There will be a rejuvenated sense of energy this weekend as the local rugby season switches to the next chapter with the opening round of the Carling Currie Cup.
The Cell C Sharks and Phakisa Pumas will kick off the competition in Durban this evening at 7 pm.
The action continues on Saturday with Tafel Lager Griquas hosting the Xerox Lions in Kimberley at 4.30 pm and the North-South derby between DHL Western Province and the Vodacom Bulls in Cape Town at 7 pm.
The defending Carling Currie Cup champions, the Toyota Cheetahs, have a bye.
With the entire Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked log being carried over into the Carling Currie Cup, the Vodacom Bulls will enter the competition with a four-point lead over DHL Western Province and the Cell C Sharks, who have each earned 19 points.
The Toyota Cheetahs trail by a further two points (17) and the fifth-placed Xerox Lions are on 12 points. But the real pressure will be on the Phakisa Pumas and Tafel Lager Griquas, who are at the foot of the standings on seven and three points respectively.
