The Vodacom Cup, the breeding ground for future South African rugby stars, kicks-off this weekend with four matches in the North Section scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
The first match will take place on the East Rand, when the Hino Valke host the Vodacom Blue Bulls at the Barnard Stadium in Kempton Park.
Only teams from the North Section are in action this weekend as well as in round two, with the South Section due to get underway in two weeks’ time.
Over the years, the Vodacom Cup has established itself as the competition where Springboks are made. Of the 14 players featured by SARU last year, nine players have since featured at Junior Springbok, Vodacom Super Rugby or Springbok level.
Oupa Mohoje got his first taste of Vodacom Super Rugby and became a Bok in June 2014, via the Vodacom Cup; Jesse Kriel, Marvin Orie, Malcolm Marx, Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Thomas du Toit played Vodacom Super Rugby; while Kriel, Marx and Du Toit were joined at the Junior Springboks by Thabo Mahuza, Aidon Davis and Cyle Brink.
This year, we’ll again feature rising stars in the Vodacom Cup, starting this week with former Junior Springbok prop Devon Martinus from the Leopards XV and Xerox Golden Lions lock JP du Preez.
Special mention has to be made of Eduan van der Walt, who will captain the Steval Pumas this season and is back in rugby after missing the entire 2014 season due to illness after he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome late in 2013.
2015 COMPETITION FORMAT:
South Africa’s 14 provincial unions, as well as the Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls and the FNB Welwitschias from Namibia will play in two sections, North and South, with eight teams each of the groups. All the teams will play in a single round within their own section after which the top eight sides, four from each section, will progress to the playoffs. Namibia will play all their pool matches at home in Windhoek.
North Section: Vodacom Blue Bulls, Xerox Golden Lions, Down Touch Griffons, Leopards XV, Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls, Steval Pumas, Hino Valke, FNB Welwitschias.
South Section: Boland Cavaliers, Border Bulldogs, EP Kings, Toyota Free State XV, GWK Griquas, Cell C Sharks XV, SWD Eagles, DHL Western Province.
ROUND ONE FIXTURES:
Friday, March 6:
Hino Valke v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Kick-off: 15h00
Venue: Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park
Referee: Kurt Weaver (USA)
FNB Welwitschias v Xerox Golden Lions
Kick-off: 19h00
Venue: Hage Geingob Stadium, Windhoek
Referee: Pro Legoete
Steval Pumas v Down Touch Griffons
Kick-off: 19h00
Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Referee: Ben Crouse
Saturday, March 7:
Leopards XV v Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls
Kick-off: 16h30
Venue: Profert Olen Park, Potchefstroom
Referee: Jason Jaftha