South Africa’s oldest domestic rugby competition will crown its 2026 champion in Kimberley on Saturday. Defending champions Suzuki Griquas host the Airlink Pumas in a Carling Currie Cup Premier Division final layered with recent history, contrasting styles, and unfinished business.
Four years after the Pumas stunned Griquas in the 2022 final on the same ground to secure their first Currie Cup title, the two sides meet again to contest the famous trophy. The big match starts at 15h00 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
For Pieter Bergh’s Griquas, the mission is clear: defend the title they captured dramatically against the Fidelity ADT Lions in Johannesburg last year, and strengthen their claim as the current benchmark in South African provincial rugby. For Jimmy Stonehouse’s Pumas, it is a chance to add a second Currie Cup crown and underline that their remarkable rise over the past decade remains one of the competition's great success stories.
Suzuki Griquas have set the standard throughout the 2026 competition. After losing their opening match to the DHL Stormers XXIII in Cape Town, they produced six consecutive league victories to finish top of the table with a competition-leading 271 points and 40 tries scored. They also boasted the best defensive record in the tournament, leaking only 20 tries in their 143 points conceded. Their points differential of +128 underlined a team capable of suffocating opponents and punishing mistakes.
By contrast, the Airlink Pumas scored 201 points in the regular season and conceded 195, for a points difference of +6. They scored 29 tries and conceded 28 in the process.
Griquas’ dominance continued in last weekend's semi-final, where they dismantled the Lions 52-12 at home in the Diamond City. The holders ran in seven tries, overwhelmed the visitors at scrum time, and effectively ended the contest before halftime with a 35-05 lead.
The Pumas’ route has been more turbulent, but equally impressive. The men from Mpumalanga finished third on the table after four wins from seven league matches. Their campaign—which started with two early defeats to the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV and Lions in the opening rounds—gathered momentum at exactly the right time. They outplayed the Toyota Cheetahs 52-26 in their final league fixture in Nelspruit to clinch a playoff place, before backing that performance up with a gritty 27-24 away semi-final victory in Bloemfontein.
Unlike Griquas' eye-catching semi-final performance, the Pumas had to fight for every inch in Bloemfontein. Trailing at halftime, they produced a powerful second-half comeback against the side of Frans Steyn before Clinton Swart's 70th-minute penalty goal settled a tense contest. The result also sealed back-to-back victories over a Cheetahs side that had finished second on the regular-season log, four points behind Griquas.
Historically, Kimberley boasts a rich Currie Cup legacy, featuring titles in 1970 and 2025. Saturday marks a bid for back-to-back glory in their sixth final appearance.
The Pumas established themselves as modern disruptors by winning their maiden title in Kimberley in 2022 against Griquas.
Griquas defeated the Pumas 38-14 earlier in the season to break a four-match skid against them, entering the final on a seven-match winning streak. The match will be refereed by Morné Ferreira.
Experts heavily favour the Suzuki Griquas to defend their title. Citing their winning streak, home advantage, and strong set-piece, commentators expect the Griquas' defence to stifle the Pumas. The consensus predicts a Griquas victory by roughly 10 points.
Teams:
Suzuki Griquas: 15 Stefan Coetzee, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Zane Bester, 12 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 11 Sako Makata, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Bobby Alexander, 8 Carl Els, 7 Marco de Witt, 6 Lourens Oosthuizen, 5 Albert Liebenberg (captain), 4 Malembe Mpofu, 3 Ig Prinsloo, 2 Tiaan Lange, 1 Leon Lyons. Replacements: 16 Janco Uys, 17 Eddie Davids, 18 Ntobeko Shezi, 19 Derik Pretorius, 20 Carl van der Merwe, 21 Jack Hart, 22 Liam Koen, 23 Connor Mahoney.
Airlink Pumas: 15 Jaycee Nel, 14 Darren Adonis, 13 Sango Xamashe, 12 Wian van Niekerk, 11 Banie Britz, 10 Clinton Swart, 9 Thomas Bursey, 8 Willie Engelbrecht (captain), 7 Andre Goedhals, 6 Ntsika Fisanti, 5 Tiaan de Klerk, 4 JJ Scheepers, 3 Sampie Swiegers, 2 Chyle van Zyl, 1 Etienne Janeke. Replacements: 16 Gustav du Rand, 17 Zukisa Sali, 18 Junior Banda, 19 Stephan Krugel, 20 Ruwald van der Merwe, 21 Thabo Ndimande, 22 Tino Swanepoel, 23 Russwill Fredericks.