It was an unprecedented year for one of South Africa’s most hallowed sporting traditions in 2021.

For the first time ever, a team won two Currie Cup trophies in one calendar year as Blue Bulls captured both the delayed 2020-21 final trophy (held in January due to COVID-19 postponements) followed by doing it again eight months later. The rugby was fast and fervent throughout the competitions, but in the end, it was one team that stood tall.

The Blue Bulls are aiming for the first outright three-peat of final wins in the Currie Cup since they completed the feat previously from 2002-04. But plenty of seasoned stars and new faces around the competition will be pushing forth to attempt to stop that from happening.

What’s to expect for the teams in rugby-mad South Africa’s top domestic competition in the sport? Look no further for a preview of all teams below, and check out the division throughout the year on FloRugby. 

See the full schedule here.

NOTE: All first pitch times are listed in Eastern Time and are subject to change.

Blue Bulls

2021 result: First in Premier Division, final winners

A look ahead: It was an unprecedented year for coach Gert Smal’s team as the Bulls became the first team in the competition’s history to ever win two finals in one year. They also pulled off the biggest blowout in final history with a 44-10 rout over Sharks on Sept. 11 last season. As of Saturday, Blue Bulls currently sits top of the table through two games in this year’s Currie Cup—with a 2-0-0 record and +35 point differential—as the reigning champions have scored 10 tries through 10 different players, with hooker Bismarck du Plessis even scoring his first Currie Cup try in 13 years in a 40-21 rambling of Western Province over the weekend. 

Currie Cup Matches (through March):
vs. Cheetahs, Feb. 2 10:45 a.m.
vs. Griquas, March 5 7:30 a.m.
vs. Sharks, March 18 2:00 p.m.
vs. Golden Lions, March 23 2:00 p.m.

Sharks

2021 result: Second in Premier Division, final runner-up

A look ahead: Sharks had the best defense record (223 points allowed) in the competition last season, but came apart when it mattered in the final as it allowed 44 points to the Blue Bulls. Coach Etienne Fynn’s squad wants to ensure that a disappointing end to a promising season like that doesn’t happen again. Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, one of the world’s finest loose forwards, has been plagued by injuries over the past two years but remains a fervent threat when fully fit. There’s plenty of depth in the side, as well, as a mostly second-tier side beat Griquas 24-23 in the opening matchweek of this year’s competition as starters were resting for a United Rugby Championship fixture. 

Currie Cup Matches:
vs. Western Province, Feb. 2 1:00 p.m.
vs. Golden Lions, Feb. 19 10:00 a.m.
vs. Pumas, March 4 12:00 p.m.
vs. Blue Bulls, March 18 2:00 p.m.
vs. Cheetahs, March 23 11:45 a.m.

Griquas

2021 result: Third in Premier Division, playoff semifinal

A look ahead: Griquas were a win away from qualifying for their first Currie Cup final since its historic 1970 win but narrowly missed out, losing 28-24 in the playoff semifinal to Sharks despite a late try from the team in the dying minutes in an ultimately futile comeback effort. However, this year is going to be a period of much adjustment for the squad. The coach that led the team to the Currie Cup semifinal, Scott Mathie, left to be the head of the New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby. In steps Pieter Bergh, a former Griquas assistant who had been coaching Central University of Technology before his new role. There have been some hiccups out of the gate in this year’s Currie Cup, nonetheless, as Griquas has started this year’s competition 0-0-2. 

Currie Cup Matches:
vs. Pumas, Feb. 2 8:30 a.m.
vs. Western Province, Feb. 18 12:00 p.m.
vs. Blue Bulls, March 5 7:30 a.m.
vs. Golden Lions, March 18 9:30 a.m.

Western Province

2021 result: Fourth in Premier Division, playoff semifinal

A look ahead: The highest scoring team in the 2021 Currie Cup wasn’t Blue Bulls or Sharks, but rather Western Province, who stormed its way to a division-best 386 points in 12 games off the backs of the likes of fly-half Tim Swiel, who finished second in the competition in total points scored with 150. However, defense was a major issue as Die Streeptruie (The Striped Sweaters) nearly allowed as many points with 380 given up, the second-worst defensive mark behind last-place Golden Lions. Former Springbok and lock Hilton Lobberts returns to Western Province this season after 34 appearances for the club from 2009-12 and he’ll hope to stabilize the engine room and get Western Province back in the playoff hunt.

Currie Cup Matches:
vs. Sharks, Feb. 2 1:00 p.m.
vs. Griquas, Feb. 18 12:00 p.m.
vs. Cheetahs, March 18 11:45 a.m.
vs. Pumas, March 23 9:00 a.m.

Pumas

2021 result: Fifth in Premier Division

A look ahead: Pumas missed out by a point on qualifying for the playoffs, with a 13-13 draw with Griquas in the final matchweek—Pumas saw the Northern Cape-based club go through to the semifinals. It was a bitter end to what was an encouraging season at points for the squad, especially as hooker Simon Westraadt was the joint-top try scorer in the league with eight. However, Westraadt left the team in the offseason to play in Russia, leaving the Pumas without a major source of their attack from last season. Fortunately for coach Jimmy Stonehouse’s squad, fly-half Eddie Fouche—who was one of just three players in the competition to break the 100-point barrier—stuck around, and at just 24 years old has plenty of room to grow, too.

Currie Cup Matches:
vs. Griquas, Feb. 2 8:30 a.m.
vs. Free State Cheetahs, Feb. 19 7:30 a.m.
vs. Sharks, March 4 12:00 p.m.
vs. Western Province, March 23 9:00 a.m.

Free State Cheetahs

2021 result: Sixth in Premier Division

A look ahead: After lifting the Currie Cup final trophy in 2019, Free State has missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and looked overall like a shell of the side that romped to its sixth title in team history three years ago. Coach Hawies Fourie will attempt to recapture some of that magic. Several players capped internationally feature in the roster including center Francois Steyn and winger Rosko Specman, a longtime rugby sevens star that won a bronze medal with the Springboks at the 2016 Summer Olympics. The 2022 Currie Cup campaign started positively for the Cheetahs, beating Griquas 30-20 on Jan. 15 in the first matchweek.

Currie Cup Matches:
vs. Blue Bulls, Feb. 2 10:45 a.m.
vs. Pumas, Feb. 19 7:30 a.m.
vs. Golden Lions, March 5 10:00 a.m.
vs. Western Province, March 18 11:45 a.m.
vs. Sharks, March 23 11:45 a.m.

Golden Lions

2021 result: Seventh in Premier Division

A look ahead: After a thrilling run to the Currie Cup final in 2019 where it nearly came back to beat Cheetahs, Golden Lions made the playoffs in 2020-21 but fell to rock bottom the next season with both the lowest point total (270) and most points allowed (413) in the competition. New coach Mzwakhe Nkosi has been hired to attempt to right the ship and get the squad back to near the top of the table, though things haven’t necessarily started well in 2022: Golden Lions are 0-0-2 to start the campaign with a division-worst -53 points. Nonetheless, 22-year-old fly-half Vaughen Issacs—who rarely featured for Blue Bulls over the past few seasons—could morph into a young star with the Golden Lions as he’s already tallied 20 points this season.

Currie Cup Matches:
vs. Sharks, Feb. 19 10:00 a.m.
vs.Cheetahs, March 5 10:00 a.m.
vs. Griquas, March 18 9:30 a.m.
vs. Blue Bulls, March 23 2:00 p.m.