SA Rugby ‘optimistic’ over Currie Cup

SA Rugby is confident that the Currie Cup will go ahead as scheduled after holding “positive” talks with player representatives.

The provincial rugby unions are waiting for confirmation that the Currie Cup will go ahead as scheduled, after a dispute between players’ representative group MyPlayers and SA Rugby over player welfare.

An arbitration verdict announced on Monday evening ruled that all provincial players – including those playing for the Stormers, Bulls, Lions and Sharks – must have an uninterrupted rest period of eight weeks every 12 months.

The 2024 edition of the Currie Cup is scheduled to take place from July to the end of September.

According to Sunday newspaper Rapport, SA Rugby has held positive talks in the past week with MyPlayers and the South African Rugby Employers’ Organization (Sareo).

Close to reaching an agreement

The three parties are reportedly close to reaching an agreement that would see the Currie Cup go ahead as planned this year.

“We are working with MyPlayers to urgently reach consensus on the implications of the arbitrator’s draft award, but we remain optimistic that the competition will take place as originally scheduled,” a spokesperson from SA Rugby told Rapport.

The Currie Cup was moved to the July-September window in order for it not to clash with the Vodacom URC and get greater exposure.

The URC recently announced the calendar for the 2024-25 season, which will kick off on 20 September and run until the following June.

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