The best of the North will battle the best of the South on Saturday for a place in the final four of the revamped national club competition, sponsored by African Rainbow Capital.
The Rhinos have proved impossible to stop in recent weeks, claiming a 75-7 win in their opening clash against Collegians as well as an equally emphatic 69-8 victory over Sasol Secunda in the Round of 16 fixture.
The Limpopo-based side will host Progress in the quarter-finals, after the Eastern Province club edged East London Police 19-17 over the weekend.
Harlequins (Blue Bulls) picked up a 35-14 win against the Wolverines (Leopards) to advance to the next round, where they will meet the Crusaders (SWD), who recently beat PE Harlequins 29-23.
False Bay (WP), Gold Cup champions in 2017, beat Wesbank (Boland) 41-31 to book their place in the quarter-finals. The Cape Town-based side will host Naka Bulle, following the Blue Bulls club’s 32-29 win over Springs (Valke) in the Round of 16.
Saldanha Bay (Boland) beat Ncera Leopards 62-33 in the rescheduled Round of 32 match in Saldanha on Friday evening. In the ensuing Round of 16 fixture played in Durban on Sunday, College Rovers proved too strong for the Bolanders, winning 23-15.
The Durbanites will head north to meet Raiders in the next round. The Johannesburg club qualified for the quarter-finals after thrashing Bloemfontein Police 67-28.
Round of 16 results:
North
Wolverines (Leopards) 14 Harlequins (Blue Bulls) 35
Northam Rhinos (Limpopo) 69 Sasol Secunda (Pumas) 8
Raiders (Lions) 67 Bloemfontein Police (Cheetahs) 28
Springs (Valke) 29 Naka Bulle (Blue Bulls) 32
South
False Bay (WP) 41 Wesbank (Boland, wild card) 31
College Rovers (Sharks) 23 Saldanha Bay (Boland) 15
Progress (EP) 19 East London Police (Border) 17
Crusaders (SWD) 29 PE Harlequins (EP) 23
Quarter-final fixtures (Saturday, 23 September):
Raiders v College Rovers
Venue: Bill Jardine Stadium, Johannesburg
Time: 14h00
Harlequins v Crusaders
Venue: Harlequins Rugby Club, Pretoria
Time: 15h30
False Bay v Naka Bulle
Venue: False Bay Rugby Club, Cape Town
Time: 15h30
Northam Rhinos v Progress
Venue: Setaria Recreation Club, Northam Platinum Mine, Setaria
Time: 16h00
