SA Cup

SA Cup
Current season or competition:; 2024 SA Cup
Sport	Rugby union
Instituted	2024
Inaugural season	2024
Number of teams	10
Country	South Africa
Holders	Griquas (2024)
Most titles	Griquas (1 title)
Related competition	Currie Cup, Mzanzi Challenge

The SA Cup was created to replace the Mzanzi Challenge which was played for only one season in 2023 and was won by the Falcons.^[1] ^[2] The inaugural SA Cup competition was contested between 21 March 2024 - 25 May 2024 and the primary function of the SA Cup is to serve as qualification to the Currie Cup Premier Division and Currie Cup First Division respectively. The domestic teams with a place in the United Rugby Championship, namely the Blue Bulls, Western Province, Sharks and Golden Lions are excluded from the SA Cup. ^[3]

The top four teams in the 2025 SA Cup will join the four United Rugby Championship teams in the 2025 Currie Cup Premier Division and the remaining six teams will battle it out for the 2025 Currie Cup First Division title.^[4]

The Griquas beat the Pumas 46-24 in the final to take the first SA Cup title.^[5]

George Whitehead top scored in the tournament with 150 points and Darnell Osaugwu scored 11 tries.^[6]

Teams

SA Cup teams
Team	Sponsored name
Boland Cavaliers	Sanlam Boland Cavaliers
Border Bulldogs	Border Bulldogs
Eastern Province Elephants	Eastern Province Elephants
Free State XV	Toyota Free State XV
Falcons	Hino Valke
Griffons	Down Touch Griffons
Griquas	Suzuki Griquas
Leopards	Leopards
Pumas	Steval Pumas
SWD Eagles	Phangela SWD Eagles

Pumas

Border Bulldogs

Boland Cavaliers

Griffons

Leopards

SWD Eagles

Location of teams in 2024 SA Cup

Standings

Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	Pts
2024 SA Cup
Griquas	9	9	0	0	577	173	404	85	20	45
Pumas	9	8	0	1	488	80	408	70	11	41
Griffons	9	7	0	2	329	273	56	48	40	35
Free State Cheetahs	9	6	0	3	394	208	186	61	30	32
Boland Cavaliers	9	5	0	4	345	260	85	51	37	27
Falcons	9	3	0	6	276	400	-124	39	58	18
Leopards	9	3	0	6	215	458	-243	33	71	16
SWD Eagles	9	2	0	7	248	391	-143	36	56	14
Eastern Province	9	2	0	7	203	374	-171	28	56	14
Border Bulldogs	9	0	0	9	105	563	-458	13	85	0

Green background (rows 1 to 2) indicates qualification places for the SA Cup grand final and 2025 Currie Cup Premier Division.
Blue background (rows 3 to 4) indicates other teams qualified for the 2025 Currie Cup Premier Division.
Plain background (row 5-10) indicates other teams qualified for the 2025 Currie Cup First Division.

Source = springboks.rugby

Fixtures and results

Regular season

Round one

Round one [1]

	21 March 2024	Griquas	88-0	Leopards	Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley
		Try: Janco Uys Stephan Smit Sako Makata (2) Tertius Kruger Sango Xamlashe Marcqiewn Titus (4) Thomas Bursey Connor Mahoney (2) George Whitehead Con: George Whitehead (6) Lubabalo Dobela (3)	Report[2]

	22 March 2024	SWD Eagles	22-43	Pumas	Outeniqua Park, George
		Try: Liko Ndiyalwa Mpho Ntsane (2) Joshua Vermeulen Con: Jade Stoffels (2)	Report[3]	Try: Llewellyn Classen (2) Sampie Swiegers Andre Fouche Tino Swanepoel Etienne Janeke Giovan Snyman Con: Clinton Swart (3) Brandon Thomson

	22 March 2024	Free State Cheetahs	38-7	Boland Cavaliers	Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
			Report[4]

	23 March 2024	Eastern Province	31-27	Falcons	Isaac Wolfson Stadium, Nelson Mandela Bay
			Report[5]

	24 March 2024	Griffons	52-8	Border Bulldogs	Down Touch Investments Stadium, Welkom
			Report[6]

Round two

Round two [7]

	28 March 2024	Falcons	25-66	Griquas	Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park
			Report[8]

	29 March 2024	Pumas	61-0	Eastern Province	Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
			Report[9]

	30 March 2024	Border Bulldogs	25-40	SWD Eagles	Sisa Dukashe Stadium, Mdantsane
			Report[10]

	30 March 2024	Leopards	5-76	Free State Cheetahs	Olen Park, Potchefstroom
			Report[11]

	30 March 2024	Boland Cavaliers	31-34	Griffons	Boland Stadium, Wellington
			Report[12]

Round three

Round three [13]

	5 April 2024	Free State Cheetahs	0-50	Pumas	Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
			Report[14]

	6 April 2024	Griquas	119-5	Border Bulldogs	Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley
		Try: Jac van der Walt (2) Niel Otto Dylan Maart (3) Athenkosi Khetani Carl Els (3) Bingo Ivanisevic Connor Mahoney Sean Swart George Whitehead (3) Sango Xamlashe Con: George Whitehead (17)	Report^[7]	Try: Simthembile Ntleki

	6 April 2024	Boland Cavaliers	29-13	Falcons	Boland Stadium, Wellington
			Report[15]

	6 April 2024	Eastern Province	23-24	SWD Eagles	Isaac Wolfson Stadium, Nelson Mandela Bay
			Report[16]

	7 April 2024	Griffons	42-10	Leopards	Down Touch Investments Stadium, Welkom
			Report[17]

Round four

Round four [18]

