The Pumas will defend their Currie Cup title against seven other teams in 2023. Picture: EJ Langner/Gallo Images
SA Rugby has announced the exciting competition structure for the 2023 rugby season, which will see an expansion of the Currie Cup Premier Division, the addition of the Mzanzi Challenge comprising five international teams, as well as the plenty of provincial women’s and age-group rugby.
With the United Rugby Championship and European participation by the South African franchises already in full swing, SA Rugby have now confirmed the competitions structure for the rest of the local rugby calendar, which will include an eight-team Currie Cup Premier Division competition starting in the second week of March, and no fewer than 11 participants in the Mzanzi Challenge.
Seven teams will battle it out for top honours in the Women’s Premier Division, while the Women’s First Division comprises of eight teams. The dates and final structure of these competitions will be confirmed in due course.
Four South African franchise teams – the Bulls, Sharks, Stormers and Lions – are currently involved in the United Rugby Championship, which culminates with the final on 27 May. Four weeks later, on 24 June, the local season will reach its climax with the Currie Cup Premier Division final.
The addition of the Griffons, last year’s First Division champions, means the Pumas will have to defend their Currie Cup Premier Division title against seven other teams, over a double round of matches.
Meanwhile, six local teams will contest the Currie Cup First Division, which starts on 10 February, and they will be joined later by five international teams – the Diables (Spain), Simbas (Kenya), Windhoek Draught Welwitschias (Namibia), Tel-Aviv Heat (Israel) and Goshawks (Zimbabwe) – when the new Mzanzi Challenge kicks off on 24 March.
All 11 teams will contest the Mzanzi Challenge in a single round format which includes a semi-final and a final match during the 14-week period, with the final set for mid-June.
At the same time, the six local teams will carry points earned against each other into the race for Currie Cup First Division honours and the team who finish with the most log points (only matches involving the SA teams to be taken into account) will be crowned the winner.
On the provincial women’s rugby front, the Border Ladies will defend their Premier Division title against WP – runners up against the Eastern Cape side the last two years – the Lions Women, EP Queens, Boland Dames, Blue Bulls Women and Sharks Women.
The Women’s First Division will once more feature eight teams – Leopards, Valke, Limpopo, Pumas, Free State, Griffons, Griquas and SWD. These competitions are scheduled to take place towards the middle of the year.
All fixtures will be confirmed in due course on the SA Rugby website.
Participating teams: Pumas (defending champions), Bulls, Griquas, Sharks, Western Province, Cheetahs, Lions, Griffons.
Opening round: 10/11 March (double round of matches)
Final: 24 June
Participating teams: Leopards, Valke, Boland Kavaliers, Eastern Province, Border Bulldogs, SWD Eagles [Currie Cup First Division]; Diables (Spain), Simbas (Kenya), Welwitschias (Namibia), Tel-Aviv Heat (Israel) and Goshawks (Zimbabwe) [Mzanzi Challenge].
The highest-placed SA team will be crowned Currie Cup First Division league winners.
Opening round: 10/11 February
Mzansi Challenge Final: 17 June
Participating teams: Border Ladies (defending champions), Western Province, EP Queens, Boland Dames, Blue Bulls Women, Sharks Women, Golden Lions Women
Opening round and final: TBC
Participating teams: Leopards, Valke, Limpopo, Pumas, Free State, Griffons, Griquas, SWD
Opening round and final: TBC
Participating teams: Lions (defending champions), Western Province, Bulls, Sharks, Leopards, Cheetahs, Valke
Opening round: 17/18 February (single round of matches)
Final: 6 April
Participating teams: Bulls, Cheetahs, Leopards, Lions, Sharks, Western Province
Opening round: 18/19 August (single round of matches)
Final: 14 October
Participating teams: Boland, Border, Eastern Province, Griffons, Griquas, Limpopo, Pumas, SWD, Valke
Opening round: 4/5 August (single round of matches)
Final: 14 October