Suzuki Griquas ready to step up against the Pumas in Currie Cup

The 2025 Currie Cup season kicks off on Friday evening when the Suzuki Griquas start their campaign with what promises to be one of the toughest challenges they will face during this entire competition.

The formidable Airlink Pumas, the SA Cup champions that wrested the trophy away from Griquas are the Kimberley team's first assignment in the competition that runs through to early September. Forget the bigger franchises, and the teams with Springbok squad members in their ranks and who compete in the United Rugby Championship (URC); when the Griquas and the Pumas clash, it gets personal.

In five previous Currie Cup encounters, Griquas have never been able to beat the team from Mbombela.

With the stakes thus raised and intensity levels surging, the Kimberley team is well aware that this clash demands more than just raw talent; it requires grit, adaptability, and a readiness to meet the physical and tactical challenges head-on. Jimmy Stonehouse, the Pumas coach has proven himself astute, and Griquas head coach Peter Bergh and his boys are up against it in this opening encounter.

Bergh acknowledged the significant leap in competitiveness that comes with transitioning from the SA Cup to the Currie Cup, admitting that the Currie Cup will test his team to breaking point. “There are a lot of games in the SA Cup where you win by 50, 60, or even 70 points, and you don’t really need to be at your best,” Bergh explained. “You can score easy tries and still come away with a win, but you’re not really being tested properly.”

The Currie Cup, by contrast, is a different beast. Bergh noted that while the Griquas performed well in the SA Cup in 2024,winning the title after an unbeaten run, they struggled to carry that form into the Currie Cup, a reflection of the heightened physicality and intensity at this level of competition.

“Every step up, whether it’s from Currie Cup to URC and beyond, demands more,” he said. “The bigger the competition, the tougher the contact, the more physical the encounters, and the more pressure on set pieces.”

For the players, who are going to be on the field of battle that realisation has already translated into a noticeable change in preparation. “There’s been a step up in training as well,” Bergh said. “The intensity has increased because we know what’s coming. We understand we’re heading into a different competition, and we need to be ready for that.”

Griquas flanker Cebo Dlamini echoed the coach’s sentiment, emphasising the importance of readiness and mindset. “We know what to expect from the Pumas and the Cheetahs. But we also have to be ready for whatever the URC teams might throw at us,” he said.

Facing the defending Currie Cup champions, the Airlink Pumas – yes, they hold that title too – will be no small task. But for Griquas, this goes beyond being just another fixture; they will approach the game as a crucial test of their ability to rise to the occasion.

With sharpened focus, improved intensity in training, and lessons learnt from past campaigns, the Kimberley-based team are determined to meet their opponents head-on in Mpumalanga, and prove they belong at the top level.

The match at the Mbombela Stadium, in Nelspruit kicks off at 7pm, and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.