SA Rugby has announced the exciting competition structure for the 2023 rugby season, which will see an expansion of the Currie Cup Premier Division, the addition of the Mzanzi Challenge comprising five international teams, as well as the plenty of provincial women’s and age-group rugby.
Six local teams will contest the Currie Cup First Division, which starts on 10 February, and they will be joined later by five international teams, the Diables (Spain), Simbas (Kenya), Windhoek Draught Welwitschias (Namibia), Tel-Aviv Heat (Israel) and Goshawks (Zimbabwe), when the new Mzanzi Challenge kicks off on 24 March.
All 11 teams will contest the Mzanzi Challenge in a single-round format which includes a semi-final and a final match during the 14-week period, with the final set for mid-June.
At the same time, the six local teams will carry points earned against each other into the race for Currie Cup First Division honours and the team who finishes with the most log points (only matches involving the SA teams to be taken into account) will be crowned the winner.
Currie Cup First Division/ Mzansi Challenge
11 February 2023
15:00 Boland Kavaliers vs Valke - Boland Stadium, Wellington
15:00 Leopards vs Border Bulldogs - Olen Park, Potchefstroom
17 February 2023
18:00 SWD Eagles vs Boland Kavaliers - Outeniqua Park, George
18 February 2023
15:00 Leopards vs Eastern Province - Olen Park, Potchefstroom
24 February 2023
18:00 SWD Eagles vs Leopards - Outeniqua Park, George
25 February 2023
16:00 Boland Kavaliers vs Border Bulldogs - Boland Stadium, Wellington
04 March 2023
16:00 Boland Kavaliers vs Eastern Province - Boland Stadium, Wellington
11 March 2023
15:00 Leopards vs Boland Kavaliers - Olen Park, Potchefstroom
24 March 2023
18:00 SWD Eagles vs Eastern Province - Outeniqua Park, George
25 March 2023
15:00 Leopards vs Zimbabwe Goshawks - Olen Park, Potchefstroom
15:00 Boland Kavaliers vs Diables Barcelona - Boland Stadium, Wellington
01 April 2023
17:00 Diables Barcelona vs Tel Aviv Heat - Randburg High Skool, Randburg
15 April 2023
17:00 Diables Barcelona vs Border Bulldogs - Randburg High Skool, Randburg
22 April 2023
15:00 Leopards vs SWD Eagles - Olen Park, Potchefstroom
16:00 Windhoek Draught Welwitschias vs Tel Aviv Heat - Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium, Windhoek
28 April 2023
18:00 SWD Eagles vs Border Bulldogs - Outeniqua Park, George
29 April 2023
15:00 Boland Kavaliers vs Leopards - TBC
17:00 Diables Barcelona vs Windhoek Draught Welwitschias - Randburg High Skool, Randburg
06 May 2023
16:00 Windhoek Draught Welwitschias vs Leopards - TBC
17:00 Diables Barcelona vs SWD Eagles - Randburg High Skool, Randburg
13 May 2023
16:00 Windhoek Draught Welwitschias vs Simbas - Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium, Windhoek
17:00 Diables Barcelona vs Valke - Randburg High Skool, Randburg
20 May 2023
15:00 Boland Kavaliers vs SWD Eagles - TBC
15:00 Leopards vs Diables Barcelona - Olen Park, Potchefstroom
27 May 2023
16:00 Windhoek Draught Welwitschias vs Boland Kavaliers - Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium, Windhoek
03 June 2023
15:00 Leopards vs Valke - Olen Park, Potchefstroom
16:00 Windhoek Draught Welwitschias vs Eastern Province - Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium, Windhoek
