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Rugby returns to South Africa this weekend with a preseason ‘Super Fan Saturday’ event at Loftus Versfeld that will see the Bulls host the Sharks (4:25 pm) and the Stormers host the Lions (6:55 pm).
It is the first competitive rugby the country has seen since the end of March, six months ago, when Super Rugby 2020 was suspended as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
Then next weekend on October 3, Newlands will host a Springbok test match, Green v Gold, in which the best in the country will face off in an effort to impress national coach Jacques Nienaber ahead of a possible trip. to Australia for the Rugby Championship in November.
However, prior to that, the national competition will return on October 10 when a combined Super Rugby / Currie Cup competition begins.
Due to the fact that so much rugby was lost in 2020, SA Rugby is now looking to satisfy its business partners in the Super Rugby and Currie Cup spaces and as a result, the 16-week national competition has been carefully structured so that there are two trophies. up for grabs, but all matches count towards an overall record.
Here, we guide you through the competition format for the upcoming Super Rugby Unlocked and Currie Cup competitions.
First of all, these are the Seven teams that will compete in both competitions: Sharks, Stormers, Bulls, Lions, Cougars, Griquas, Cheetahs.
the ‘Super Rugby Unlocked’ The competition begins on October 10 and the teams will meet once (six matches each) until November 21.
At that point, whoever has accumulated the most registration points will be crowned South African Super Rugby Unlocked Champion.
As of November 28, the Currie Cup The competition stage will get underway. ALL registration points from the Super Rugby Unlocked competition will carry over as the sides meet once more.
It is at this point that the Stormers will begin playing as Western Province, it is expected, as the franchises will become unions for the remainder of the season.
There will be another six games for each team, and by January 9, 2021, the seven teams will have played a total of 12 games dating back to the start of the competition on October 10.
The top four teams on that record will qualify for the Currie Cup semi-finals on January 16 and the Currie Cup final the following weekend, January 23.
Due to the format, the Currie Cup will be in the rare position of being considered more valuable than Super Rugby, but the nature of 2020 means that nothing is normal anymore.
The stronger sides of the competition and overall product quality could be seriously affected if the Springboks play in the Rugby Championship in November, but whether that will happen or not remains unclear.
Another unique element is that, for the first time in recent memory, there will be competitive Currie Cup rugby during the holiday season.
Sport24 will keep you updated on all the developments this rugby season, from Griquas to the Springboks, starting with this weekend’s action at Loftus.
– Compiled by Lloyd Burnard
