The Currie Cup is only two rounds down but is already proving to be a tournament with a rich history that still has a place in the modern playing schedule, according to MARK KEOHANE.
It has been a brilliant and surprising start to the 2023 edition of rugby’s oldest competition, with the Vodacom Bulls conceding over 100 points in back-to-back home home defeats, while the undefeated defending champions, the Pumas, are proving that last season was no once-off.
Also, the emerging talent in SA is obvious, none more so than when a youthful DHL Western Province side beat a Bulls outfit stacked with Vodacom United Rugby Championship stars at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.
In his TimesLIVE column, Keohane suggests the start to year’s Currie Cup season is reason for fans to be excited, and that the competition will not be an “after thought” for the players and coaches.
“By default more than design, the Currie Cup has reclaimed its identity,” he writes. “The general interest is there because so many URC players remain involved when the tournament schedule does not overlap.
“The URC also finishes before the Currie Cup is completed, which makes for stronger squads in the play-offs.
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“In just two rounds, the emerging talent is obvious; a very young Western Province side has beaten a Bulls side stacked with URC players and the Pumas – last years’ champions – have gone two from two against Bulls and Lions sides that both play in competitions that feature among the best in Europe.
“This is what makes the Currie Cup in its current structure so exciting; top teams will have to get up for Currie Cup games, because it is no longer being treated as a developmental tournament, and the prospect of a rugby treble is too enticing to ignore.
“The Currie Cup is only two rounds down, but it has already been added to the South African rugby calendar. It is showing the extent of the talent pool local to South Africa, calling into question the current situation with a Bulls side that just six months ago was so dominant, and proving that a tournament with such a rich history was never going to fade into the archives, but rather be reinvented to suit the modern game and modern playing schedule.”
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