Currie Cup Action Kicks Off This Weekend
The start of South Africa’s longest running rugby tournament is around the corner. 2025 is the 87th edition of the competition and its roots can be traced back to as far as 1884. The first matches were only inter provincial and only became a national competition in 1892. Only four teams competed in the early years which have now grown to eight teams.
The teams competing this year are Pumas, Griquas, Golden lions, Sharks XV, Wester Province, Blue Bulls, Kavaliers as well as the Cheetahs. Who will be victorious and walk away with the histotical throphy? Support your fave teams and keep up with this provincial event! The Currie Cup 2025 is surely bringing the heat this year with so much talent accross the board.
Currie Cup History & Fun Facts
The competition has a rich history especially the Cup which has a great story. The cup dates back to the 1891, when the first international team the British Lions travelled to South Africa to play rugby. Sir Donald Currie, the owner of shipping company that brought the team across by sea sent a gift. Furthermore, the gift was a cup that had to be given to the best team they played on the tour. Griqualand West was the first team to receive the trophy.
The Currie Cup offers great rugby with the chance to also see the up and coming talent in provincial rugby. Watching the games live at the stadiums is a great way to experience the atmosphere at rugby games without hurting the wallet with the whole family. The beer brand Carling Black laber is the main sponsor of the tournament.
Eight provincial teams will that take part in this year’s competition. The Boland Cavaliers has made the cut for the first time since 2016. They replace the Griffons who were relegated. Each team will play each other once with seven weeks in the group stage. The top four teams on the log after week seven will go on to play in the semi finals. The final will be played on the 20th September with the venue only to be decided after the semi finals.
Teams with the potential to win in the Currie Cup
Last year saw the Golden Lions dominate the scoreboard. The Golden Lions won all but one game during the group stage and were favourites to win the Cup. They beat the Cheetahs in the semi finals. The final was a home game where the conditions were tough with weather playing a part. In the end only two points separated the Lions and the Sharks. The Sharks won the match 16-14. The Lions will be on the hunt for the Cup this season.
Former Springbok JP Pietersen is the head coach of the Currie Cup Sharks. The team took the Currie Cup home last year and will be defending the title. They finished third on the log, winning only six of their group stage matches.
Newcomers Boland Cavaliers from Wellington won the Currie Cup first division which gave them a spot on the log on the Currie Cup premier division. They play out of Boland Stadium which is a small (11 000 capacity) venue with a great atmosphere. The team looks set to make their mark in this year’s tournament.
Upcoming Matches
The tournament comes to an explosive start on the 25th of July with a match between the Pumas and Griquas at the Mbombela Stadium.
The Currie Cup action continues right through the weekend. Therefore Saturday has two matches taking place.
- Sharks vs Golden Lions : The two teams that played in the 2024 final will meet again in their first Currie Cup match at Ellis Park. Match starts at 15:00.
- Western Stormers vs Blue Bulls: Cape Town stadium host the Blue Bulls for a match on Saturday which kicks off at 17:10.
- The match between the Cheethas and Boland Cavalier is the only match taking place on Sunday. Kickoff is at 15:00.
The Currie Cup is a great tournament to follow and predict outcomes of the matches. Not all the bookies have betting on the Currie Cup 2025 available and often opens betting when the tournament reaches the knockout stages. Pundits and amateurs can’t seem to agree which teams will win this year but assured me that the Currie Cup will be a feast of rugby action! We will also be seeing some of the U20 Springboks in the thick of the action.
Currie Cup Betting Sites
The Currie Cup rugby is well on its way for this season and there is going to be many surprises and exciting matches for sure. As mentioned there are many licenced bookies that cover rugby however not everyone has the Currie Cup 2025 from the get go. Therefore below are some of our recommendations which include Betway, 10bet and the revamped MBET:
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