Currie Cup clearer
Fixtures for the new eight-team Currie Cup and qualifying competition have been released.
The qualifying competition, which will be contested by Griquas, the Leopards, SWD Eagles, Boland Cavaliers, Griffons, Border Bulldogs and Falcons, will kick off on the first weekend of June and run until 19 July, when the top team on the log will be granted entry into the Currie Cup.
The start of the eight-team Currie Cup – contested by the Sharks, Western Province, EP Kings, Free State Cheetahs, Golden Lions, Blue Bulls, Pumas and the winner of the qualifying competition – is scheduled for the weekend of 8/9 August, a week after the Super Rugby Final. It will run until the final weekend of October, when the final will take place.
The eight teams will be divided into two sections on 2013 log positions: Section X (Western Province, Golden Lions, Blue Bulls, EP Kings) and Section Y (Sharks, Free State, Pumas, Qualifier). The teams will play home and away within their sections followed by a single cross-conference round before semifinals and final.
The fixtures for the Currie Cup First Division, which kicks off in the last weekend of August and runs until the second week of October, will be finalised at the conclusion of the qualifying competition.
In 2015, the Currie Cup will consist of the six franchise teams plus two non-franchise teams, which will be determined as follows:
*If the two non-franchise teams finish seventh and eighth in the 2014 Currie Cup they will both play in a 2015 qualification round of eight teams.
*If one non-franchise team finishes in the top six of the 2014 Currie Cup they will automatically qualify for the 2015 Currie Cup. The other non-franchise team will play in a 2015 qualifying round of seven teams.
*If both non-franchise teams finish in the top six of the 2014 Currie Cup, they will automatically qualify for the 2015 tournament and there will be no qualifying tournament in 2015.
Currie Cup qualifying competition fixtures:
(home teams named first, final dates and kick-off times TBC):
Round One – 6/7 June
Leopards v SWD Eagles
Griffons v Boland Cavaliers
Griquas v Border Bulldogs
Bye: Falcons
Round Two – 13/14 June
SWD Eagles v Griffons
Boland Cavaliers v Griquas
Falcons v Leopards
Bye: Border Bulldogs
Round Three – 20/21 June
SWD Eagles v Falcons
Border Bulldogs v Boland Cavaliers
Griquas vs Leopards
Bye: Griffons
Round Four – 27/28 June
Boland Cavaliers v SWD Eagles
Griffons v Griquas
Falcons v Border
Bye: Leopards
Round Five – 4/5 July
Leopards v Griffons
Border Bulldogs v SWD Eagles
Falcons v Boland Cavaliers
Bye: Griquas
Round Six – 11/12 July
Boland Cavaliers v Leopards
Border Bulldogs v Griffons
Griquas v Falcons
Bye: SWD Eagles
Round Seven – 18/19 July
Leopards v Border Bulldogs
SWD Eagles v Griquas
Griffons v Falcons
Bye: Boland Cavaliers
Currie Cup fixtures:
(home teams named first, final dates and kick-off times TBC):
Round One – 8/9 August
Blue Bulls v Golden Lions
EP Kings v Western Province
Pumas v Free State Cheetahs
Qualifier v Sharks
Round Two – 15/16 August
Western Province v Blue Bulls
Golden Lions v EP Kings
Sharks v Pumas
Free State Cheetahs v Qualifier
Round Three – 22/23 August
Blue Bulls v EP Kings
Western Province v Golden Lions
Sharks v Free State Cheetahs
Pumas v Qualifier
Round Four – 29/30 August
Blue Bulls v Western Province
EP Kings v Golden Lions
Pumas v Sharks
Qualifier v Free State Cheetahs
Round Five – 5/6 September
Western Province v EP Kings
Golden Lions v Blue Bulls
Sharks v Qualifier
Free State Cheetahs v Pumas
Round Six – 12/13 September
Golden Lions v Western Province
EP Kings v Blue Bulls
Free State Cheetahs v Sharks
Griquas v Qualifier
Round Seven – 19/20 September
Blue Bulls v Sharks
Western Province v Qualifier
Golden Lions v Pumas
EP Kings v Free State Cheetahs
Round Eight – 26/27 September
Qualifier v Golden Lions
Sharks v EP Kings
Free State Cheetahs v Blue Bulls
Pumas v Western Province
Round Nine – 3/4 October
Qualifier v EP Kings
Sharks v Golden Lions
Free State Cheetahs v Western Province
Pumas v Blue Bulls
Round 10 – 10/11 October
Blue Bulls v Qualifier
Western Province v Sharks
Golden Lions v Free State Cheetahs
EP Kings v Pumas
Semifinals – 17/18 October
Final – Saturday, 25 October
