UPDATE: Impala won the final against Durbell, by 37-31 on Sunday. More to follow later...
Newrak Rustenburg Impala — champions in 2014 and 2016 — will host 2015 winners Durbanville-Bellville on Sunday in Rustenburg in the Final of the 2019 SSG Gold Cup, presented by Blu Approved & M4Jam and championed by 2007 Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok captain John Smit.
The Final will be televised live on Sunday at 14h30 on SuperSport 1 and 10 (DStv channels 201 and 210).
Impala and Durbell reached the final after convincing semi-final victories over Northam Platinum Rhinos and Hollywoodbets Swallows respectively, bringing to a climax five weeks of thrilling rugby that drew capacity crowds from all walks of life to community venues across the country.
The match will be a repeat of the 2015 final, won in fairytale fashion by Durbell, who had qualified for the tournament as lucky losers in qualifying and as the 20th ranked team in the draw.
The match was also memorable for the man-of-the-match performance by flyhalf Garth April, whose late penalty sealed victory for the Capetonians and breathed new life into his career.
“The SSG Gold Cup has been a great success and I’ve got no doubt the Final will be the cherry on top,” said Smit, the acting CEO of title sponsors SSG Holdings.
“This tournament has had everything: huge crowds, great rugby and wonderful community involvement wherever the matches were held.
“We saw fans arriving at matches on horseback, supporters camping overnight at grounds to make sure they got a spot, and diehards travelling 2,500km in a bus to watch their team play.
“Players and fans from all backgrounds have come together in a real celebration of community rugby and that will be this tournament’s lasting legacy,” Smit added.