jonck, Sintu Manjezi (Vice-Captain), Junior Pokomela
Backs:
Chuma Faas, Michael Brink, Athenkosi Mayinje, Jeremy Ward (Captain), Somila Jho, Jixie Molapo, Keanu Vers
Reserves:
JP Jamieson, Vukile Sofisa, Stephan Zaayman, Brandon Brown, Cornell Hess, Davron Cameron, Courtney Winnaardd
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