Absa Currie Cup fixtures for 2014 announced

The Qualifying Competition, which will be contested by GWK Griquas, the Leopards, SWD Eagles, Boland Cavaliers, Down Touch Griffons, Border Bulldogs and Valke, will kick off on the first weekend of June and run until 19 July, when the top team on the log will be granted entry into the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division.

The start of the eight-team Absa Currie Cup Premier Division – contested by the Cell C Sharks, DHL Western Province, EP Kings, Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Golden Lions, Vodacom Blue Bulls, Steval Pumas and the winner of the Qualifying Competition – is scheduled for the weekend of 8/9 August, a week after the Vodacom Super Rugby Final. It will run until the final weekend of October, when the final will take place.

The eight teams will be divided into two sections on 2013 log positions: Section X (DHL Western Province, Golden Lions, Vodacom Blue Bulls, EP Kings) and Section Y (Cell C Sharks, Toyota Free State, Steval Pumas, Qualifier). The teams will play home and away within their sections followed by a single cross-conference round before semi-finals and final.

The fixtures for the Absa Currie Cup First Division, which kicks off in the last weekend of August and runs until the second week of October, will be finalised at the conclusion of the Qualifying Competition.

In 2015, the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division will consist of the six franchise teams plus two non-franchise teams, which will be determined as follows:

If the two non-franchise teams finish 7^th and 8^th in the 2014 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division they will both play in a 2015 qualification round of eight teams.

• If one non-franchise team finishes in the top six of the 2014 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division they will automatically qualify for the 2015 Absa Currie Cup. The other non-franchise team will play in a 2015 qualifying round of seven teams.
• If both non-franchise teams finish in the top six of the 2014 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division, they will automatically qualify for the 2015 tournament and there will be no qualifying tournament in 2015.

Absa Currie Cup Premier Division (home teams named first, final dates and kick-off times TBC):

Round 1 – 8/9 August

Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Golden Lions

EP Kings vs DHL Western Province

Steval Pumas vs Toyota Free State Cheetahs

Qualifier vs Cell C Sharks

Round 2 – 15/16 August

DHL Western Province vs Vodacom Blue Bulls

Golden Lions vs EP Kings

Cell C Sharks vs Steval Pumas

Toyota Free State Cheetahs vs Qualifier

Round 3 – 22/23 August

Vodacom Blue Bulls vs EP Kings

DHL Western Province vs Golden Lions

Cell C Sharks vs Toyota Free State Cheetahs

Steval Pumas vs Qualifier

Round 4 – 29/30 August (Absa Currie Cup First Division starts)

Vodacom Blue Bulls vs DHL Western Province

EP Kings vs Golden Lions

Steval Pumas vs Cell C Sharks

Qualifier vs Toyota Free State Cheetahs

Round 5 – 5/6 September

DHL Western Province vs EP Kings

Golden Lions vs Vodacom Blue Bulls

Cell C Sharks vs Qualifier

Toyota Free State Cheetahs vs Steval Pumas

Round 6 – 12/13 September

Golden Lions vs DHL Western Province

EP Kings vs Vodacom Blue Bulls

Toyota Free State Cheetahs vs Cell C Sharks

GWK Griquas vs Qualifier

Round 7 – 19/20 September

Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Cell C Sharks

DHL Western Province vs Qualifier

Golden Lions vs Steval Pumas

EP Kings vs Toyota Free State Cheetahs

Round 8 – 26/27 September

Qualifier vs Golden Lions

Cell C Sharks vs EP Kings

Toyota Free State Cheetahs vs Vodacom Blue Bulls

Steval Pumas vs DHL Western Province

Round 9 – 3/4 October (Absa Currie Cup First Division semi-finals)

Qualifier vs EP Kings

Cell C Sharks vs Golden Lions

Toyota Free State Cheetahs vs DHL Western Province

Steval Pumas vs Vodacom Blue Bulls

Round 10 – 10/11 October (Absa Currie Cup First Division Final)

Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Qualifier

DHL Western Province vs Cell C Sharks

Golden Lions vs Toyota Free State Cheetahs

EP Kings vs Pumas

Semi-finals – 17/18 October

Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Final – Saturday, 25 October