The Carling Currie Cup will kick off next month with a seven-team Premier Division, following an online meeting of the General Council of the South African Rugby Union on Friday.
The Council rejected a proposal from Eastern Province that they be incorporated into the top-flight immediately.
However, Council approved a motion that the top South African team in the First Division be automatically promoted to the Premier Division at the end of the 2022 Carling Currie Cup season, creating an eight-team Premier Division.
In addition, the promoted team will be entrenched for two seasons (until the end of the 2024 Carling Currie Cup season) when the bottom team in the Premier Division will be automatically relegated in favour of the top South African team in the First Division, which will also be entrenched for two seasons before promotion/relegation at the end of the 2026 season.
The 2022 competition will kick off on the weekend of 14/15 January. The unusual kick off has been prompted by the realignment of the South African domestic rugby calendar to dovetail with the northern hemisphere season following the expanded entry of four teams into the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
The change means that the Carling Currie Cup final will be played on 25 June, which will mark the end of the season for senior professional players appearing in the Carling Currie Cup and the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
The Carling Currie Cup First Division fixtures will be confirmed in the New Year.
CARLING CURRIE PREMIER DIVISION 2022
(all fixtures are subject to change; venues and kick-off times to be confirmed)
Friday/Saturday 14/15 January
DHL Western Province v Sigma Lions
Toyota Cheetahs v Tafel Lager Griquas
New Nation Pumas v Vodacom Bulls
Wednesday 19 January
DHL Western Province v Vodacom Bulls
Cell C Sharks v Tafel Lager Griquas
Sigma Lions v New Nation Pumas
Wednesday 2 February
Cell C Sharks v DHL Western Province
Vodacom Bulls v Toyota Cheetahs
Tafel Lager Griquas v New Nation Pumas
Friday/Saturday 18/19 February
Sigma Lions v Cell C Sharks
Tafel Lager Griquas v DHL Western Province
New Nation Pumas v Toyota Cheetahs
Friday/Saturday 4/5 March
Toyota Cheetahs v Sigma Lions
Tafel Lager Griquas v Vodacom Bulls
New Nation Pumas v Cell C Sharks
Wednesday 16 March
Vodacom Bulls v Cell C Sharks
Toyota Cheetahs v DHL Western Province
Tafel Lager Griquas v Sigma Lions
Wednesday 23 March
DHL Western Province v New Nation Pumas
Cell C Sharks v Toyota Cheetahs
Sigma Lions v Vodacom Bulls
Wednesday 6 April
Vodacom Bulls v DHL Western Province
Tafel Lager Griquas v Cell C Sharks
New Nation Pumas v Sigma Lions
Friday/Saturday 15/16 April
DHL Western Province v Toyota Cheetahs
Cell C Sharks v Vodacom Bulls
Sigma Lions v Tafel Lager Griquas
Friday/Saturday 6/7 May
Cell C Sharks v New Nation Pumas
Sigma Lions v Toyota Cheetahs
Vodacom Bulls v Tafel Lager Griquas
Friday/Saturday 13/14 May
Vodacom Bulls v Sigma Lions
Toyota Cheetahs v Cell C Sharks
New Nation Pumas v DHL Western Province
Friday/Saturday 27/28 May
Sigma Lions v DHL Western Province
Vodacom Bulls v New Nation Pumas
Tafel Lager Griquas v Toyota Cheetahs
Friday/Saturday 3/4 June
DHL Western Province v Tafel Lager Griquas
Cell C Sharks v Sigma Lions
Toyota Cheetahs v New Nation Pumas
Friday/Saturday 10/11 June
DHL Western Province v Cell C Sharks
Toyota Cheetahs v Vodacom Bulls
New Nation Pumas v Tafel Lager Griquas
18 June
Carling Currie Cup Semifinals
25 June
Carling Currie Cup Final
2 July
Carling Champions Match