PREVIEW: The Currie Cup shifts into the second round this weekend when four more intriguing games will be staged, while the First Division champions for 2026 will be crowned on Friday when hosts SWD Eagles face Falcons at Outeniqua Park in George.
The action starts in the Currie Cup with a top-of-the-table clash on Friday between the Cheetahs and Sharks XV in Bloemfontein.
From 19.15 on Friday evening, the SWD Eagles will host the Falcons in what promises to be an exciting 2026 First Division Final at Outeniqua Park in George.
Both sides have built good momentum during the SA Cup earlier in the season, where the Eagles secured fifth and the Falcons sixth spots, coming close to the semifinals and agonisingly missing Currie Cup qualification.
SWD have carried that form into their First Division campaign, finishing top of the log, while the Falcons finished in third spot. They booked their spots in the decider with dominant semifinal performances.
The Eagles scored a comprehensive home win over the Leopards, scoring nine tries in the process to qualify for the final, while in Gqeberha, JP Immelman’s Falcons delivered a clinical second-half display as they outplayed Eastern Province by 44-12 to qualify for a second final in a row.
The Falcons, who suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Griffons in the 2025 Final, will be hoping for a similar good performance in George to topple Heyneke Meyer’s Eagles, who have been in great form this season.
- The attention then moves back to the Currie Cup, with two fixtures on Saturday – between the Lions and Pumas at Ellis Park (15.00), followed by Griquas’ home game in Kimberley against the Bulls XV (17.05).
The second round will conclude on Sunday in Wellington, where the Boland Cavaliers are playing at home for a second weekend in a row, this time against neighbours the Stormers XXIII at the Boland Stadium. The Western Cape derby starts at 15.00.
Friday’s battle in Bloem sees the Cheetahs host the Sharks XV. Although it’s still early days, the two sides top the standings after the opening round, which saw KwaZulu-Natalians beat the Pumas 26-24, while the Free Staters edged the Lions 29-27.
Heading into this meeting, the team from Durban hold a 3-2 advantage in the last five games between the two, with the Cheetahs edging a close encounter 7-5 in Durban when the two teams previously met in August last year.
The Cheetahs are topping the early log as they have scored more points than the Sharks, and with Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk now pulling the strings in the No 9 jersey, they will be hoping to continue their early momentum.
In Saturday’s early match, the Lions will be aiming to bounce back immediately from their two-point loss last weekend in Bloemfontein when they host the Pumas in Johannesburg.
The Lions have a 4-1 head-to-head advantage in this meeting, with their only loss to the team from Mpumalanga happening three years ago when the Pumas won in Nelspruit. Last year’s encounter between the sides, also played at Mbombela Stadium, ended in a one-point 36-35 win for the Gautengers.
Saturday’s second game is in Kimberley, where Griquas and the Bulls XV will be hoping to open their 2026 account after both sides lost on the road last weekend.
The match kicks off at 17.05 and judging by last weekend’s form and their big 42-21 win in Pretoria last year, the hosts from the Northern Cape – the defending Currie Cup champions – will run out as favourites.
But they will also not make the mistake of writing off the Bulls team, who boast a number of exciting younger players in their ranks.
The final match of the weekend is on Sunday afternoon in Wellington, where the Boland Cavaliers and Stormers XXIII are aiming for their second successive victories of the season after kicking off with wins last weekend. They currently occupy third and fourth on the log.
The Capetonians won their battle last year by a margin of 22 points in Cape Town, but Stefan Ungerer’s team can expect a hot reception and a huge on-field challenge in Wellington, with an expected packed stadium backing their Boland boys and giving the home side a lift.
First Division Final
Friday, July 24
SWD Eagles v Falcons
(Outeniqua Park, George – Kick-off: 19.10)
Teams
Eagles: 15 Ulrich Wahl, 14 Rosco Syster, 13 Masande Mtshali, 12 Niel Beukes, 11 Rune Lucas, 10 Divan du Toit, 9 Xavier Swartbooi, 8 Hendrik Stemmet, 7 Carel du Preez (captain), 6 Ulrich Stephan Stander, 5 Matthew Andrew Gray, 4 Ewan Coetzee, 3 Gunther Janse van Vuuren, 2 Janus Venter, 1 Nathan Meilhon.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Drotskie, 17 Ntokozo Hlophe, 18 Njabula Gumede, 19 Hendri Storm, 20 Matthew Sekele, 21 Sinalo Jivana, 22 Fred Zeilinga, 23 Kyle Cyster.
Falcons: 15 Hlomla Payi, 14 Adrian Joubert, 13 Theunis Pretorius, 12 Zeilinga Strydom, 11 Ilunga Mukendi, 10 Sergio Stalmeester, 9 Luciano Elias, 8 Zander van der Merwe, 7 Cayno February, 6 Kelvin Tafirenyika Kanenungo, 5 Mihlali Stamper (captain), 4 Dirk Lourens, 3 Blaine Golden, 2 Pierre Rabie, 1 Kayden Kiewit.
Replacements: 16 Sikholise Nanto, 17 Lindokuhle Seteni, 18 Eathan Jeffery, 19 Edward Evans, 20 Tiaan Jonker, 21 Liam Kloosman, 22 Tylor Sefoor, 23 Musawenkosi Tshabalala.
