2023 Currie Cup First Division

The 2023 Currie Cup First Division will be the 85th edition of the Currie Cup. As the second-tier of the competition, it will run alongside the 2023 Currie Cup Premier Division. It will be sponsored by beer brand Carling Black Label and organised by the South African Rugby Union.

2023 Currie Cup First Division
CountriesSouth Africa
Date25 March – 24 June

The tournament will be played from March 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 will again feature ten sides, the six sides who competed in the 2022 Currie Cup First Division, and four foreign teams from Kenya, Namibia, United States and Zimbabwe. 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 will be completed in June. Foreign team of Kenya, Namibia, United States and Zimbabwe compete, with 6 South Africa teams, only for Mzansi Challenge.

Teams
Location of teams in the 2023 Currie Cup First Division
(not including the Simbas or the Zimbabwe Goshawks)

The ten competing teams are:

2023 Currie Cup First Division/Mzansi Challenge
Team Sponsored name
Boland Cavaliers Boland Kavaliers
Border Bulldogs Border Bulldogs
Eastern Province Elephants Eastern Province Elephants
Falcons Valke
Griffons Down Touch Griffons
Leopards Leopards
[[|Rhinos]] San Clemente Rhinos
Simbas Simbas
SWD Eagles SWD Eagles
Zimbabwe Goshawks Zimbabwe Goshawks
Welwitschias Windhoek Draught Welwitschias

Regular season

Standings
2023 Currie Cup First Division/Mzansi Challenge standings
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TBP LBP Pts Qualification
1 [[|San Clemente Rhinos]] 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Semifinals
2 Boland Cavaliers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Border Bulldogs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Eastern Province Elephants 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Falcons 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Welwitschias 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Leopards 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Simbas 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 SWD Eagles 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 Zimbabwe Goshawks 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Updated to match(es) played on 25 March 2023. Source: springboks.rugby
Rules for classification: Tournament points in the standings were awarded to teams as follows:
  • 4 points for a win.
  • 2 points for a draw.
  • 1 bonus point for a loss in a match by seven points or under.
  • 1 bonus point for scoring four tries or more.
Teams were ranked in the standings firstly by tournament points then by: (a) points difference from all matches (points scored less points conceded); (b) tries difference from all matches (tries scored less tries conceded); (c) points difference from the matches between the tied teams; (d) points scored in all matches; (e) tries scored in all matches; and, if needed, (f) a coin toss.

Round-by-round

The table below shows the progression of all teams throughout the Currie Cup season. Each team's tournament points on the standings log is shown for each round, with the overall log position in brackets.

2023 Currie Cup team progression
Team R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 Semi Final
San Clemente Rhinos
Boland Cavaliers
Border Bulldogs
EP Elephants
Falcons
Welwitschias
Leopards
Simbas
SWD Eagles
Zimbabwe Goshawks
Key: Win Draw Loss No match Bye

Matches

Listed below are all matches for the round-robin, played for the 2023 Currie Cup First Division.[1]

Round 1
25 March 2023 SWD Eagles 36-23 Eastern Province Elephants Outeniqua Park, George  
19:00
2 April 2023 Border Bulldogs v Border BulldogsGriffons Griffons Stadium, Welkom  
15:00
2 April 2023 Boland Cavaliers v Falcons Piketberg Rugby Club, Piketberg  
15:00
2 April 2023 Zimbabwe Goshawks v Black Lion Villager RFC, Cape Town  
2 April 2023 Leopards v Simbas  

Round 2
7 April 2023 Eastern Province Elephants v Black Lion Madibaz Stadium, Port Elizabeth  
19:00
8 April 2023 Border Bulldogs v Leopards Old Selbornians, East London  
15:00
8 April 2023 SWD Eagles v Boland Cavaliers Outeniqua Park, George  
19:00
9 April 2023 Falcons v Simbas Bosman Stadium, Brakpan  
15:00
9 April 2023 Griffons v Zimbabwe Goshawks Griffons Stadium, Welkom  
15:00

