Hands off the Currie Cup ... It is the lifeblood of South African rugby

If I had ten bucks for every voice I've heard trashing the Currie Cup, I could have a well-stuffed couch. But my opinion is that the domestic competition is as rich as ever — and must be treasured.

While the Currie Cup is no longer the chief prize in our rugby, life goes on, and it remains a national treasure.

Eddie Jones, the former coach of too many teams to mention — but widely respected — once said that South Africa’s trump card against the rugby world is the Currie Cup, a competition rivaled only by New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship.

Jones highlighted that the annual Currie Cup produces future Springboks through a second-tier competition that most rugby nations simply do not have.

The words “second tier” will rankle with traditionalists, who hearken back to the days of yore when the Currie Cup was everything in South Africa. I’m talking about the people who say the Cup should be put in a museum and revered for what it once was.

To these people, I say: hang on — let’s reframe this. Yes, the Currie Cup doesn’t have the bang it once did in the days when Naas Botha and Frik du Preez won titles for Northern Transvaal before adoring masses. But those were the days when the Currie Cup was all South Africa had, as isolation starved the Springboks of international competition.

To be fair, the Currie Cup’s allure endured into the professional era, and up until about ten years ago, the major unions still coveted the trophy as much as they ever did. But that has changed.

There are now bigger fish to fry for the likes of the Stormers, Sharks, Lions, and Bulls in their European competitions — but that doesn’t mean the Currie Cup should be shelved.

It just needs to be seen from a different perspective and valued for its contribution to the health of South African rugby.

The history of the actual Currie Cup trophy gives merit to why it should be cherished.

In 1891, the British Isles team touring South Africa brought with them a golden cup given to them by Sir Donald Currie, owner of Union-Castle Lines, the shipping company that transported them to the Cape.

Sir Donald was clear with his instructions — hand the trophy to the team in South Africa that gave the tourists the best game. That honour went to Griqualand West, who became the first holders of the Currie Cup in 1891.

Griquas handed the trophy over to the South African Rugby Board, and it became the floating trophy for the Currie Cup competition. The inaugural tournament was held in 1892, with Western Province the first winners.

All these years later, it is Griquas who are again among the most important contestants in the Currie Cup. Along with the Pumas and Boland, this competition is their lifeblood — as they are excluded from the United Rugby Championship.

Earlier this week, Sharks coach JP Pietersen admitted that his chief objective in the Currie Cup was to nurture players who could serve in the URC. What’s wrong with that?

The Currie Cup may have changed in how older fans view its importance, but the wonderful reality is that the Grand Old Dame of South African rugby continues to serve the game splendidly.