About
South Africa's oldest and premier provincial competition, which was contested from October 2020 to January 2021 during a season disrupted by COVID-19, ended in joy for the Vodacom Bulls as they won the title for the first time since 2009, beating the Durban-based Cell C Sharks in a dramatic and nail-biting home final in Pretoria. The other teams in the competition for 2021 are 2019 champions, the Toyota Cheetahs (from Bloemfontein), as well as DHL Western Province (Cape Town), Lions (Johannesburg), New Nation Pumas (Nelspruit) and Tafel Lager Griquas (Kimberley).
The history
The Currie Cup is one of the oldest rugby competitions in the world, with the first games played in 1889, but it was only in 1892 that it became officially known as the Currie Cup. The original participating unions were Western Province, Griqualand West, Transvaal and Eastern Province. The first tournament was held in Kimberley and was won by Western Province. The Currie Cup trophy was donated to South Africa in 1891 by the touring British Isles team - it was given to the tourists by Sir Donald Currie, owner of Union-Castle Lines, the shipping company that transported them to the southern tip of Africa. Sir Donald was clear with his instructions – hand this trophy over to the team in South Africa that gives you the best game. After a spirited display where the unbeaten British Lions narrowly won 3-0, Griqualand West became the first ever holders of the Currie Cup.
| Pos | Team | PL | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | TF | TA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
DHL Western Province
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 80 | 62 | 18 | 11 | 10 | 7 |
| 2 |
New Nation Pumas
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 10 | 29 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| 3 |
Cell C Sharks
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 16 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| 4 |
Lions
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 71 | -23 | 7 | 9 | 5 |
| 5 |
Vodacom Bulls
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 48 | -24 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| 6 |
Toyota Cheetahs
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 |
Tafel Lager Griquas
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 30 | -14 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
Vodacom Bulls
25 Jun | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
19:00
New Nation Pumas
Tafel Lager Griquas
26 Jun | Tafel Lager Park, Kimberley
13:00
Toyota Cheetahs
Toyota Cheetahs
30 Jun | Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
16:45
Vodacom Bulls
Tournament news
The Carling Currie Cup Bulletin #3Seven games in, and already the Carling Currie Cup has seen its share of upsets, thrillers, ridiculous tries and golden moments to last for a long time.
Match report
Lions bounce back in style against WPThe Lions completed an extraordinary Carling Currie Cup victory over a never-say-die DHL Western Province side in a 38-32 tryfest in Johannesburg on Wednesday night.
Review
Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup Final ReviewVodacom Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee said Benetton were fully deserving of their victory in Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup Final in Treviso, after the Italian club side ended a remarkable season turn-around by dismantling the men from Pretoria in front of their ecstatic home crowd at the Stadio Comunale di Monigo.
Tournament news
The Carling Currie Cup Bulletin #2It was a weekend for the travelling teams (and hookers JJ Kotze and Robey Leibrandt) as no fewer than five of the six matches in the opening round of the Carling Currie Cup were won by visiting sides, with only the New Nation Pumas managing a home victory.
Match report
Benetton rock Vodacom Bulls in Rainbow Cup finalBenetton dismantled the Vodacom Bulls to win the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup Final by 35-8 in front of a small but ecstatic crowd at the Stadio Comunale di Monigo in Treviso on Saturday evening. The Italians surged to a 20-8 halftime lead and never surrendered their supremacy in a dominant and clinic display of finals rugby.
