The 2024 Carling Currie Cup Bulletin #9

The Carling Currie Cup Premier Division reaches its halfway stage this weekend with four more intriguing matches scheduled in the fifth round, with the defending champions, the Toyota Cheetahs, hosting log leaders the Vodacom Bulls in a top-two clash in Bloemfontein on Friday (17h00).

On Saturday, the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV will attempt to build on their good performance in the previous round which saw them registering their first win of the season when they travel north to Nelspruit to face the Airlink Pumas (15h00).

The encounter in the Lowveld is followed by the meeting between DHL Western Province and NovaVit Griffons, from 17h15, at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town. The Cape side will be hoping to get back on the winning wagon after last weekend’s loss in Pretoria, while the Northern Free Staters showed their attacking potency when going down to a narrow loss in the Free State derby.

In the final match of the round, Suzuki Griquas will be eager to regain lost ground as they host the Fidelity ADT Lions in Sunday afternoon in Kimberley (15h00), with the team from Gauteng equally determined to show their defeat last week at the hands of the KwaZulu-Natalians was just a temporary hiccup.

After four rounds of action, with two matches in the groups remaining before the four single round cross-group encounters start, a clear picture is not only emerging regarding the league contenders, but also the men who are the driving force for those teams.

Airlink Pumas playmaker Clinton Swart is currently leading the overall point scoring charts with 63 points. He is followed by Ethan Wentzel of Toyota Cheetahs on 47, whom in turn is two points ahead of Sam Francis (Fidelity ADT Lions) and Jaco van der Walt, who had a blinder for the Vodacom Bulls in last weekend North-South win in Pretoria, both on 45.

The leading try scorer list is headed by Vodacom Bulls No 8 Celimpilo Gumede with five, while the duo of Swart and former Blitzbok Angelo Davids of DHL WP are joint-second with four five-pointers each.

The Carling Currie Cup Premier Division had seen a feast of attacking rugby and lots of exciting tries thus far, as evident by the number of successful conversions. Swart leads the way with 17 two-pointers of the kicking tee, Wentzel is next on 15, followed by Jurie Matthee (DHL WP, 13), Francis (11) and Van der Walt (10).

Match information:

Toyota Cheetahs vs Vodacom Bulls
Date: Friday, 2 August
Venue: Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
Time: 17h00
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron
TV: SS Rugby

Airlink Pumas vs Hollywoodbets Sharks XV
Date: Saturday, 3 August
Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Time: 15h00
Referee: Sean Muller
TV: SS Rugby

DHL Western Province vs NovaVit Griffons
Date: Saturday, 3 August
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Time: 17h15
Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys
TV: SS Rugby

Suzuki Griquas vs Fidelity ADT Lions
Date: Sunday, 4 August
Venue: Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley
Time: 15h00
Referee: Griffin Colby
TV: SS Rugby

Carling Currie Cup Premier Division First Division Toyota Cheetahs Vodacom Bulls DHL Western Province NovaVit Griffons Hollywoodbets Sharks Airlink Pumas Suzuki Griquas Fidelity ADT Lions

Boks expecting epic battle against England...

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and assistant coach Mzwandile Stick anticipated an epic 80-minute battle against England i...

Under-17 EPD camp invitees confirmed...

SA Rugby confirmed on Friday that 58 players have been invited to the Under-17 Elite Player Development camp, which kick...

Four women complete WR Level 3 coaching course...

Four women were amongst a delegation of 28 coaches from across Africa who successfully completed World Rugby’s Level 3 c...

Wilco Louw returns as Boks change 12 for England...

Wilco Louw will play his first Test match since 2021 against England in London on Saturday in a Springbok starting XV wh...

England name side to play the Springboks in London...

England head coach Steve Borthwick has named his team to face the Springboks at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, making four...

Boks beaming with excitement for Aussie tour

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said his 33-member squad were beaming with excitement for what he anticipates will be a challenging tour to Australia as they prepare to depart Down Under for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship late on Wednesday afternoon.

Olympics big boost to Bok Women's aspirations

To be part of an event where 65 000 people vocally rooted for women's sevens rugby was a feeling that she cannot describe, but close to that was the way the South African team fought for one another and their first victory at their first Olympic Games.

Match official appointments to 4 August 2024

Match official appointments for the next few days have been made with the semi-finals in the Women’s Premier and First Divisions taking place in Pretoria, Cape Town, Mossel Bay and Potchefstroom on Saturday.

Wessels honoured to be part of Bok tour squad

Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who made his Test debut 10 days ago against Portugal in Bloemfontein, said on Tuesday it was a massive honour to be a member of Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus’ 33-man squad for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship and added that he relished every moment of being part of the group.

SA Women finish Paris sojourn on a winning note

The South African Women’s Sevens team finish their maiden Olympics with their first win at the Paris 2024 Games to finish the tournament on a high note at the Stade de France on Tuesday.

Familiar faces in Premier Division play-offs

The same four teams that contested the semifinals of the SA Rugby Women’s Premier Division in 2023 will be back at it this weekend. The Bulls Daisies and DHL Western Province again finished top of the log, but will swop opponents this time around, with the Daisies welcoming Border Ladies in Pretoria and the Capetonians hosting neighbours Sanlam Boland Dames at DHL Stadium.

Match officials announced for Rugby Champs fixtures

The Springboks will be officiated by six different referees in their Castle Lager Rugby Championship matches over the next two months, with Luke Pearce of England set to take charge of their opening match of the 2024 campaign against Australia at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday, 10 August.

Vermeulen hoping to grow in new coaching role

Double Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok stalwart Duane Vermeulen said on Saturday he was relishing the opportunity to work with the Springboks and the other national teams in his new role as a coach, as the Boks continue their preparations in Brisbane for their opening Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, 10 August.

Daisies and WP to contest Premier Division final

The Bulls Daisies and DHL Western Province will contest the 2024 Women’s Premier Division final in Pretoria on Saturday after winning their respective semi-finals against Border Ladies and Sanlam Boland Dames.

Boks braced for a big battle in Brisbane

The Springboks are expecting a fierce onslaught from the Wallabies in their Castle Lager Rugby Championship opener at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday and the team’s assistant coach Daan Human, as well as RG Snyman (lock) and Grant Williams (scrumhalf) agreed that they would be tested across the board.