EP fails to gain Currie Cup entry
NEWS: The Currie Cup will kick off next month, with a seven-team Premier Division, following an online meeting of the General Council of the South African Rugby Union on Friday.
The Council rejected a proposal from Eastern Province that they are incorporated into the top-flight immediately.
However, the council approved a motion that the top South African team in the First Division be automatically promoted to the Premier Division at the end of the 2022 Currie Cup season, creating an eight-team Premier Division.
In addition, the promoted team will be entrenched for two seasons (until the end of the 2024 Currie Cup season) when the bottom team in the Premier Division will be automatically relegated in favour of the top South African team in the First Division, which will also be entrenched for two seasons before promotion/relegation at the end of the 2026 season.
The 2022 competition will kick off on the weekend of January 14 and 15.
The unusual kick-off has been prompted by the realignment of the South African domestic rugby calendar to dovetail with the Northern Hemisphere season following the expanded entry of four teams into the United Rugby Championship.
The change means that the Currie Cup final will be played on 25 June, which will mark the end of the season for senior professional players appearing in the Currie Cup and the United Rugby Championship.
The First Division fixtures will be confirmed in the New Year.
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Currie Cup Premier Division 2022 (all fixtures are subject to change; venues and kick-off times to be confirmed)
Friday/Saturday 14/15 January
* Western Province v Lions
* Cheetahs v Griquas
* Pumas v Bulls
Wednesday 19 January
* Western Province v Bulls
* Sharks v Griquas
* Lions v Pumas
Wednesday 2 February
* Sharks v Western Province
* Bulls v Cheetahs
* Griquas v Pumas
Friday/Saturday 18/19 February
* Lions v Sharks
* Griquas v Western Province
* Pumas v Cheetahs
Friday/Saturday 4/5 March
* Cheetahs v Lions
* Griquas v Bulls
* Pumas v Sharks
Wednesday 16 March
* Bulls v Sharks
* Cheetahs v Western Province
* Griquas v Lions
Wednesday 23 March
* Western Province v Pumas
* Sharks v Cheetahs
* Lions v Bulls
Wednesday 6 April
* Bulls v Western Province
* Griquas v Sharks
* Pumas v Lions
Friday/Saturday 15/16 April
* Western Province v Cheetahs
* Sharks v Bulls
* Lions v Griquas
Friday/Saturday 6/7 May
* Sharks v Pumas
* Lions v Cheetahs
* Bulls v Griquas
Friday/Saturday 13/14 May
* Bulls v Lions
* Cheetahs v Sharks
* Pumas v Western Province
Friday/Saturday 27/28 May
* Lions v Western Province
* Bulls v Pumas
* Griquas v Cheetahs
Friday/Saturday 3/4 June
* Western Province v Griquas
* Sharks v Lions
* Cheetahs v Pumas
Friday/Saturday 10/11 June
* Western Province v Sharks
* Cheetahs v Bulls
* Pumas v Griquas
18 June
* Currie Cup semifinals
25 June
* Currie Cup Final
2 July
* Champions Match