It’s all systems go for the 2014 edition of the Cell C Community Cup, with the country’s top non-university clubs departing on Friday for eight first-round matches taking place across the length and breadth of the country this weekend.
Western Province team, Hamilton’s, have a bye this weekend but will start their campaign against Sishen on Saturday, March 15 – at the Stephan Oval in Green Point.
Hamilton’s coach Anton Moolman told www.wprugby.com this week: “We’ve had a good pre-season and are raring to go for next Saturday.
“We’ve got some nice new additions to our squad this year and will fly the WP flag with honour in the 2014 Cell C Community Cup!”
All eyes will be on the Eastern Cape town of Despatch, where defending champions Gap Management Despatch host Port Elizabeth arch-rivals Spring Rose in the televised tournament opener (kick-off 14h30, SuperSport 8).
The first round of pool action in SARU’s official national club rugby championship for non-university clubs sees action in Roodepoort, Polokwane, Emalahleni and Rustenburg in the north to Durban in the east and down south to Mossel Bay and Wellington.
A tight tussle is expected between these two old foes, who finished second and third respectively behind Varsity Cup side NMMU Madibaz in the 2013 EP Grand Challenge – arguably the second strongest premier league in the country after the Western Province Super League. Spring Rose, coached by Lulama Mpalala, were the only team to beat the Madibaz last season, while the New Brighton side lost 25-21 to Despatch at the venue of next month’s Community Cup opener.
Despatch, who will once again be coached by former Springbok lock Adri Geldenhuys, lost narrowly to Madibaz and drew with the EP Kings’ Vodacom Cup side in warm-up matches.
Despatch vs Spring Rose apart, the opening weekend of Community Cup 2014 is packed with intriguing battles. In Pool C, title contenders G5 Metals Brakpan, the Valke champions, travel from the East Rand to the West Coast to play Boland champions Roses United at Pelican Park in Wellington. And another capacity crowd is expected at the D’Almeida Stadium in Mossel Bay where Barbarians will host Bridgton in an all-SWD affair.
Adding spice to this Southern Cape derby is the fact that Barbarians will have a point to prove, having lost 25-24 to Bridgton in the 2013 SWD Premier League final at the neutral venue of George, thanks to a try after the hooter. Barbarians will be hoping that their formidable home-ground advantage will help them to reverse that heartbreaking loss.
Up north, another of the title favourites, Rustenburg Impala, host fellow miners from Kathu, Aveng Moolmans Sishen in Rustenburg, while Roodepoort entertain Bloemfontein Crusaders.
THE CELL C COMMUNITY CUP 2014 FIXTURES:
POOL STAGES:
(All kick-off times 16h00 – unless otherwise indicated)
Round One – Saturday, March 8:
Match 1 (Pool A) – Gap Management Despatch v Spring Rose (WJ de Wet Stadium, Despatch, 14h30 – TV)
Match 2 (Pool A) – Mossel Bay Barbarians v Bridgton (D’Almeida Stadium, Mossel Bay)
Match 3 (Pool B) – Roodepoort v Bloemfontein Crusaders (Rand Leases Sports Ground, Roodepoort)
Match 4 (Pool B) – Jonsson College Rovers v E-Car Welkom (KP3, Kings Park, Durban, 13h00)
Match 5 (Pool C) – BB Truck Noordelikes v Kaufela Boksburg (Noordelikes Rugby Club, Polokwane, 16h30)
Match 6 (Pool C) – Roses United v G5 Metals Brakpan (Pelican Park, Wellington)
Match 7 (Pool D) – Shumba Ferros v Wesbank (Puma Stadium, Emalahleni/Witbank, 15h30)
Match 8 (Pool D) – Rustenburg Impala v Sishen (Rustenburg Impala Rugby Club, Rustenburg)
Byes: Kempston Old Selbornians, Eagle Towing Rovers, Centurion, Hamilton’s.
Round Two – Saturday, March 15:
Match 9 (Pool A) – Bridgton v Gap Management Despatch (Bridgton Sports Grounds, Oudtshoorn)
Match 10 (Pool A) – Spring Rose v Kempston Old Selbornians (New Brighton Oval, Port Elizabeth, 15h30)
Match 11 (Pool B) – E-Car Welkom v Roodepoort (Griffons Rugby Stadium ‘B’ Field, Welkom)
Match 12 (Pool B) – Bloemfontein Crusaders v Eagle Towing Rovers (Clive Solomon Stadium, Heidedal)
Match 13 (Pool C) – Kaufela Boksburg v Roses United (Prince George Park, Boksburg)
Match 14 (Pool C) – Centurion v BB Truck Noordelikes (Centurion Rugby Club, Centurion)
Match 15 (Pool D) – Hamilton’s v Sishen (Stephan Oval, Green Point, Cape Town)
Match 16 (Pool D) – Shumba Ferros v Rustenburg Impala (Puma Stadium, Emalahleni/Witbank, 15h30)
Byes: Mossel Bay Barbarians, Jonsson College Rovers, G5 Metals Brakpan, Wesbank.