Round 3
22 April 2023 SWD Eagles v Leopards Outeniqua Park, George  
19:00
23 April 2023 Falcons v Border Bulldogs Bosman Stadium, Brakpan  
15:00
23 April 2023 Black Lion v Griffons Griffons Stadium, Welkom  
15:00
23 April 2023 Boland Cavaliers v Eastern Province Elephants Villager RFC, Cape Town  
15:00
23 April 2023 Simbas v Zimbabwe Goshawks City Park Stadium, Athlone  

Round 4
30 April 2023 Leopards v Boland Cavaliers Olën Park, Potchefstroom  
15:00
30 April 2023 Griffons v Simbas Griffons Stadium, Welkom  
15:00
30 April 2023 Falcons v Black Lion Bosman Stadium, Brakpan  
15:00
30 April 2023 Eastern Province Elephants v Border Bulldogs Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth  
15:30
30 April 2023 SWD Eagles v Zimbabwe Goshawks  

Round 5
7 May 2023 Simbas v Border Bulldogs City Park Stadium, Athlone  
15:00
7 May 2023 Leopards v Falcons Olën Park, Potchefstroom  
15:00
7 May 2023 Griffons v SWD Eagles Griffons Stadium, Welkom  
15:00
7 May 2023 Zimbabwe Goshawks v Boland Cavaliers False Bay Rugby Club, Cape Town  
7 May 2023 Eastern Province Elephants v Black Lion  

Round 6
14 May 2023 Leopards v Eastern Province Elephants Olën Park, Potchefstroom  
15:00
14 May 2023 Falcons v SWD Eagles Bosman Stadium, Brakpan  
15:00
14 May 2023 Boland Cavaliers v Griffons Rangers Sportsground, Bredasdorp  
15:00
14 May 2023 Border Bulldogs v Zimbabwe Goshawks Old Selbornians, East London  
14 May 2023 Black Lion v Simbas  

Round 7
20 May 2023 SWD Eagles v Zimbabwe Goshawks Outeniqua Park, George  
19:00
21 May 2023 Boland Cavaliers v Simbas Boland Stadium, Wellington  
15:00
21 May 2023 Griffons v Leopards Griffons Stadium, Welkom  
15:00
21 May 2023 Border Bulldogs v Black Lion Old Selbornians, East London  
15:00
21 May 2023 Eastern Province Elephants v Falcons Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth  
15:30

Round 8
28 May 2023 Black Lion v Boland Cavaliers Boland Stadium, Wellington  
15:00
28 May 2023 Eastern Province Elephants v Griffons Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth  
15:30
28 May 2023 Zimbabwe Goshawks v Leopards False Bay Rugby Club, Cape Town  
28 May 2023 Simbas v SWD Eagles City Park Stadium, Athlone  
28 May 2023 Border Bulldogs v Falcons  

Round 9
3 June 2023 SWD Eagles v Black Lion Outeniqua Park, George  
19:00
4 June 2023 Leopards v Simbas Olën Park, Potchefstroom  
15:00
4 June 2023 Border Bulldogs v Boland Cavaliers Old Selbornians, East London  
15:00
4 June 2023 Eastern Province Elephants v Zimbabwe Goshawks Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth  
15:30
4 June 2023 Falcons v Griffons Bosman Stadium, Brakpan  

Round 10
11 June 2023 Border Bulldogs v SWD Eagles Old Selbornians, East London  
15:00
11 June 2023 Black Lion v Leopards Olën Park, Potchefstroom  
15:00
11 June 2023 Zimbabwe Goshawks v Falcons SACS College, Cape Town  
11 June 2023 Simbas v Eastern Province Elephants City Park Stadium, Athlone  
11 June 2023 Boland Cavaliers v Griffons  

Play-offs

Semifinals
18 June 2023 1st seed v 4th seed TBC  
TBC
18 June 2023 2nd seed v 3rd seed TBC  
TBC

Final
25 June 2023 Winner semi-final 1 v Winner semi-final 2 TBC  
TBC

Players

Team rosters

The respective squads for the 2023 Currie Cup First Division have yet to be named.

Referees

The referees for the 2023 Currie Cup First Division have yet to be named.

See also
  • 2023 Currie Cup Premier Division

Notes

    References
    1. "CURRIE CUP FIRST DIVISION/MZANSI CHALLENGE". SA Rugby. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
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