Pumas and Griquas to battle it out for SA Cup title

A cracking 2025 SA Cup final is on the cards as fierce rivals the Pumas and competition defending champs Griquas are set to battle it out for the title at the Mbombela Stadium in Mbombela on Saturday evening (kick-off 6:30pm).

Although it is a lower division title, with none of the country’s big four, the Bulls, Sharks, Stormers and Lions taking part, it is still an important trophy for the teams bubbling under, while the competition is also used as qualification for the Currie Cup, with the top four ranked teams making it in.

That saw the two finalists, plus the third and fourth placed Cheetahs and Boland Kavaliers respectively, joining the big four in the country’s premier franchise competition, set to kick off towards the end of July.

This weekend’s finale could have been very different after two thrilling semifinals were battled out last weekend that just went the way of the hosts by very small margins.

The Pumas edged the Kavaliers 31-29, after they were reduced to 12 men in the second half holding a 25-10 lead, which allowed the visitors to fight back and go ahead 29-25, before two late penalties snuck the hosts back in front for the win.

The Griquas and Cheetahs battled out a breathtaking encounter, both teams taking the lead and drawing level on numerous occasions, leading to the scores being locked at 38-all with just over 10 minutes left.

Home captain George Whitehead then nailed a long range penalty to get them back ahead, which proved to be enough thanks to a terrific defensive effort at the death, including holding a Cheetahs player up over the line to secure the win.

Fantastic rivalry

The Pumas and Griquas will now continue their fantastic recent rivalry that has seen both sides triumph over the other in major finals.

In 2022 it was the Pumas that stunned the Griquas on their home ground in the Currie Cup final, clinching a 26-19 win to lift the country’s oldest trophy for the first time.

In the 2023 Currie Cup the Pumas beat the Griquas 28-13 and 27-17 in the pool phase, as they made it to the playoffs and finished as runners-up to the Cheetahs.

The SA Cup was then launched in 2024, and the Griquas got their revenge, beating the Pumas 31-26 in the pool stage and 46-24 in the final to lift the inaugural title.

But the Pumas bounced back in the 2024 Currie Cup, thumping the Griquas 44-24 and 66-26, while they are unbeaten in this year’s SA Cup, beating their rivals 39-34 in the pool stage, to take a three game winning run into the final.

A top encounter is thus in the offering and it could become a scintillating battle that goes right down to the wire to see who will emerge victorious.