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2014 Absa Currie Cup: All you need to know

PUBLISHED: July 25, 2014


The 2014 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division gets underway in the second week of August. But how exactly will this new eight-team competition work?

This year’s Absa Currie Cup Premier Division will be contested by the Cell C Sharks, DHL Western Province, Eastern Province Kings, Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Xerox Golden Lions, Vodacom Blue Bulls, Steval Pumas and the recent winners of the qualifying tournament, GWK Griquas.teststarter

The eight teams will be divided into two sections, based on their 2013 log positions: Section X – DHL Western Province, Xerox Golden Lions, Vodacom Blue Bulls, Eastern Province Kings – and Section Y – Cell C Sharks, Toyota Free State, Steval Pumas, GWK Griquas.

The teams will play home and away within their sections followed by a single cross-conference round before semifinals and final – meaning that each team will again play 10 league games before the play-offs get underway in mid-October.

DHL Western Province, the 2012 champions and 2013 losing finalists, will open their 2014 Absa Currie Cup campaign against the Eastern Province Kings on Friday, August 8.

Province’s first home game will be against the Vodacom Blue Bulls on Saturday, August 16 (kick-off 14h00), with the Under-19 and Under-21 teams also in action against the Bulls at DHL Newlands on the same day.

Ticket sales for the Absa Currie Cup season will open on Friday, August 1, but supporters can purchase a half-season ticket NOW to secure their seat(s) at DHL Newlands for the remainder of the 2014 season (including the Springboks v Wallabies Rugby Championships Test!).

2014 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division fixtures:
(Home teams named first, all DHL WP games in bold)

ROUND ONE:

August 8:
Eastern Province Kings v DHL Western Province, 19h10

August 9:
GWK Griquas v Cell C Sharks, 15h00
Vodacom Blue Bulls v Xerox Golden Lions, 17h05
Steval Pumas v Toyota Free State Cheetahs, 19h10

ROUND TWO:

August 15:
Cell C Sharks v Steval Pumas, 19h10

August 16:
DHL Western Province v Vodacom Blue Bulls, 14h00
Xerox Golden Lions v Eastern Province Kings, 14h10
Toyota Free State Cheetahs v GWK Griquas, 15h00

ROUND THREE:

August 22:
Steval Pumas v GWK Griquas, 19h10

August 23:
Vodacom Blue Bulls v Eastern Province Kings, 15h00
DHL Western Province v Xerox Golden Lions, 17h05
Cell C Sharks v Toyota Free State Cheetahs, 19h10

ROUND FOUR:

August 29:
Steval Pumas v Cell C Sharks, 19h10

August 30:
GWK Griquas v Toyota Free State Cheetahs, 15h00
Vodacom Blue Bulls v DHL Western Province, 17h05
Eastern Province Kings v Xerox Golden Lions, 19h10

ROUND FIVE:

September 5:
DHL Western Province v Eastern Province Kings, 19h10

September 6:
Toyota Free State Cheetahs v Steval Pumas, 15h00
Cell C Sharks v GWK Griquas, 17h05
Xerox Golden Lions v Vodacom Blue Bulls, 19h10

ROUND SIX:

September 12:
Eastern Province Kings v Vodacom Blue Bulls, 19h10

September 13:
GWK Griquas v Steval Pumas, Kick-off TBC
Toyota Free State Cheetahs v Cell C Sharks, 15h00
Xerox Golden Lions v DHL Western Province, 17h05

ROUND SEVEN:

September 19:
Xerox Golden Lions v Steval Pumas, 19h10

September 20:
Vodacom Blue Bulls v Cell C Sharks, 15h00
DHL Western Province v GWK Griquas, 17h05
Eastern Province Kings v Toyota Free State Cheetahs, 19h10

ROUND EIGHT:

September 26:
Toyota Free State Cheetahs v Vodacom Blue Bulls, 19h10

September 27:
GWK Griquas v Xerox Golden Lions, Kick-off TBC
Steval Pumas v DHL Western Province, Kick-off TBC
Cell C Sharks v Eastern Province Kings, 14h00

ROUND NINE:

October 4:
GWK Griquas v Eastern Province Kings, Kick-off TBC
Steval Pumas v Vodacom Blue Bulls, Kick-off TBC
Toyota Free State Cheetahs v DHL Western Province, 14h00
Cell C Sharks v Xerox Golden Lions, 19h10

ROUND TEN:

October 10:
Eastern Province Kings v Steval Pumas, 19h10

October 11:
Xerox Golden Lions v Toyota Free State Cheetahs, 15h00
DHL Western Province v Cell C Sharks, 17h05
Vodacom Blue Bulls v GWK Griquas, 19h10

Semifinals: October 17/18 (TBC).

Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Final: Saturday, October 25 (TBC).

In 2015, the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division 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 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division 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 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division they will automatically qualify for the 2015 Absa 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 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division, they will automatically qualify for the 2015 tournament and there will be no qualifying tournament in 2015.C4040-221