Watch VideoAllister Coetzee, Heyneke Meyer bring Springbok pedigree to SA Cup ahead of new season

Defending champions Griquas will have to qualify for the Currie Cup via the SA Cup this year. The third installment of the SA Cup kicks off this weekend as South Africa’s second-tier provincial teams hunt for places in this year’sCurrie Cup Premier Division. The top four teams will step up into the main division of the Currie Cup, to be held later this year, while the remaining six unions will contest the First Division.

Griquas lifted the inaugural SA Cup in 2024, but their reign was cut short as the Pumas dethroned them in a pulsating final in Nelspruit last year. Last season, Griquas, the Pumas, Cheetahs and Boland won through to the Premier Division of the Currie Cup. All four teams were competitive against the four URC teams, with Griquas, in fact, beating the Lions in a dramatic final at Ellis Park.

Controversially, despite being thereigning Currie Cup champions, Griquas have to qualify for the Premier League once more, via the SA Cup. This year, the spotlight will also fall on theresurgent Boland Kavaliers, as well as the revitalised SWD Eagles, now under the guidance of former Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer, who is back at Outeniqua Park to reshape the union’s trajectory. Eastern Province and the Valke will open the 2026 season at 5pm in Gqeberha on Friday night.

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EP — coached by former Springbok head coach Allister Coetzee – will look to build on a 2025 campaign that saw them win four of their nine matches in an improved campaign. JP Immelman’s Valke, meanwhile, will be targeting an improved finish after ending fifth in last year’s SA Cup, two points shy of Boland in fourth and just missing out on a place in the Currie Cup Premier Division. The defending champions, the Pumas, begin their title defence in George, where they face the Eagles at Outeniqua Park.

Although the Pumas have once again lost several regulars to other unions, their recruitment remains sharp, and several seasoned campaigners still anchor their squad. The clash sets up an intriguing coaching duel between the experienced Jimmy Stonehouse and Meyer. Last year’s opening‑round encounter ended 75–7 in favour of the Pumas, but with Meyer now steering the Eagles with an influx of fresh talent, a far tighter contest is expected.

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