The Currie Cup First Division final will take place this coming Friday with the Leopards and the Griffons battling for the trophy. The only prize up for grabs is the trophy with no chance for either team to play in the Currie Cup Premier division.
One would like to think that winning a trophy in a second division should be given more incentive to reach for a higher standing in the SA Rugby landscape.
Financial issues have long been the problem for smaller unions in the first division with no union really being able to hold on to their best players. They normally get signed by the traditionally larger and more prolific unions who play in the Currie Cup Premier Division or Pro 16 competition.
A proposal for a promotion relegation system in the Currie Cup over the course of two seasons might be a valid option if each union in the first division is given equal resources. A team will them be able to move up to the Premier Division based on the points accumulated over the course of two seasons, instead of a single season.
This also gives a union a chance to build a team to at least be competitive in the Currie Cup against the bigger unions. It also takes away the excuse that a top union in the premier division can not be relegated after one bad season, as the bottom team will only be relegated based on the points accumulated over two seasons.
Promotion/relegation will only take place every two seasons with no specific match to decide if a team gets promoted or relegated. Otherwise, a team might just rest their key players for the final rounds to play their strongest team in a crucial once off promotion/relegation match.
A draft system could also be implemented giving newly promoted teams the chance to pick a couple of established players to bolster their team. Once again this is only a wild idea that might work if the powers that be can orchestrate some sort of fair play salary cap for all unions involved in the Currie Cup.
The teams that play in the Pro 16 will also not be affected in the promotion relegation rules for the Currie Cup – the larger unions will surely have enough players and depth in their squad to play both the Currie Cup and Pro 16 (United Rugby Championship). It also presents an opportunity for some of the young players to get game time in the Currie Cup as well.
This is also a major chance for some of the smaller unions to gain larger stature with the incentive that a spot in the Premier Division is up for grabs.
