‘Currie Cup still an important feeder for future Springboks’

With the Currie Cup final between the Lions and Sharks set to be battled out at Ellis Park on Saturday (4pm), many will wonder what place the country’s oldest rugby competition still has in the current rugby ecosystem.

Former Springbok legends Naas Botha and Victor Matfield believe it still has a vital role to play in building future Bok stars, and that it is also still a very coveted trophy for many of the franchises.

Feeder tournament

With the Boks at the top of the SA Rugby totem poll, the Champions Cup, Challenge Cup and United Rugby Championship following, the Currie Cup has slipped down the pecking order in terms of importance.

However, it is changing from what it once was — the country’s premier franchise rugby competition — into a vitally important feeder tournament that will shape future Bok prospects as they grow.

“The Currie Cup remains strength-against-strength, even without the Springboks,” explained Botha during the Currie Cup trophy tour last week.

“In the end, it is still between the best players (available) and for some players, winning the Currie Cup will be the biggest thing. You always have to have that carrot in front of players in South Africa. What is the ultimate achievement in South Africa rugby? It is to win the Currie Cup.

“It is our breeding ground. If I am in primary school today, I need to know that there is a pathway that I can get to the Springboks.

“Players need to understand that after U20, the next step should be the Currie Cup, and then after that, if you are good enough, you move up to URC. When you move up to URC, that is when you go to international rugby.”

Changing competition

Matfield backed up Botha’s opinion, explaining how the importance of the competition had changed over the years for coaches, but that the players still held it in extremely high regard and wanted to be a part of it.

“The Currie Cup will always stay important to South Africa. In Naas’ time, it was the only thing they played for,” said Matfield.

“When I played, some of my biggest fights were with (former Bok coach and now director of rugby at the Bulls) Jake White, who as Bok coach wanted the national players to rest, but we wanted to play in the Currie Cup because it was so important to us.

“Nowadays, it is a place where we give a lot of young talent opportunities to see what they can do. If you look at the games, there are U21 players playing against URC and Bok players. What an opportunity for those young players to show what they can do.

“We have so much talent in South Africa, and we need to give those guys playing for the Pumas, Griquas and Griffons, and even the guys playing for Boland, an opportunity. We need to find a slot in the calendar where we can give this young talent an opportunity.”