Currie Cup hits the sweet spot
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The Currie Cup seems to have hit the sweet spot according to former Lions hooker and commentator Owen Nkumane.
After dissecting various avenues over the years, there is finally a sense of optimism regarding the Currie Cup.
The 2024 season kicked off in July with the Final being played on September 21 – a period which sees no United Rugby Championship or European Cup games being played.
Speaking to @rugby365com, former Lions hooker and current commentator Owen Nkumane stated that the timeframe has been immense in the effort to bring the Currie Cup back to its glory days.
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“The current window is perfect,” Nkumane told @rugby365com.
“We should stick to this time frame and format so that we don’t have to learn something new next year.”
He added: “The fact they also managed to postpone the start of the URC means we are getting the top guys playing the semifinals.
“So we are getting some big names for the semifinals and Final.”
While the Currie Cup will never be able to compete with international tournaments like the URC and Champions Cup, Nkumane said the competition is on the right track to regain its prominent space in the South African rugby landscape.
“It won’t be as competitive as the URC and Champions Cup, but you do need something of your own and that is where the Currie Cup comes in,” said Nkumane.
“If you look at the structures as the moment, you got Varsity Cup and from there it URC, so where are the coaches going to come from, where are managers, the medics, so it is a proper feeder to success and sustainability for rugby in South Africa.”
What a sight 🤩
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Nkumane also added that a few honest questions need to be answered in the near future.
“We are in a very catch-22 situation where rugby is becoming an all-year-round sport in South Africa, we fall under the Southern and Northern hemispheres so what does our calendar look like?
“So are we ever going to make that call saying that we play in the north and does that mean we move our school systems and local clubs?
“It is tough, but for Currie Cup if we can just block that window, we are on the right track.”
Looking ahead to the two semifinal clashes, which sees the Lions hosting the Cheetahs in the first semifinal followed by the Pretoria clash between Bulls and Sharks, Nkumane predicted that there might be an upset at Loftus Versfeld.
He also revealed that Cheetahs will struggle against Lions after the retirement of scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar.
“The loss of Ruan Pienaar has an impact on the Cheetahs. They lose one or two players and depth-wise they struggle this season.
“It will take something special for them to come through, so I think the Lions should seal it and they could host the Final.
“We could have an upset in Pretoria. The two teams played last weekend. Sharks were at home they came through and I’m sure they will load the two teams.
“The Bulls had a very good start to the comp, the last couple of weeks they lost to the Lions and Sharks. But being at home counts in their favour.
“Nonetheless there could be an upset in Pretoria.”