Referee: Jonathan Lottering
Currie Cup Round Two
Friday, July 24
Cheetahs v Sharks XV
(Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein – Kick-off: 17.00)
Teams:
Cheetahs: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Michael Annies, 13 Munier Hartzenberg, 12 Zander du Plessis, 11 Prince Nkabinde, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Neels Volschenk (captain), 7 Juan Venter, 6 Ramon Uys, 5 Curtley Thomas, 4 Victor Sekekete, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 1 Tielman Niewoudt.
Replacements: 16 Juan Smal, 17 Tebogo Nkosi, 18 Ben Pitoit, 19 Simon Muller, 20 Sisonke Vumazonke, 21 Daniel Maartens, 22 Marco Janse van Vuren, 23 Henry Immelman
Sharks: 15 Chijindu Okonta, 14 Christie Grobbelaar, 13 Marnus Potgieter, 12 Janco Purchase, 11 Lyle Matthews, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Ross Braude, 8 Thomas Dyer (captain), 7 Danilo Botha, 6 Willem van den Hever, 5 Deon Slabbert, 4 Johan Momsen, 3 Simphiwe Ngobese, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Cameron Dawson.
Replacements: 16 Bryce Calvert, 17 Jaco du Toit, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 19 Sipho Nonyalela, 20 Hanu Pieterse, 21 Ceano Everson, 22 Chris Horak, 23 Matthew Fortuin.
Referee: Hanru van Rooyen
Assistant referees: Dylen November, Sean Muller
TMO: Marius Jonker
Saturday, July 25
Lions v Pumas
(Ellis Park, Johannesburg – Kick-off: 15.00)
Lions: 15 Latica Nela, 14 Keagan Smith, Likhona Finca, 12 Rynhardt Jonker, 11 Rabz Maxwane, 10 Sam Francis, 9 Zian Cilliers, 8 Morne Venter, 7 Jarod Cairs, 6 Thando Biyela, 5 Ruan Delport (captain), 4 Dylan Sjoblom, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Mahle Sithole, 1 Morgan Naude
Replacements: 16 Ruan Welman, 17 Cecil Parsons, 18 Ruan Swart, 19 Marco Ferreira, 20 Renzo du Plessis, 21 Asad Moos, 22 Matthew Coetzee, 23 Exauce Kevani
Pumas: 15 Jaycee Nel, 14 Alfondso Isaacs, 13 Sango Xamlashe, 12 Troy Delport, 11 Dalvron Blood, 10 Darnich Visagie, 9 Thomas Bursey, 8 Marvelous Mashimbyi, 7 Willie Engelbrecht (captain), 6 De Wet Marais, 5 JJ Scheepers, 4 Stephan Krugel, 3 Junior Banda, 2 Chyle van Zyl, 1 Etienne Janeke
Replacements: 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Kudzwai Dube, 18 Bryan le Roux, 19 Andre Goedhals, 20 Thabo Ndimande, 21 Conor van Eeden, 22 Nevaldo Fleurs, 23 Velentino Wellman
Referee: Griffin Colby
Assistant referees: Stephan Geldenhuys, Hernus Coetzee
TMO: Archie Moko
Griquas v Bulls XV
(Griqua Stadium, Kimberley – Kick-off: 17.05)
Teams:
Griquas: 15 Cameron Hufke, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Zane Bestee, 12 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 11 Gurswin Wehr, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Bobby Alexander, 8 Carl Els, 7 Marco de Witt, 6 Lourens Oosthuizen, 5 Albert Liebenberg (captain), 4 Lungisi Mbiko, 3 IG Prinsloo, 2 Tiaan Lange, 1 Leon Lyons
Replacements: 16 Janco Uys, 17 Eddie Davids, 18 Ntobeko Shezi, 19 Carel van der Merwe, 20 Phumzile Maqondwana, 21 Caleb Abrahams, 22 Sako Makata, 23 Connor Mahoney
Bulls XV: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Hakeem Kunene, 13 Demitre Erasmus, 12 PA van Niekerk, 11 Riyaad Bam, 10 Keagan Johannes, 9 Brooklyn Newman, 8 JJ Theron, 7 Cephas van Biljon, 6 Nama Xaba (captain), 5 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 4 Sintu Manjezi, 3 Dian Coeztee, 2 Shaun Schürmann, 1 Dylan Smith.
Replacements: 16 Jaundre Schoeman, 17 Damian Baker, 18 Mawande Mdanda, 19 Abongile Nonkontwana, 20 Thomas Beling, 21 Neil Le Roux, 22 Viaan Mentoor, 23 JJ Motlhodi.
Referee: Morne Ferreira
Assistant referees: Dylen November, Sean Muller
TMO: Marius Jonker
Sunday, July 26
Boland Cavaliers v Stormers XXIII
(Boland Stadium, Wellington – Kick-off: 15.00)
Teams:
Boland: TBC
Stormers XXIII: 15 Dylan Miller, 14 Gino Cupido, 13 Josh Boulle, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Mfundo Ndhlovu, 10 Dominic Malgas, 9 Stefan Ungerer (captain), 8 Wandile Mlaba, 7 Divan Fuller, 6 Keke Morabe, 5 Gerbrandt Grobler, 4 Tom Barnard, 3 Herman Lubbe, 2 Vernon Paulo, 1 Oli Kebble.
Replacements: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Mhleli Khuzwayo, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Gary Porter, 20 Dylan de Leeuw, 21 Xola Nyali, 22 Tiaan Fourie, 23 Kian Davis
Referee: AJ Jacobs
Assistant referees: Juan de Bod, Zoe Naude
TMO: Egon Seconds
- Issued by SARU
