The 20-team field for the inaugural SARU Community Cup for SA’s open club rugby teams – which kicks off in February – was confirmed on Tuesday.
Automatic qualifiers:
Blue Bulls – Pretoria Police
Blue Bulls Limpopo – Noordelikes
Boland – Villagers Worcester
Border – Old Selbornians
Eastern Province – Despatch
Free State – Bloemfontein Police
Golden Lions – Roodepoort
Griffons – Welkom Rovers
Griquas – Sishen
KZN – College Rovers
Leopards – Rustenburg Impala
Mpumalanga – White River
SWD – Evergreens
Valke – Brakpan
Western Province – Durbanville-Bellville
Wild Cards:
African Bombers (Eastern Province)
Bloemfontein Crusaders (Free State)
Raiders (Golden Lions)
Roses United (Boland)
SK Walmers (WP)
The top-ranked non-university clubs from each of the 14 provinces and Polokwane are joined by five Wild Card clubs. Just how these Wild Card clubs are selected was not made apparent by SARU, but it cannot be based on merit given that SK Walmers were given an entry ahead of Hamiltons …
The WP Super A log this year:
MATIES 81
DURB-BELL 81
HAMILTONS 62
UCT 53
SK WALMERS 48
VICTORIANS 46
BELHAR 29
TYGERBERG 27
FALSE BAY 25
VILLAGER 14
No doubt it will be about development, with traditionally black or coloured clubs being given preference, which is all good and well, but then makes the selection subjective and creates yet another mudslinging environment that SARU will need to manage. Why not just make it about merit and give the provinces finishing 1st to 5th in the Currie Cup a second side based on their league log), and like the Varsity Cup, put in colour quotas for each team if that is the objective?
Anyhoo …
The Community Cup will replace the National Club Championships and is identical in format to the Rugby World Cup, and begins on Saturday 16 February 2013 with eight first-round matches spread across four pools and played at club venues across the length and breadth of the country.
The 20 clubs will be divided into four pools of five, with each club playing two home and two away matches over a period of five weeks. The top two clubs from each pool will then advance to the knockout stages, with the eight teams playing quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals at Outeniqua Park in George over the Easter long weekend.
The final will be played on Easter Monday, 1 April 2013, with the winners playing the Varsity Cup champions to determine the overall national club champion a week later.
College Rovers have earned the right to host the opening ceremony and match in Durban after winning the Club Champs in Rustenburg earlier this year. Pools and fixtures will be announced in due course.
