About
South Africa's oldest and premier provincial competition ran from July to September in 2019, and the Toyota Free State Cheetahs were crowned champions in front of their home fans in Bloemfontein, beating the Xerox Lions from Johannesburg in the final. The other teams in the competition were 2018 champions, the Cell C Sharks (from Durban), DHL Western Province (Cape Town), the Vodacom Blue Bulls (Pretoria), Phakisa Pumas (Nelspruit) and Tafel Lager Griquas (Kimberley). The same seven teams will contest the Carling Currie Cup in 2020, with the opening round on 27/28 November and the final set for Saturday, 23 January 2021 (due to the season being disrupted with the COVID-19 pandemic).
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 |
Vodacom Bulls
|
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 178 | 92 | 86 | 20 | 9 | 23 |
| 2 |
DHL Western Province
|
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 140 | 112 | 28 | 17 | 12 | 19 |
| 3 |
Cell C Sharks
|
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 128 | 122 | 6 | 13 | 14 | 19 |
| 4 |
Toyota Cheetahs
|
6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 126 | 106 | 20 | 15 | 9 | 17 |
| 5 |
Xerox Lions
|
6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 119 | 103 | 16 | 15 | 10 | 12 |
| 6 |
Phakisa Pumas
|
6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 119 | 179 | -60 | 15 | 25 | 7 |
| 7 |
Tafel Lager Griquas
|
6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 123 | 219 | -96 | 12 | 28 | 3 |
Cell C Sharks
27 Nov | Jonsson Kings Park, Durban
19:00
Phakisa Pumas
Tafel Lager Griquas
28 Nov | Tafel Lager Park, Kimberley
16:30
Xerox Lions
DHL Western Province
28 Nov | DHL Newlands, Cape Town
19:00
Vodacom Bulls
News
Munster moves 11 points clear on Guinness PRO14 tableMunster moved 11 points clear of the Scarlets in Conference B of the Guinness PRO14 on Monday after extending their winning streak to six matches this season with a clinical 27-13 victory over the Glasgow Warriors.
Tournament news
Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked Review - Round 7The Vodacom Bulls delivered a dominant first half performance against the Phakisa Pumas at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday to finish their Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked campaign on a winning note with a 21-5 victory and the honour of being crowned the champions.
Match report
Dominant Vodacom Bulls clinch Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked titleThe Vodacom Bulls overpowered the Phakisa Pumas on a sopping wet Loftus Versfeld turf on Saturday afternoon to claim a 21-5 victory and clinch the Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked title.
Match report
Toyota Cheetahs claim Central Derby honoursThe Toyota Cheetahs scored three tries from clever kicks to finish their Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked campaign on a winning note with a 28-9 victory over Tafel Lager Griquas in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon.
Team announcement
Phakisa Pumas ring the changes for Vodacom Bulls clashThe Phakisa Pumas made wholesale changes for their final Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked fixture against the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday, with the side showing seven changes to team that faced the Cell C Sharks in their last match late in October.
