Preview: Community Cup play-offs

Defending champions Despatch and Roodepoort will open the 2014 edition of the Community Cup Easter play-offs at Outeniqua Park in George on Thursday.

It is the beginning of the battle between South Africa's top eight non-university club teams for the historic Gold Cup.

Despatch, Roodepoort, Hamiltons, College Rovers, Old Selbornians, Centurion, Roses United and Rustenburg Impala will participate in the Community Cup Easter play-offs – which reaches a climax on Monday, April 21, with the Cup Final.

The matches will take place over three days; Thursday, Saturday and Monday respectively.

Four of the teams participated in the inaugural tournament last year, while Hamiltons, Old Selbornians, Centurion and Roses United will make their debut in the Easter play-offs in the next few days.

"It is fitting that the defending champions will kick off the second edition of the Community Cup," said SARU CEO Jurie Roux.

"This will add to the excitement around the event and the atmosphere at Outeniqua Park where fans will have the luxury of seeing the best domestic club teams in action.

"In the last few months 20 teams have gone head-to-head for places in the Community Cup Easter play-offs and the top teams will now have the opportunity to prove that they have what it takes to be crowned the champions.

"SARU and tournament hosts, South Western Districts Rugby, have been working hard in the last few months to ensure that the tournament is a success, so this is an exciting time for us and for club rugby in South Africa," explained Roux.

The 2013 runners up College Rovers will meet newcomers Old Selbornians in the second match, while Roses United will take on Rustenburg Impala and Hamiltons go up against Centurion in the final match of the day.

Community Cup day-one fixtures (Thursday, 17 April):

Despatch v Roodepoort – 11.15

College Rovers v Old Selbornians – 13.30

Roses United  v Rustenburg Impala – 15.45

Hamiltons v Centurion – 18.00