The Carling Currie Cup will kick off next month with a seven-team Premier Division, following an online meeting of the General Council of the South African Rugby Union on Friday.

The Council rejected a proposal from Eastern Province that they be incorporated into the top-flight immediately.

However, Council approved a motion that the top South African team in the First Division be automatically promoted to the Premier Division at the end of the 2022 Carling Currie Cup season, creating an eight-team Premier Division.

In addition, the promoted team will be entrenched for two seasons (until the end of the 2024 Carling Currie Cup season) when the bottom team in the Premier Division will be automatically relegated in favour of the top South African team in the First Division, which will also be entrenched for two seasons before promotion/relegation at the end of the 2026 season.

The 2022 competition will kick off on the weekend of 14/15 January. The unusual kick off has been prompted by the realignment of the South African domestic rugby calendar to dovetail with the northern hemisphere season following the expanded entry of four teams into the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.

The change means that the Carling Currie Cup final will be played on 25 June, which will mark the end of the season for senior professional players appearing in the Carling Currie Cup and the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.

The Carling Currie Cup First Division fixtures will be confirmed in the New Year.

Carling Currie Cup Premier Division 2022 (all fixtures are subject to change; venues and kick-off times to be confirmed)

Friday/Saturday 14/15 January

• Western Province vs Lions
• Cheetahs vs Griquas
• Pumas vs Bulls

Wednesday 19 January

• Western Province vs Bulls
• Sharks vs Griquas
• Lions vs Pumas

Wednesday 2 February

• Sharks vs Western Province
• Bulls vs Cheetahs
• Griquas vs Pumas

Friday/Saturday 18/19 February

• Lions vs Sharks
• Griquas vs Western Province
• Pumas vs Cheetahs

Friday/Saturday 4/5 March

• Cheetahs vs Lions
• Griquas vs Bulls
• Pumas vs Sharks

Wednesday 16 March

• Bulls vs Sharks
• Cheetahs vs Western Province
• Griquas vs Lions

Wednesday 23 March

• Western Province vs Pumas
• Sharks vs Cheetahs
• Lions vs Bulls

Wednesday 6 April

• Bulls vs Western Province
• Griquas vs Sharks
• Pumas vs Lions

Friday/Saturday 15/16 April

• Western Province vs Cheetahs
• Sharks vs Bulls
• Lions vs Griquas

Friday/Saturday 6/7 May

• Sharks vs Pumas
• Lions vs Cheetahs
• Bulls vs Griquas

Friday/Saturday 13/14 May

• Bulls vs Lions
• Cheetahs vs Sharks
• Pumas vs Western Province

Friday/Saturday 27/28 May

• Lions vs Western Province
• Bulls vs Pumas
• Griquas vs Cheetahs

Friday/Saturday 3/4 June

• Western Province vs Griquas
• Sharks vs Lions
• Cheetahs vs Pumas

Friday/Saturday 10/11 June

• Western Province vs Sharks
• Cheetahs vs Bulls
• Pumas vs Griquas

18 June

• Carling Currie Cup Semi-Finals

25 June

• Carling Currie Cup Final

2 July

• Carling Champions Match

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