A thrilling first round of Currie Cup action is on the cards this weekend with two games on Friday and two on Sunday.
Lions Currie Cup coach Mziwakhe Nkosi says his side is extremely excited to get their campaign up and running against the Cheetahs this weekend. Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
The South African franchises are primed and ready for the 2026 edition of the Currie Cup, which is set for kick off around the country this weekend.
A cracking round of opening fixtures is on the cards as the country’s big four franchises will be aiming to put in an improved effort this year, after they largely struggled last year.
Only the Lions, who have reached the last two Currie Cup finals just to finish as runners-up, enjoyed a strong showing in 2025 as they finished top of the log, while Western Province finished bottom, the Sharks second last and the Bulls third last.
The Griquas, who stunned the Lions in the final at Ellis Park last year, will be eager to defend their title, and will be aiming for a strong start, especially after they were beaten by fierce rivals, the Pumas, in the SA Cup competition final a few months ago.
The side from Kimberley travel to Cape Town where they will take on the newly named Stormers XXIII on Friday night, in what should be an interesting clash as the hosts will be desperate to put in a better showing than they did last year.
Cat fight
A cat fight is set to light up the competition in Bloemfontein on Sunday afternoon when the Cheetahs host the Lions in what should be a thrilling encounter.
Veteran double World Cup winning Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk will be making his first appearance for the hosts, since his return to South Africa from Japan, while the Lions will want to continue their good form in the tournament.
“It’s the first game so there is a hell of a lot of excitement to get going in the Currie Cup. There is also excitement about the next generation of players that we can showcase, and how far we can go in the competition again,” said Lions coach Mziwakhe Nkosi.
“It’s South Africa’s premier domestic competition. You saw what it did for the Griquas when they won it last year. Everyone wants to be there in the final. So it’s an incredibly exciting time for all the unions as we get under way.”
Kicking the competition off this year will be the Pumas against the Sharks XV in Mbombela on Friday evening, and the hosts will be keen to build on their SA Cup exploits, while the visitors will be keen to shake off their poor URC campaign.
The final match of the weekend sees the Boland Cavaliers welcome the Bulls XV to Wellington for their encounter, and if it is anything like last year’s match, when the Boland side stunned their highveld visitors, fans are in for a treat.
Currie Cup fixtures
Friday July 17
Pumas v Sharks XV at the Mbombela Stadium: Kick-off 5pm
Stormers XXIII v Griquas at the Cape Town Stadium: Kick-off 7:05pm
Sunday July 19
Cheetahs v Lions at the Toyota Stadium: Kick-off 1pm
Boland Cavaliers v Bulls XV at the Boland Stadium: Kick-off 3:05pm
