Limpopo's chance to shine

Limpopo will play in the Vodacom Cup as a separate team for the first time when this 16-team competition kicks off on the second weekend of March.

The region, which is a sub-union of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, has been granted a place in the tournament in its own rights to help foster rugby in South Africa’s far north. They join the 14 provincial unions as well as the returning Pampas XV from Argentina in the tournament, which concludes in mid-May.

The Polokwane-based Limpopo team will play in the North Section of the Vodacom Cup, along with the Blue Bulls, Golden Lions, Griffons, Leopards, Pumas, Valke and Griquas, runners up in 2012. They are scheduled to play their mother body Blue Bulls in Polokwane on Saturday, April 20.

The South Section contains defending champions, Western Province, as well as the Border Bulldogs, Boland Kavaliers, Eastern Province Kings, Free State XV, Sharks XV, South Western Districts and the Pampas XV from Argentina.

Teams will each play seven group matches within their own section. Thereafter the top four teams from each section will progress to the quarterfinals, which will be contested across the two sections.