Currie Cup to introduce pool format

The Currie Cup is set to step away from a joint leaderboard this year and divide the eight Premier Division teams into two pools in a radical overhaul of the domestic tournament.

According to Sunday newspaper Rapport, the Currie Cup Premier Division teams have been divided into two pools of four, according to their finishing position in last year’s tournament.

Defending champions the Cheetahs are in Pool A with the Vodacom Bulls, DHL Western Province and the Griffons. Pool B will be made up of finalists the Pumas as well as the Sharks, Lions and Griquas.

The Cheetahs topped the standings after the round-robin stage of last year’s Currie Cup, while the Sharks were in second place, followed by the Pumas and Bulls.

Each team will reportedly play the teams in their pool home and away and will play just one game against each opponent in the other pool. This means that each team will play 10 league games this year before the playoffs, as opposed to the 14 that they played last year.

Once the league phase is completed, the top team in each pool will host the second-placed team in the opposite pool in the semi-finals.

The Currie Cup will kick off on the weekend of 6 July, with semi-finals scheduled for 14 September and the final on 21 September.

This year’s competition has been moved to a new slot between July and September, so that it doesn’t overlap with the Vodacom URC or European Cup, as it did last year.

This story was first published on sarugbymag.co.za. It is republished here with permission.