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2014 Currie Cup fixtures announced

PUBLISHED: March 11, 2014


The fixtures for the 2014 Absa Currie Cup Qualifying Competition and the new eight-team Premier Division were released by the South African Rugby Union (SARU) on Tuesday.

The Qualifying Competition, which will be contested by GWK Griquas, the Leopards, SWD Eagles, Boland Cavaliers, Down Touch Griffons, Border Bulldogs and Valke, will get underway on the first weekend of June and run until July 19, when the top team on the log will be granted entry into the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division.

The start of the eight-team Absa Currie Cup Premier Division – contested by the Cell C Sharks, DHL Western Province, EP Kings, Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Golden Lions, Vodacom Blue Bulls, Steval Pumas and the winner of the Qualifying Competition – is scheduled for the weekend of August 8/9, a week after the Vodacom 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 (DHL Western Province, Golden Lions, Vodacom Blue Bulls, EP Kings) and Section Y (Cell C Sharks, Toyota Free State, Steval 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 Absa 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 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 7th and 8th 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.

2014 Absa Currie Cup Qualifying Competition:
(Home teams named first, final dates and kick-off times TBC):

Round 1 – June 6/7
Leopards v SWD Eagles
Down Touch Griffons v Boland Cavaliers
GWK Griquas v Border Bulldogs
Bye: Valke

Round 2 – June 13/14
SWD Eagles v Down Touch Griffons
Boland Cavaliers v GWK Griquas
Valke v Leopards
Bye: Border Bulldogs

Round 3 – June 20/21
SWD Eagles v Valke
Border Bulldogs v Boland Cavaliers
GWK Griquas v Leopards
Bye: Down Touch Griffons

Round 4 – June 27/28
Boland Cavaliers v SWD Eagles
Down Touch Griffons v GWK Griquas
Valke v Border
Bye: Leopards

Round 5 – July 4/5
Leopards v Down Touch Griffons
Border Bulldogs v SWD Eagles
Valke v Boland Cavaliers
Bye: GWK Griquas

Round 6 – July 11/12
Boland Cavaliers v Leopards
Border Bulldogs v Down Touch Griffons
GWK Griquas v Valke
Bye: SWD Eagles

Round 7 – July 18/19
Leopards v Border Bulldogs
SWD Eagles v GWK Griquas
Down Touch Griffons v Valke
Bye: Boland Cavaliers

2014 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division:
(Home teams named first, final dates and kick-off times TBC):

Round 1 – August 8/9
Vodacom Blue Bulls v Golden Lions
EP Kings v DHL Western Province
Steval Pumas v Toyota Free State Cheetahs
Qualifier v Cell C Sharks

Round 2 – August 15/16
DHL Western Province v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Golden Lions v EP Kings
Cell C Sharks v Steval Pumas
Toyota Free State Cheetahs v Qualifier

Round 3 – August 22/23
Vodacom Blue Bulls v EP Kings
DHL Western Province v Golden Lions
Cell C Sharks v Toyota Free State Cheetahs
Steval Pumas v Qualifier

Round 4 – August 29/30 (Absa Currie Cup First Division starts)
Vodacom Blue Bulls v DHL Western Province
EP Kings v Golden Lions
Steval Pumas v Cell C Sharks
Qualifier v Toyota Free State Cheetahs

Round 5 – September 5/6
DHL Western Province v EP Kings
Golden Lions v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Cell C Sharks v Qualifier
Toyota Free State Cheetahs v Steval Pumas

Round 6 – September 12/13
Golden Lions v DHL Western Province
EP Kings v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Toyota Free State Cheetahs v Cell C Sharks
GWK Griquas v Qualifier

Round 7 – September 19/20
Vodacom Blue Bulls v Cell C Sharks
DHL Western Province v Qualifier
Golden Lions v Steval Pumas
EP Kings v Toyota Free State Cheetahs

Round 8 – September 26/27
Qualifier v Golden Lions
Cell C Sharks v EP Kings
Toyota Free State Cheetahs v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Steval Pumas v DHL Western Province

Round 9 – October 3/4 (Absa Currie Cup First Division semifinals)
Qualifier v EP Kings
Cell C Sharks v Golden Lions
Toyota Free State Cheetahs v DHL Western Province
Steval Pumas v Vodacom Blue Bulls

Round 10 – October 10/11 (Absa Currie Cup First Division Final)
Vodacom Blue Bulls v Qualifier
DHL Western Province v Cell C Sharks
Golden Lions v Toyota Free State Cheetahs
EP Kings v Pumas

Semifinals: October 17/18

Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Final: Saturday, October 25