Pumas make Currie Cup cut
This follows a decision of a Special General Council meeting of the South African Rugby Union in Cape Town on Friday.
The Premier Division of the Currie Cup will be reduced from nine to seven teams.
The winners of an eight-team First Division (including a representative team from Namibia) will play a promotion challenge series against the last-placed Premier Division team.
The new format will see the return of mid-week rugby, with each of the teams scheduled to play a number of weekday matches during the season.
The Premier Division teams were determined on the last season's top six plus the Pumas, who had the best record of the rest in the competition over the past five years.
The Premier Division will comprise of the Free State Cheetahs, Golden Lions, Western Province, Sharks, Blue Bulls, Griquas and Pumas.
The second-tier First Division will feature Boland, Griffons, Falcons, Leopards, Eastern Province, Border, SWD and Welwitschias (Namibia).
They will play a single round.
The tournament kicks off on August 12, the week after the final of Super Rugby.
The Final takes place on October 28.
