The third round of the Currie Cup brings a central derby between defending champions Griquas and early pacesetters Cheetahs on Friday night, kicking off a full weekend of action across South Africa.
Griquas open the programme at Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley, where they welcome a Cheetahs side that has taken maximum points from their first two fixtures to sit top of the log on 10 points. The match starts at 19:00 on Friday, 31 July and will be refereed by Christopher Allison. It will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
The champions head into the clash with one win and one defeat from their opening two outings, while the Cheetahs aim to extend their perfect start and strengthen their position at the summit.
Double bill in Cape Town and Johannesburg on Saturday
Saturday’s schedule features two matches, beginning in Cape Town where Stormers XXIII host Sharks XV at DHL Stadium.
That encounter gets under way at 15:00 on Saturday, 1 August, with Dylen November appointed as referee and SuperSport providing live television coverage.
Both Stormers XXIII and Sharks XV have experienced mixed fortunes so far, each registering one victory and one defeat. The meeting in Cape Town therefore offers an opportunity for one of them to establish momentum in the early stages of the campaign.
Later on Saturday, Lions face northern neighbours Bulls XV at UJ Stadium in Johannesburg. Kick-off is at 17:05, with Juan de Bod in charge of the whistle. This match will also be shown live on SuperSport.
Lions, like Griquas, Sharks and Stormers XXIII, have split their opening two fixtures, leaving all four sides bunched in mid-table after two rounds and looking to keep pace with the early front-runners.
Unbeaten Boland Kavaliers welcome Pumas on Sunday
The round concludes on Sunday, 2 August, when Boland Kavaliers, one of only two unbeaten teams in the competition, host Pumas at Boland Stadium in Wellington.
That match kicks off at 15:00 and will be refereed by Morne Ferreira, with SuperSport again providing live coverage.
Boland Kavaliers have emerged from their first two games without defeat, matching the Cheetahs’ early consistency, and will look to maintain that record in what is expected to be a fiercely contested encounter against Pumas.
After two rounds, Cheetahs lead the standings with a maximum haul of 10 points, while Boland Kavaliers’ unbeaten start has also placed them firmly in contention near the top of the log. Griquas, Lions, Sharks and Stormers XXIII each hold one win and one loss, leaving much still to be decided as the competition moves into its third weekend.
Full third-round fixtures (all times local):
– Griquas v Cheetahs
– Date: Friday, 31 July
– Venue: Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley
– Time: 19:00
– Referee: Christopher Allison
– Broadcast: SuperSport
– Stormers XXIII v Sharks XV
– Date: Saturday, 1 August
– Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
– Time: 15:00
– Referee: Dylen November
– Broadcast: SuperSport
– Lions v Bulls XV
– Date: Saturday, 1 August
– Venue: UJ Stadium, Johannesburg
– Time: 17:05
– Referee: Juan de Bod
– Broadcast: SuperSport
– Boland Kavaliers v Pumas
– Date: Sunday, 2 August
– Venue: Boland Stadium, Wellington
– Time: 15:00
– Referee: Morne Ferreira
– Broadcast: SuperSport
