The road back home – Kimberley welcomes its Currie Cup champions

On Saturday, September 20, 2025, Griquas stunned the Lions 27–25 at Johannesburg’s Fidelity ADT Stadium to lift the Currie Cup for the first time since 1970. The victory ended a 55-year wait and set the stage for a homecoming that Kimberley will never forget.

The DFA’s Danie van der Lith accompanied the team to and from the final in Joburg, sharing his first-hand impressions — including what the homecoming was like for the team.

According to him, by Sunday morning the celebrations were still in full swing, even before the bus ride back to the Diamond City.”

Danie takes up the story:

“Morning, champions”, was the greeting at breakfast. It felt surreal. On the convoy’s ride back to Kimberley, the Currie Cup had its special perch with the players in their bus. Songs like ‘We Are the Champions’ and ‘Een Kwas’ blasted from the speakers. The atmosphere was that of pride and joy.

The supporters’ bus arrived in Kimberley first, and then everyone had to patiently wait for the team bus to arrive. They were a little delayed, probably because they had the weight of the Currie Cup travelling with them! 

The CC Riders Bike Club and traffic officers led the way for the team, escorting us home like royalty. Along the streets leading to Suzuki Park, supporters lined up. Children waved flags. Families cheered. 

Kimberley turned into a sea of peacock blue.

When the buses pulled into Suzuki Park, a proud Griqua captain Cebo Dlamini stepped off, holding the Currie Cup high above his head. It was a moment frozen in time. The fans roared; history had returned home.

Dlamini carried the trophy to the field, where it was last lifted in 1970. Fans pressed forward to touch it, to hold it, and to take photos with it. For many, it was the first time in their lifetime that they had seen the Currie Cup so close.

For a small union like Griquas, this went beyond a rugby victory. It was proof that dreams can be achieved, no matter how overwhelming the odds.

What this win really means

Perhaps the magnitude of this achievement hasn’t sunk in yet. After all, most of the Griqua players are young, many fresh out of Varsity Cup rugby, some still calling me “oom”. For them, this is their first taste of glory. They know they are champions, but perhaps they do not yet fully grasp the weight of what they achieved.

For Kimberley, for the union, for the die-hard supporters who carried hope through decades of disappointment, this is everything. For the veterans who last saw the trophy in 1970, this caps almost a lifetime of waiting.

At the centre of it all stands coach Pieter Bergh, a man who has been close so many times. Due to his doggedness and tactical brilliance, he and the team had finally reached the summit. On a fraction of the budget of the Lions, with no luxury of United Rugby Championship players, Bergh built a team that believed in itself. 

Arguably the best provincial coach in the country, Bergh became a Currie Cup-winning coach, and his reaction in the coaching box after George Whitehead’s kick showed just how much it meant to him. His chin quivering with emotion, his eyes welled up with tears of joy, his hands over his head … the scene brought tears to my eyes.

As for myself, this victory reminded me that life is short. Too often, we miss opportunities because of fear, excuses, or lack of capital. This time I did not miss it. I lived it. I celebrated it. I loved every bit of it. And I will carry it with me forever.

For now, the players will all go home as champions, and the stadium will fall silent.

The Currie Cup belongs to Kimberley again. And who knows, perhaps next year it will stay here.