Third season of SA Cup kicks off this weekend

The third instalment of the popular SA Cup kicks off this weekend and promises to offer an early indicator of who will be in the hunt for the coveted top four positions that secure a place in this year’s Carling Currie Cup Premier Division.

The competition opens on Friday, with three fixtures scheduled for the evening, followed by two matches on Saturday. SuperSport will broadcast two clashes this weekend, from Bloemfontein and Kimberley.

Suzuki Griquas lifted the inaugural title in 2024, but their reign was cut short as the Airlink Pumas dethroned them in a pulsating final in Nelspruit last season. As in previous years, the top four teams on the log at the end of the league phase will earn their passage to the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division, while the remaining six unions will contest the First Division.

After Griquas’ maiden triumph in 2024, the Pumas secured their first SA Cup crown in 2025 with a commanding victory in the final at Mbombela Stadium. The two finalists – along with the Toyota Cheetahs and the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers – qualified for the Premier Division last season, joining the four Vodacom URC franchises.

The Airlink Pumas just missed out on the Premier Division playoffs, but the Toyota Cheetahs, Sanlam Boland Kavaliers and the eventual Carling Currie Cup champions, Suzuki Griquas, all occupied the top half of the log in 2025.

This year, the spotlight will also fall on the resurgent Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, as well as the revitalised SWD Eagles, now under the guidance of former Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer, who is back at Outeniqua Park with an objective to reshape the union’s trajectory.

Eastern Province and the Valke will open the 2026 season at 17h00 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha. EP – coached by former Springbok head coach Allister Coetzee and assisted by Matt Proudfoot – will look to build on a 2025 campaign that saw them win four of their nine matches and push opponents close in several of their defeats.

JP Immelman’s Valke, meanwhile, will be targeting an improved finish after ending fifth in last year’s SA Cup, two points shy of Boland in fourth and just missing out on a place in the Currie Cup Premier Division.

The defending champions, Airlink Pumas, begin their title defence in George at 18h00, where they face the SWD Eagles at Outeniqua Park.

Although the Pumas have once again lost several regulars to other unions, their recruitment remains sharp, and several seasoned campaigners still anchor their squad. The clash sets up an intriguing coaching duel between the experienced Jimmy Stonehouse and Meyer, who starts his second tenure with SWD.

Last year’s opening‑round encounter ended 75–7 in favour of the Pumas, but with Meyer now steering the Eagles and an influx of fresh talent, a far tighter contest is expected.

Elsewhere on Friday, the Toyota Cheetahs – now under former Springbok utility back Frans Steyn, host Sanlam Boland Kavaliers in Bloemfontein (18h00).

The sides finished second and third respectively last season, and this fixture is a reverse of their 2025 opener, where Boland – again under the coaching of Hawies Fourie – stunned the Cheetahs 45–29 in Wellington. Both teams are again considered strong contenders for semi-final places.

Saturday’s fixtures see Suzuki Griquas welcome the Leopards to Kimberley at 15h00, while at the same time the Griffons host the Border Bulldogs in Welkom.

Griquas dominated the corresponding fixture last year with a 66–7 triumph in Potchefstroom, where Riaan van Straten will take the Leopards’ reigns this year, and as reigning Carling Currie Cup champions, Pieter Bergh’s side will be aiming for another strong start.

Border, with Dumisani Mhani as head coach, travel up to the Northern Free State looking to improve on their 2025 opening‑round defeat to Jacques Juries’s Griffons (55–32). The Bulldogs struggled to gain traction last season, losing all nine games, and will be desperate to set a new tone in 2026.

Match information:

Eastern Province vs Valke
Date: Friday, 6 March
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha
Kick-off: 17h00
Referee: Dylen November

SWD Eagles vs Airlink Pumas
Date: Friday, 6 March
Venue: Outeniqua Park, George
Kick-off: 18h00
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Live stream: SuperSport YouTube

Toyota Cheetahs vs Sanlam Boland Kavaliers
Date: Friday, 6 March
Venue: Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 18h00
Referee: Morne Ferreira
TV: SuperSport

Suzuki Griquas vs Leopards
Date: Saturday, 7 March
Venue: Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Aimee Barrett‑Theron
TV: SuperSport

Griffons vs Border Bulldogs
Date: Saturday, 7 March
Venue: Down Touch Investments Stadium, Welkom
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Griffin Colby

SA Cup Suzuki Griquas Airlink Pumas Toyota Cheetahs Sanlam Boland Kavaliers Valke Eastern Province Leopards Border Bulldogs SWD Eagles Griffons

Third season of SA Cup kicks off this weekend...

The third instalment of the popular SA Cup kicks off this weekend and promises to offer an early indicator of who will b...

Boks’ season underway with first alignment camp...

The Springboks officially kicked off their 2026 programme on Tuesday with a three-day alignment camp in Cape Town, where...

Davids ready to entertain again at BC Place...

It’s probably fair to say that Selvyn Davids is an entertainer – on the rugby field, of course – just ask the crowd at B...

Jacobs excited to be back where it all started...

An unexpected call-up to the Springbok Women’s Sevens training camp in Stellenbosch was not quite the road back to sunsh...

Match official appointments to 9 March 2026...

Match official appointments for the next few days have been made as the Six Nations returns after a short break, while t...

Boks’ season underway with first alignment camp

The Springboks officially kicked off their 2026 programme on Tuesday with a three-day alignment camp in Cape Town, where the players were exposed to the expectations of them on and off the field this season, the macroplan for the year, as well as the standards expected in each position.