| 2023 Currie Cup First Division | |
|---|---|
| Countries | South Africa |
| Date | 11 February – 24 June |
| Champions | Boland Cavaliers (6th title) |
The 2023 Currie Cup First Division is the 85th edition of the Currie Cup. As the second-tier of the competition, it runs alongside the 2023 Currie Cup Premier Division. It is sponsored by beer brand Carling Black Label and organised by the South African Rugby Union.
The tournament will be played from February to June in a single round-robin format, following the realignment of the South African domestic rugby union calendar to dovetail with the northern hemisphere and the United Rugby Championship, which features four South African sides.
The competition ran concurrently with the Mzansi Challenge, which, in addition to the six South African sides, featured four additional international sides; the Welwitschias from Namibia, the Zimbabwe Goshawks, the Simbas from Kenya and the San Clemente Rhinos from the USA. Initially, the Tel Aviv Heat from Israel were due to play. However, after pressure from the South African BDS, SARU withdrew their invitation to the Heat, who were replaced by the Rhinos. [1] [2]
Heat accused SARU of discrimination and took the case to World Rugby, who ruled that the withdrawal of the invitation was not discriminatory. [3]
The top South African side in the 2023 Currie Cup First Division will be promoted to the Premier Division for 2024, forming an eight team competition. The 2023 Currie Cup Premier Division began in January and was completed in June.
South Western District Eagles and the Falcons qualified for the Mzansi Challenge final, with the Falcons winning 55-38 and taking their first title since 2006. [4] [5]
Boland Cavaliers and the Falcons qualified for the Currie Cup First Division final, with Boland winning 43–21. [6] [7]
The ten competing teams are:
| Team | Sponsored name |
|---|---|
| Boland Cavaliers | Boland Kavaliers |
| Border Bulldogs | Border Bulldogs |
| Eastern Province Elephants | Eastern Province Elephants |
| Falcons | Valke |
| Leopards | Leopards |
| San Clemente Rhinos | San Clemente Rhinos |
| Simbas | Simbas |
| SWD Eagles | SWD Eagles |
| Zimbabwe Goshawks | Zimbabwe Goshawks |
| Welwitschias | Windhoek Draught Welwitschias |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Falcons | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 323 | 208 | +115 | 48 | 29 | 9 | 0 | 41 | Semifinals |
| 2 | SWD Eagles | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 223 | 174 | +49 | 31 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 40 | |
| 3 | Boland Cavaliers | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 232 | 146 | +86 | 34 | 17 | 8 | 0 | 36 | |
| 4 | Leopards | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 190 | 170 | +20 | 24 | 23 | 6 | 0 | 26 | |
| 5 | Eastern Province Elephants | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 191 | 211 | −20 | 23 | 28 | 5 | 0 | 25 | |
| 6 | San Clemente Rhinos | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 209 | 226 | −17 | 30 | 34 | 8 | 0 | 24 | |
| 7 | Welwitschias | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 241 | 274 | −33 | 32 | 35 | 5 | 0 | 17 | |
| 8 | Simbas | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 135 | 119 | +16 | 20 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 12 | |
| 9 | Border Bulldogs | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 197 | 352 | −155 | 27 | 51 | 4 | 0 | 12 | |
| 10 | Zimbabwe Goshawks | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 106 | 167 | −61 | 14 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boland Cavaliers | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 355 | 197 | +158 | 53 | 24 | 10 | 0 | 38 | Final |
| 2 | Falcons | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 390 | 300 | +90 | 55 | 42 | 10 | 0 | 38 | |
| 3 | SWD Eagles | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 328 | 252 | +76 | 48 | 32 | 9 | 0 | 33 | |
| 4 | Eastern Province Elephants | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 264 | 251 | +13 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 33 | |
| 5 | Leopards | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 255 | 288 | −33 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 18 | |
| 6 | Border Bulldogs | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 172 | 476 | −304 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
On the eve of the playoffs, South Western Districts Eagles threatened to pull out of their semifinal, disputing the decision to award the Falcons points after they refused to play against the San Clemente Rhinos. [8]
| 10 June 2023 | Falcons | 57–30 | Leopards | Barnard Stadium | ||
| 15:00 |
| 10 June 2023 | SWD Eagles | 37–20 | Boland Cavaliers | Outeniqua Park | ||
| 15:00 |
| 17 June 2023 | Falcons | 55–38 | SWD Eagles | Barnard Stadium | ||
| 12.30 |
| 24 June 2023 | Boland Cavaliers | 43–21 | Falcons | Boland Stadium | ||
| 13.00 |
The 2005 Currie Cup was the 67th season in the South African Currie Cup competition since it started in 1889.