	12 April 2024	Pumas	89-3	Falcons	Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
			Report[19]

	13 April 2024	Leopards	57-15	Border Bulldogs	Olen Park, Potchefstroom
			Report[20]

	13 April 2024	Free State Cheetahs	59-26	Eastern Province	Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
			Report[21]

	13 April 2024	Griquas	61-17	Griffons	Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley
			Report[22]

	14 April 2024	SWD Eagles	5-35	Boland Cavaliers	Outeniqua Park, George
			Report[23]

Round five

Round 5 [24]

	20 April 2024	Leopards	43-26	Eastern Province	Olen Park, Potchefstroom
			Report[25]

	20 April 2024	Boland Cavaliers	30-48	Griquas	Boland Stadium, Wellington
			Report[26]

	20 April 2024	Border Bulldogs	0-56	Pumas	Police Park, East London
			Report[27]

	20 April 2024	Falcons	63-31	SWD Eagles	Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park
			Report[28]

	21 April 2024	Griffons	36-33	Free State Cheetahs	Down Touch Investments Stadium, Welkom
			Report[29]

Round six

Round six [30]

	26 April 2024	Eastern Province	0-50	Griquas	Central Rugby Field, Kariega
			Report[31]

	27 April 2024	SWD Eagles	14-46	Free State Cheetahs	Outeniqua Park, George
			Report[32]

	27 April 2024	Pumas	71-10	Leopards	Nelspruit Rugby Club, Nelspruit
			Report[33]

	27 April 2024	Boland Cavaliers	106-7	Border Bulldogs	Boland Stadium, Wellington
		Try: Taine-Randall Booysen (3) Erik Lambrecht (3) Xavier Mitchell (3) Bentley Geldenhuys (2) Neil Rautenbach Gift Dlamini Andre Manuel Jason Beukes Durin Nasson Con: Darian Hock (7) Garth April (6)	Report[34]	Try: Lwandile Mapuko Con: Lwandile Mapuko

	28 April 2024	Griffons	53-40	Falcons	Down Touch Investments Stadium, Welkom
			Report[35]

Round seven

Round seven [36]

	3 May 2024	Griquas	31-26	Pumas	Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley
			Report[37]

	4 May 2024	SWD Eagles	28-36	Griffons	Outeniqua Park, George
			Report[38]

	4 May 2024	Leopards	26-59	Boland Cavaliers	Leeudoringstad Rugby Club
			Report[39]

	4 May 2024	Eastern Province	38-17	Border Bulldogs	Isaac Wolfson Stadium, Nelson
			Report[40]

	4 May 2024	Falcons	17-68	Free State Cheetahs	Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park
			Report[41]

Round eight

Round eight [42]

	10 May 2024	Border Bulldogs	14-57	Free State Cheetahs	Police Park, East London
			Report[43]

	10 May 2024	Pumas	49-0	Boland Cavaliers	Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
			Report[44]

	11 May 2024	Falcons	50-19	Leopards	Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park
			Report[45]

	11 May 2024	Griquas	75-53	SWD Eagles	Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley
			Report[46]

	12 May 2024	Griffons	45-19	Eastern Province	Down Touch Investments Stadium, Welkom
			Report[47]

Round nine

Round nine [48]

The Cheetahs vs Griquas was the last competitive rugby match of Ruan Pienaar before retirement.^[8]

	17 May 2024	Free State Cheetahs	17-39	Griquas	Shimla Park, Bloemfontein
			[49] Report

	17 May 2024	Pumas	43-14	Griffons	Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
			Report[50]

	18 May 2024	SWD Eagles	31-45	Leopards	Outeniqua Park, George
			Report[51]

	18 May 2024	Boland Cavaliers	48-40	Eastern Province	Rhino Park, Piketberg
			Report[52]

	19 May 2024	Border Bulldogs	14-38	Falcons	Police Park, East London
			Report[53]

Grand Final

	25 May 2024	Griquas	46-24	Pumas	Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley
		Try: Makata Hufke Whitehead du Rand Alexander Penalty try Con: Whitehead (4) Pen: Whitehead (2)	Report[54]	Try: Willemse Osaugwu Msenge Penalty try Con: Willemse (1)	Referee: Christopher Allison

References

^ "SA Cup to lift off in Kimberley on Human Rights Day", sarugby.co.za, 22 May 2024
^ "Good Fortune guides Valke to Mzansi glory", sarugby.co.za, 23 May 2024
^ "The conundrum of the SA Cup: Is anyone benefitting?", citizen.co.za, 8 June 2024
^ "Currie Cup gets new window in major revamp for local season", sarugby.co.za, 22 May 2024
^ "Unbeaten Griquas crowned SA Cup champions", sarugby.co.za, 26 May 2024
^ "New chapter in the intense Griquas and Pumas rivalry", rugby365.com, 26 May 2024
^ "Griquas obliterate Border Bulldogs 119-5", heraldlive.co.za, 8 June 2024
^ "Ruan Pienaar's farewell party spoiled", https://rugby365.com, 8 June 2024

[1] "SA Cup to lift off in Kimberley on Human Rights Day", sarugby.co.za, 22 May 2024

[2] "Good Fortune guides Valke to Mzansi glory", sarugby.co.za, 23 May 2024

[3] "The conundrum of the SA Cup: Is anyone benefitting?", citizen.co.za, 8 June 2024

[4] "Currie Cup gets new window in major revamp for local season", sarugby.co.za, 22 May 2024

[5] "Unbeaten Griquas crowned SA Cup champions", sarugby.co.za, 26 May 2024

[6] "New chapter in the intense Griquas and Pumas rivalry", rugby365.com, 26 May 2024

[7] "Griquas obliterate Border Bulldogs 119-5", heraldlive.co.za, 8 June 2024

[8] "Ruan Pienaar's farewell party spoiled", https://rugby365.com, 8 June 2024

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