CURRIE CUP: Cape derby and First Division final top the weekend fare

The Carling Currie Cup Premier Division heads into the second round this weekend and the Cape derby between Sanlam Boland Kavaliers and the DHL Stormers XXIII that will bring the curtain down on Sunday is hard to overlook when it comes to deciding which clash tops the fare.

The Cape derby used to be a big thing when the two teams met regularly in the Currie Cup, particularly when the games were played in Wellington, where the smaller union’s supporters have fewer other plum fixtures to enjoy during the course of a season.

There was a memorable game in 1997 when what was then Western Province won with a last gasp try from the late James Small on that union’s path to a first outright Currie Cup title in 11 years.

The derby returned last year but WP used that last game of the season as an opportunity to give the Stormers senior team a dress rehearsal run for their Vodacom URC campaign that was due to start just a few weeks later.

So with the team loaded with URC players, WP were never going to be pushed at home. And so it proved, with the hosts winning by 22 points at the DHL Stadium.

Sunday’s game should haver more traction following Boland’s home form in last year’s competition, while both teams won on the opening weekend and carry some form into this fixture.

Both were good scalps too, with Boland beating the Vodacom Blue Bulls XV and the Stormers, known as the XXIII as an indication that the Cape rugby administration sees the Currie Cup as a development competition (which it is), breaking WP’s eight game losing streak against the reigning champions, Suzuki Griquas.

But while this game might be the main event, there should be plenty of focus on the two games that kick off the weekend - the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV, named thus for similar reasons to why the Stormers are the Stormers XXIII, will be in Bloemfontein on Friday at 5pm for their match against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs.

Again, this first game of the weekend, like the last one, is between teams that scored good wins in the first round.

The Sharks have traditionally made slow starts to their Currie Cup season so will have been encouraged by their narrow but excellent away win over the Airlink Pumas in Nelspruit last Friday. And the Cheetahs had to dig deep to edge out last year’s beaten finalists, the Fidelity ADT Lions, which was a good result for them, as their post match celebrations indicated.

The four games are easily separated this weekend into what they represent for the teams - the games in Wellington and Bloemfontein are between sides that are relatively comfortable after opening victories, while the Lions and Griquas, who host the Pumas and Bulls respectively, will have a degree of desperation in the Saturday double header as they look for their first wins.

There is one additional game of interest this weekend, with former Springbok and successful Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer coaching his Dotsure SWD Eagles team against the Valke in the First Division Final at Outeniqua Park in George.

A win will ease some of Meyer’s disappointment at so narrowly missing out on Premier Division qualification when his team was just edged out of the top four in the SA Cup. Valke also had a strong SA Cup campaign and finished in third spot in the First Division.

The Eagles scored a comprehensive home win over the Leopards, scoring nine tries in the process to qualify for the final, while in Gqeberha, JP Immelman’s Valke delivered a clinical second-half display as they outplayed Eastern Province by 44-12 to qualify for a second final in a row.

The Valke suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Griffons in the 2025 final so will be doubly determined to succeed this time but it will be hard to do in an away decider.

MATCH INFORMATIO:

Carling Currie Cup First Division Final:

DotSure SWD Eagles v Valke

Date: Friday, 24 July

Venue: Outeniqua Park, George

Time: 7:10pm

Referee: Jonathan Lottering

Broadcast: SuperSport

Carling Currie Cup Premier Division:

Toyota Cheetahs v Hollywoodbets Sharks XV

Date: Friday, 24 July

Venue: Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein