2021 Currie Cup Premier Division

The 2021 Currie Cup Premier Division was the 83rd edition of the top tier of the Currie Cup, the premier domestic rugby union competition in South Africa. It was sponsored by beer brand Carling Black Label and organised by the South African Rugby Union.

The tournament returned to its usual dates, following being played from November to January in 2020/21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament also returned to its usual length of 14 rounds followed by finals, following a shortened 7 round competition in 2020/21.

The First Division of the Currie Cup also returned in 2021, having been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Teams

The seven competing teams were:

+ 2021 Currie Cup Premier Division Team Sponsored name Vodacom Blue Bulls Toyota Free State Cheetahs Xerox Golden Lions (until 1 July) Sigma Golden Lions (from 1 July) Tafel Lager Griquas New Nation Pumas Cell C Sharks DHL Western Province

Regular season Standings

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.

2021 Currie Cup team progressionTeam R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14SemiFinal 1 (4th) 6 (3rd) 10 (3rd) 10 (5th) 14 (4th) 18 (3rd) 23 (2nd) 28 (1st) 29 (2nd) 34 (1st) 39 (1st) 44 (1st) 44 (1st) 49 (1st) Won Won 0 (5th) 0 (7th) 0 (7th) 4 (7th) 8 (7th) 13 (6th) 14 (6th) 14 (7th) 16 (7th) 19 (7th) 21 (7th) 26 (6th) 26 (6th) 28 (6th) DNQ DNQ 0 (7th) 5 (6th) 5 (6th) 9 (6th) 13 (5th) 14 (5th) 14 (7th) 16 (6th) 21 (5th) 24 (5th) 24 (6th) 24 (7th) 24 (7th) 24 (7th) DNQ DNQ 0 (6th) 5 (5th) 6 (5th) 10 (4th) 14 (3rd) 19 (2nd) 19 (3rd) 24 (3rd) 26 (3rd) 26 (3rd) 26 (4th) 28 (5th) 33 (3rd) 35 (3rd) Lost DNQ 5 (1st) 6 (2nd) 10 (2nd) 11 (2nd) 15 (1st) 15 (4th) 15 (5th) 20 (4th) 20 (6th) 24 (4th) 27 (3rd) 28 (4th) 32 (4th) 34 (5th) DNQ DNQ 5 (3rd) 5 (4th) 7 (4th) 11 (3rd) 15 (2nd) 19 (1st) 24 (1st) 25 (2nd) 30 (1st) 30 (2nd) 35 (2nd) 35 (2nd) 40 (2nd) 40 (2nd) Won Lost 5 (2nd) 7 (1st) 11 (1st) 12 (1st) 12 (6th) 12 (7th) 17 (4th) 17 (5th) 22 (4th) 22 (6th) 25 (5th) 30 (3rd) 30 (5th) 35 (4th) Lost DNQKey: Win Draw Loss No match Bye

Matches

Listed below are all matches for the double round-robin, played for the 2021 Currie Cup Premier Division.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Play-offs

Semifinals

Final

The Blue Bulls became the first team in the 130-year history of the Currie Cup competition to lift the trophy twice in the same year having beaten the Sharks in the final of last season’s competition that was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic to January 2021. The Blue Bulls led 19–3 at halftime and also went on to record the biggest margin of victory ever in a Currie Cup final, beating their 39–9 win over in 1980. The Blue Bulls managed 44 points in this final which is their highest ever points tally in a Currie Cup final beating their previous highest 42 in the 42–33 win against the in 2004.

