FEATURED

New dawn for Currie Cup

PUBLISHED: August 10, 2016


The 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division features nine teams that will play each other team once in a single round of action before the play-offs.

The 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division features nine teams that will play each other team once in a single round of action before the play-offs.

This season the six Vodacom Super Rugby franchises gained automatic qualification for the Premier Division, with the Currie Cup Qualifiers deciding the three other teams.

Coach John Dobson’s DHL Western Province team finished top of the Currie Cup Qualifers standings, with just one loss in 14 games. However, they start the Premier Division campaign on an equal footing with the other eight teams.

Their first five matches of the season will see DHL Western Province take on the other five Vodacom Super Rugby franchises in the Vodacom Blue Bulls (lost 45-26 at Loftus Versfeld), Toyota Free State Cheetahs (August 19 at DHL Newlands), Xerox Golden Lions (August 27 at Emirates Airline Park), Cell C Sharks (September 3 at DHL Newlands) and Eastern Province Kings (September 9, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium).

They will then take on the three qualifiers Steval Pumas (September 17 at DHL Newlands), GWK Griquas (September 23 at GWK Park) and Boland (September 30 at DHL Newlands) before the semifinals are finalised.

The DHL Western Province U19 and DHL Western Province U21 campaigns will run concurrently, with DHL Western Province U19 looking to build on their six consecutive wins already this season and DHL Western Province U21 aiming to defend their national title.

DHL Western Province have played in the last four Currie Cup finals, collecting two of their record 33 titles in that time.

All DHL Western Province Fixtures:

Friday, August 19

DHL WP U19 v Toyota Free State Cheetahs U19 (DHL Newlands – Kick-off: 12h00)
DHL WP U21 v Toyota Free State Cheetahs U21 (DHL Newlands – Kick-off: 14h15)
DHL WP v Toyota Free State Cheetahs (DHL Newlands – Kick-off: 17h00)

Saturday, August 27

DHL WP U19 v Eastern Province U19 (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium – Kick-off: TBC)
DHL WP U21 v Eastern Province U21 (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium – Kick-off: TBC)
DHL WP v Eastern Province Kings (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium – Kick-off: 19h00)

Saturday, September 3

DHL WP U19 v Cell C Sharks U19 (DHL Newlands – Kick-off: 12h00)
DHL WP U21 v Cell C Sharks U21 (DHL Newlands – Kick-off: 14h15)
DHL WP v Cell C Sharks (DHL Newlands – Kick-off: 17h00)

Friday, September 9

DHL WP U19 v Xerox Golden Lions U19 (Emirates Airline Park – Kick-off: TBC)
DHL WP U21 v Xerox Golden Lions U21 (Emirates Airline Park – Kick-off: TBC)
DHL WP v Xerox Golden Lions (Emirates Airline Park – Kick-off: 16h00)

Saturday, September 17

DHL WP U19 v Steval Pumas U19 (DHL Newlands – Kick-off: 12h00)
DHL WP U21 v Steval Pumas U21 (DHL Newlands – Kick-off: 14h15)
DHL WP v Steval Pumas (DHL Newlands – Kick-off: 17h10)

Friday, September 23

DHL WP U19 v Vodacom Blue Bulls U19 (Venue and Kick-off TBC)
DHL WP v GWK Griquas (GWK Park – Kick-off: 19h00)

Friday, September 30

DHL WP v Boland (DHL Newlands – Kick-off: 19h10)