Round Three – Thursday, March 20:
Match 22 (Pool C) – G5 Metals Brakpan v Kaufela Boksburg (Bosman Stadium, Brakpan, 18h00 – live on SS1 & HD)
Round Three – Saturday, March 22:
Match 17 (Pool A) – Kempston Old Selbornians v Bridgton (Kempston Park, East London)
Match 18 (Pool A) – Gap Management Despatch v Mossel Bay Barbarians (WJ de Wet Stadium, Despatch)
Match 19 (Pool B) – Bloemfontein Crusaders v Jonsson College Rovers (Clive Solomon Stadium, Heidedal)
Match 20 (Pool B) – Eagle Towing Rovers v Roodepoort (Rovers Rugby Club, Welkom, 16h30)
Match 21 (Pool C) – Roses United v Centurion (Pelican Park, Wellington)
Match 23 (Pool D) – Sishen v Shumba Ferros (Sivos Rugby Stadium, Kathu)
Match 24 (Pool D) – Wesbank v Hamilton’s (Wesbank Sports Grounds, Malmesbury)
Byes: Spring Rose, E-Car Welkom, BB Truck Noordelikes, Rustenburg Impala.
Round Four – Saturday, March 29:
Match 25 (Pool A) – Mossel Bay Barbarians v Kempston Old Selbornians (D’Almeida Stadium, Mossel Bay)
Match 26 (Pool A) – Bridgton v Spring Rose (Bridgton Sports Grounds, Oudtshoorn)
Match 27 (Pool B) – Eagle Towing Rovers v E-Car Welkom (Rovers Rugby Club, Welkom, 17h00)
Match 28 (Pool B) – Roodepoort v Jonsson College Rovers (Rand Leases Sports Ground, Roodepoort)
Match 29 (Pool C) – G5 Metals Brakpan v BB Truck Noordelikes (Bosman Stadium, Brakpan, 18h00)
Match 30 (Pool C) – Kaufela Boksburg v Centurion (Prince George Park, Boksburg)
Match 31 (Pool D) – Wesbank v Rustenburg Impala (Wesbank Sports Grounds, Malmesbury)
Match 32 (Pool D) – Hamilton’s v Shumba Ferros (Stephan Oval, Green Point, Cape Town)
Byes: Gap Management Despatch, Bloemfontein Crusaders, Roses United, Sishen.
Round Five – Saturday, April 5:
Match 33 (Pool A) – Spring Rose v Mossel Bay Barbarians (New Brighton Oval, Port Elizabeth, 15h30)
Match 34 (Pool A) – Kempston Old Selbornians v Gap Management Despatch (Kempston Park, East London)
Match 35 (Pool B) – Jonsson College Rovers v Eagle Towing Rovers (KP3, Kings Park, Durban, 15h00)
Match 36 (Pool B) – E-Car Welkom v Bloemfontein Crusaders (Griffons Rugby Stadium ‘B’ Field, Welkom)
Match 37 (Pool C) – Centurion v G5 Metals Brakpan (Centurion Rugby Club, Centurion)
Match 38 (Pool C) – BB Truck Noordelikes v Roses United (Noordelikes Rugby Club, Polokwane, 16h30)
Match 39 (Pool D) – Rustenburg Impala v Hamilton’s (Rustenburg Impala Rugby Club, Rustenburg)
Match 40 (Pool D) – Sishen v Wesbank (Sivos Rugby Stadium, Kathu)
Byes: Bridgton, Roodepoort, Kaufela Boksburg, Shumba Ferros.
EASTER CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFFS – OUTENIQUA PARK, GEORGE:
(All matches live on SuperSport. Kick-off times TBC)
Day One – Thursday, April 17:
Match 41 (Cup QF1) – Winner Pool C v Runner-up Pool D
Match 42 (Cup QF2) – Winner Pool B v Runner-up Pool A
Match 43 (Cup QF3) – Winner Pool D v Runner-up Pool C
Match 44 (Cup QF4) – Winner Pool A v Runner-up Pool B
Day Two – Saturday, April 19:
Match 45 (Losers’ match 1) – Loser Match 41 (QF1) v Loser Match 42 (QF2)
Match 46 (Losers’ match 2) – Loser Match 43 (QF3) v Loser Match 44 (QF4)
Match 47 (Cup SF1) – Winner Match 41 (QF1) v Winner Match 42 (QF2)
Match 48 (Cup SF2) – Winner Match 43 (QF3) v Winner Match 44 (QF4)
Day Three – Easter Monday, April 21:
Match 49 (7th/8th Place Play-off) – Loser Match 45 v Loser Match 46
Match 50 (5h/6th Place Play-off) – Winner Match 45 v Winner Match 46
Match 51 (3rd/4th Place Play-off) – Loser Match 47 (SF1) v Loser Match 48 (SF2)
Match 52 (Cup Final) – Winner Match 47 (SF1) v Winner Match 48 (SF2)