Bulls: FB 15 David Kriel RW 14 Cornal Hendricks OC 13 Lionel Mapoe IC 12 Harold Vorster LW 11 Madosh Tambwe FH 10 Chris Smith SH 9 Zak Burger N8 8 Elrigh Louw BF 7 Arno Botha OF 6 Marcell Coetzee (c) RL 5 Ruan Nortjé LL 4 Janko Swanepoel TP 3 Mornay Smith HK 2 Joe van Zyl LP 1 Gerhard Steenekamp Substitutes: HK 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels PR 17 Simphiwe Matanzima PR 18 Jacques van Rooyen BR 19 Jacques du Plessis BR 20 WJ Steenkamp SH 21 Keagan Johannes OB 22 Ruan Combrinck OB 23 Stravino Jacobs Coach:Jake WhiteSharks: FB 15 Curwin Bosch RW 14 Yaw Penxe OC 13 Werner Kok IC 12 Jeremy Ward LW 11 Thaakir Abrahams FH 10 Lionel Cronjé SH 9 Sanele Nohamba N8 8 Phepsi Buthelezi (c) BF 7 Henco Venter OF 6 Dylan Richardson RL 5 Gerbrandt Grobler LL 4 Le Roux Roets TP 3 Thomas du Toit HK 2 Kerron van Vuuren LP 1 Khwezi Mona Substitutes: HK 16 Dan Jooste PR 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu PR 18 Khutha Mchunu BR 19 Thembelani Bholi LK 20 Reniel Hugo SH 21 Lucky Dlepu CE 22 Murray Koster OB 23 Anthony Volmink Coach:Sean Everitt Assistant Referees: AJ Jacobs Aimee Barrett-Theron Television match official: Stuart Berry

Players Player statistics Top 10 point scorers No Player Team Points 1 George Whitehead 165 2 Tim Swiel 150 3 Eddie Fouché 107 4 Johan Goosen 99 5 Ruan Pienaar 97 6 Jordan Hendrikse 73 7 Curwin Bosch 67 8 Chris Smith 51 9 Evan Roos 40 Simon Westraadt

Top 5 try scorers No Player Team Tries 1 Evan Roos 8 Simon Westraadt 3 Eduan Keyter 7 JJ Kotze Kerron van Vuuren

Team rosters

The respective team squads for the 2021 Currie Cup Premier Division are:

+ squad Forwards Backs Coach

Referees The following referees officiated matches in the competition:

+ 2021 Currie Cup Premier Division referees

Champions Match On 6 October, the South African Rugby Union announced that fans would get a chance to vote and select their own Currie Cup Select XV.Kenya lined up as Carling Champions Match opponents The invitational side played Kenya who used the match a preparation ahead of their international matches in November 2021. The selected Currie Cup XV side was announced on 4 November.Final team for Carling Champions Match confirmed

Team details FB 15 Sibongile NovukaRW 14 Werner KokOC 13 Chris SmitIC 12 Howard MnisiLW 11 Stravino JacobsFH 10 Brandon ThomsonSH 9 Keagan JohannesN8 8 Arno BothaBF 7 Phumzile Maqondwana (c)OF 6 Nama XabaRL 5 Reniel HugoLL 4 PJ SteenkampTP 3 Aranos CoetzeeHK 2 Schalk ErasmusLP 1 Simphiwe MatanzimaReplacements:HK 16 Joe van ZylPR 17 Gerhard SteenekampPR 18 Mhleli DlaminiLK 19 Reinhardt LudwigFL 20 Marcel TheunissenSH 21 Paul de WetFH 22 George WhiteheadCE 23 Stedman GansCoach: Jake White FB 15Darwin MukidzaRW 14Jacob OjeeOC 13Vincent OnyalaIC 12John OkothLW 11Brian TangaFH 10John KubuSH 9 Samwel AsatiN8 8 Stephen SakariOF 7 Dan Sikuta (c)BF 6 Joshua ChisangaRL 5 Thomas OkeyoLL 4 Malcolm OnsandoTP 3 Patrick OyugiHK 2 Eugene SifunaLP 1 Ian NjengaReplacements:HK 16Bonface OchiengPR 17Andrew SiminyuPR 18Melvin ThairuLK 19Bethwel AnamiFL 20Fidel OlooSH 21Barry RobinsonWG 22Derrick AshihunduFB 23Andrew MatokaCoach: Paul Odera Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa) Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa) Television match official: Stuart Berry (South Africa)

2021 Currie Cup Premier Division

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