The 2008 Absa Currie Cup First Division season was contested from 27 June through to 10 October. The Currie Cup is an annual domestic competition for provincial rugby union teams in South Africa.
The 2009 Absa Currie Cup First Division season was contested from 11 July through to 16 October. The Currie Cup is an annual domestic competition for provincial rugby union teams in South Africa.
The 2010 Currie Cup First Division was contested from 16 July through to 15 October 2010. The tournament is the second tier of South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces.
The 2011 Currie Cup First Division was contested from 15 July to 14 October 2011. The tournament was the second tier of the 73rd season of the Currie Cup, an annual rugby union competition featuring the fourteen South African provincial unions.
The 2011 ABSA Under-21 Provincial Championship was contested from 15 July to 29 October 2011. The tournament featured the Under-21 players from the fourteen provincial rugby unions in South Africa.
The 2012 Currie Cup First Division was contested from 30 June to 13 October 2012. The tournament is the second tier of South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces.
The 2012 ABSA Under-19 Provincial Championship was contested from 13 July to 27 October 2012. The tournament featured the Under-19 players from the fourteen Currie Cup unions.
The 2013 Currie Cup First Division was contested from 29 June to 11 October 2013. The tournament is the second tier of South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces.
The 2014 Currie Cup First Division was contested between 29 August and 17 October 2014. The tournament was the second tier of South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces.
The 2014 Currie Cup qualification series was a tournament organised by the South African Rugby Union. It featured seven teams and was played in June and July 2014, with the winner qualifying for the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division. The remaining six teams played in the 2014 Currie Cup First Division.
The 2015 Currie Cup qualification tournament was a competition organised by the South African Rugby Union which featured seven teams and was played between 12 June and 25 July 2015. The winner of the tournament would qualify for the 2015 Currie Cup Premier Division, while the remaining six teams would play in the 2015 Currie Cup First Division.
The 2015 Currie Cup First Division was contested from 29 August to 8 October 2015. The tournament was the second tier of South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces.
The 2016 Currie Cup First Division was the second tier of the second stage of the 2016 Currie Cup, the 78th edition of this annual South African rugby union competition organised by the South African Rugby Union. It was played between 12 August and 7 October 2016 and featured six teams that qualified through the 2016 Currie Cup qualification competition. The tournament was won by the Griffons for the third time in their history; they beat the Leopards 44–25 in the final played on 7 October 2016.
The 2016 Under-20 Provincial Championship was the 2016 edition of the Under-20 Provincial Championship, an annual national Under-20 rugby union competition held in South Africa. The competition was contested from 27 May to 7 October 2016. This season was the first season of a new Under-20 competition. Previously, all South African provincial unions competed in both an Under-21 and an Under-19 competition each season. That format was retained for the seven leading provincial unions at youth level, but the competition for the remaining eight provincial unions was changed to an Under-20 competition from 2016 onwards. The tournament was won by Griffons U20; they beat Boland U20 22–16 in the final played on 7 October 2016.
Andries Stefanus Schutte is a South African professional rugby union player who last played for the Falcons in the Currie Cup and the Rugby Challenge. He can play as a loosehead or tighthead prop.
The 2017 Currie Cup First Division was the second tier of the 2017 Currie Cup competition, an annual South African rugby union competition organised by the South African Rugby Union. It was the 79th edition of the competition and was contested between 25 August and 20 October 2017.
The 2018 Currie Cup First Division was the second tier of the 2018 Currie Cup, the 80th edition of the annual South African rugby union competition organised by the South African Rugby Union. It was played between 24 August and 19 October 2018 and featured seven of the eight teams that played in 2017, following Namibian side Welwitschias' withdrawal.
The 2021 Currie Cup First Division was the 83rd edition of the Currie Cup. As the second-tier of the competition, it ran alongside the 2021 Currie Cup Premier Division. It was sponsored by beer brand Carling Black Label and organised by the South African Rugby Union.
The 2022 Currie Cup First Division was the 84th edition of the Currie Cup. As the second-tier of the competition, it ran alongside the 2022 Currie Cup Premier Division. It was sponsored by beer brand Carling Black Label and organised by the South African Rugby Union.
