Currie Cup round 7 preview

August 27, 2026
359
Ultimate Rugby

The league phase of the 2026 Carling Currie Cup Premier Division reaches its climax this weekend when the final round of regular action will be completed, with just two semi-final spots up for grabs and five teams still in contention to join Suzuki Griquas and the Toyota Cheetahs in the playoffs.

Two matches take place this coming Friday, in Johannesburg and Durban, one on Saturday in Nelspruit, and the league phase will conclude on Sunday in Wellington. All the action will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Defending champions Suzuki Griquas and the Toyota Cheetahs have both booked their semi-final places already and occupy the two top spots on the league table heading into the crucial final round of regular action.

They are followed by a five-team chasing pack who will be hunting for the two remaining playoff spots – the Airlink Pumas (17 points), Sanlam Boland Kavaliers and the DHL Stormers XXIII (both on 16 points), Fidelity ADT Lions (15) and Hollywoodbets Sharks XV (13). The winless Vodacom Bulls XV are out of reckoning and have only five points to date.

Kicking off matters on Friday, the Lions host the Stormers XXIII in a 17h05 start at 10Bet Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The Sharks XV then take on the Bulls XV in Durban, where the match is due to get underway at 19h15.

Then on Saturday the action continues at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, where the Pumas host high-flying Cheetahs. The weekend’s round will conclude on Sunday as the Kavaliers face Griquas in Wellington, from 15h00.

With Griquas and the Cheetahs playing for top spot, and the five other teams for positions three and four, permutations could make for a tense weekend of action across Johannesburg, Durban, Nelspruit and Wellington.

The Airlink Pumas are best placed of the chasing group on 17 points, and they know that victory over the Toyota Cheetahs at Mbombela Stadium will put them beyond reach of the sides below them.

Even a losing bonus point could be enough for the Mpumalangas, depending on results elsewhere, but they will want to avoid leaving their fate to other teams, particularly with the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers and DHL Stormers XXIII lurking only one point behind them.

In head-to-head clashes over five games between these two rivals, the Cheetahs are 4-1 ahead, including last year’s second-round 42-25 win in Bloemfontein, while the Pumas’ last success over the Free Staters was a runaway 42-36 triumph in SA Cup semi-final earlier this year.

The most direct shootout comes at 10bet Ellis Park on Friday, where the Fidelity ADT Lions host the DHL Stormers XXIII. Victory for the Capetonians would take them to at least 20 points, but the hosts can also force their way into the top four with a home win, although bonus points across the weekend could still prove decisive in the final calculation.

Looking back at their previous five meetings, then it’s clear the Stormers XXIII have a huge challenge to topple the Gautengers in their den. This is because the Lions have won this meeting four times over this stretch – including the last three encounters – after the Capetonians won 44-28 in March 2023.

The Hollywoodbets Sharks XV remain the outsiders on 13 points and must beat the Vodacom Bulls XV in Durban, preferably with a bonus point, before hoping that teams above them slip up. Their points deficit means qualification is possible only if several results go their way, but with two semi-final places still open, the KZN side will have every incentive to keep scoreboard pressure on the rest of the chasing pack.

Heading into this game, they have each won two and drawn one match between them over their last five encounters, with the Bulls XV tops by a margin of 64-0 when they met in the second-round last year in Pretoria.

The equation for the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers is equally clear, but difficult. They finish their league phase against holders Griquas in Wellington on Sunday, by which time they will know exactly what is required.

A win would give the Kavaliers a strong chance of qualifying for the semi-finals for a second successive season, while bonus points may yet keep them alive if the results in Johannesburg and Nelspruit go their way. The Sunday clash therefore has the potential to become the decisive fixture of the round.

Griquas won last season’s second-round clash 48-39 in Kimberley, while the Northern Cape side also have the better form going into this important clash – they have won four of their last five across all competitions since their 25-19 opening round loss to the Stormers XXIII.

Boland have won three of their last five games, which include wins over the Bulls XV, Stormers XXIII and Lions.

By the end of the weekend, bonus points and points’ difference may be as important as wins and losses. The Pumas, Boland, Stormers XXIII, Lions and Sharks XV all remain in the race, but only two can extend their seasons, setting up a final round in which every try, late penalty and losing bonus point could shape the semi-final line-up.

Tie-breakers:

If two or more teams are level on log points after the final league game on Sunday, the following permutations will be followed to determine their final position on the log (as per section 25.1.6 of SA Rugby’s General Competition Rules):

The number of matches won by each team in the league stage;
If unresolved, the difference between the total points scored and the total points conceded (points difference) for each team in all matches in the league stage;
If unresolved, the number of tries scored by each team in all matches in the league stage;
If unresolved, the number of points scored on the field of play by each team in all the matches in the league stage;
If unresolved, the difference between the number of tries scored and the number of tries conceded by each team in all matches in the league stage;
If unresolved, the number of yellow cards and/or red cards received by players for each team in all matches in the league stage (i.e. the team with fewer cards will be positioned higher); and
If unresolved, the toss of a coin or as otherwise determined by SARU in its absolute discretion.

Match information:

Fidelity ADT Lions vs DHL Stormers XXIII

Date: Friday, 28 August 2026

Venue: 10bet Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Kick-off: 17h05

Referee: Christopher Allison

TV: SuperSport

Hollywoodbets Sharks XV vs Vodacom Bulls XV

Date: Friday, 28 August 2026

Venue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban

Kick-off: 19h15

Referee: Morné Ferreira