Captain of the Griquas Stephan Smit holds the trophy during the 2024 SA Cup, final match between Suzuki Griquas and Airlink Pumas at Suzuki Stadium.
Image: Danie van der Lith
The SA Cup, established in 2024 to bridge the gap between pre-season and the Carling Currie Cup Premier and First Division competitions, has already proven its worth as a high-intensity rugby tournament. The inaugural champions, Suzuki Griquas, set the tone for their title defence with a commanding 66-7 victory over the Leopards in their opening match.
Griquas, who lifted the first-ever SA Cup trophy last season after an unbeaten run culminating in a 46-24 triumph over the Airlink Pumas in the final, are determined to maintain their dominance. They will face strong competition in 2025, with teams like the NovaVit Griffons, Toyota Cheetahs, Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, Valke, Leopards, Phangela SWD Eagles, Eastern Province, and Border Bulldogs all vying for a spot in the top four. The top four teams will qualify for the prestigious Currie Cup Premier Division alongside South Africa’s four Vodacom URC franchises.
The SA Cup is set to conclude with semi-finals on May 17 and the final on May 24.
With their opening statement made, Griquas are now shifting focus to their next challenge – a clash against the Valke this Friday at Suzuki Park in Kimberley. Kickoff is set for 2pm, and the hosts will look to continue their winning momentum in front of their passionate home crowd.
The DFA caught up with Griquas forwards coach Franco van der Merwe to discuss their performance and preparations for the season ahead.
Franco was particularly impressed with his side’s defensive effort in their first outing. “We showed in the first 15 minutes of the game that our defence was up there and strong. The Leopards were in front of the try line the whole time, but we defended well. Our set piece also went really well, especially with the lineout where we won our own ball,” he said.
Reflecting on the long pre-season, Franco noted how well-conditioned the squad was coming into the tournament. “Coming out of a five-month preseason, our guys were conditioned really well. We had a good start to this 2025 SA Cup, so now it is going to be very important to manage the guys and the amount of time they spend in the game. We will need to manage the amount of contact they have, and we also have a good squad with enough depth to rest players when needed.”
Despite the dominant display, Van der Merwe acknowledged that there were still areas to improve. “Our defence was solid, but we did have some handling errors that gave the ball back to the Leopards. There were also some niggles in the set piece that we need to work on. We’ve only played three games so far this year, so there will be some rustiness, but as we get back into match fitness, those small issues will be ironed out.”
The coach emphasised the importance of starting the tournament well, given the long pre-season. “This was our third game in five months, and we’ve spent a lot of time on conditioning, attack play, and defence. It was great to see the guys playing with passion and looking out for each other. That’s the kind of spirit we need to keep building on as the competition progresses.”
With a solid foundation laid and valuable lessons learnt, the Griquas are well on track for another strong campaign in the SA Cup. Their encounter with the Valke will be another opportunity to showcase their growing cohesion and fine-tune their play as they aim for back-to-back titles.
Related Topics: