Defending Carling Currie Cup champions, the Vodacom Bulls, started the 2022 campaign with a bonus-point victory over the Pumas at the Mbombela Stadium on Friday evening, while the Toyota Cheetahs and the DHL Western Province also made winning starts on Saturday.

The Toyota Cheetahs were made hard to work for their win over Tafel Lager Griquas in in Bloemfontein, and in the late match on Saturday, DHL Western Province were too strong for the Sigma Lions in Cape Town.

Thanks to their 14-point victory in the Lowveld, the Vodacom Bulls have taken the early lead on the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division log. They are on five points, the same as DHL WP, whose points’ difference is 12. The Toyota Cheetahs (4) and Sigma Lions (1) are next, while the Cell C Sharks, Tafel Lager Griquas and Pumas are still to open their account on the standings.

Three matches are scheduled for Wednesday, when the Cell C Sharks will open their campaign at home after enjoying a bye this weekend. The Durbanites face Tafel Lager Griquas in a replay of the second Carling Currie Cup semi-final from last year (17h45).

In the two other matches, the Pumas travel west on the N4 to take on the Sigma Lions in Johannesburg (15h30), while DHL WP entertain the Vodacom Bulls in Cape Town (20h00), also a repeat of one of the 2021 semi-finals.