THE lean-and-mean 6-week, 32-match Gold Cup, SA Rugby’s flagship national championship for non-university clubs, kicks off on March 9th, with Uitenhage’s Multisure Gardens amongst the 16 teams.
“Nowhere on the planet does amateur rugby attract the crowds that it does in South Africa, especially in the Eastern and Western Cape,” said SA Rugby CEO, Jurie Roux.
The Derrick Ferreira Stadium – better known as “Die Hok” in Uitenhage will be one of the venues attracting diehard fans to support Multisure Gardens.
“It shows that club rugby holds a certain appeal, especially at a local or community level. It is here that sponsors are recognising the value of being associated with their local team, who are often supported by thousands of people in the area in which they do business,” said Roux.
A leaner 16-team format is expected to place a greater emphasis on strength versus strength, while the recent success of the #SuperHeroSunday event at Cape Town Stadium will be replicated at grassroots level with a number of double-header match days planned.
2019 GOLD CUP POOLS:
Pool A:
Stiles Progress George (SWD)
Durbanville-Bellville (WP)
OneLogix United Bulk Villagers Worcester (Boland)
Northam Platinum Rhinos (Limpopo)
Pool B:
Multisure Gardens (EP)
Sasol Digi Mag Secunda (Pumas)
College Rovers (Sharks)
Phakisa Holdings East Rand United (wildcard, Falcons)
Pool C:
ABE Midas Naka Bulls (Blue Bulls)
CT Hydraulics Sishen (Griquas)
Welkom (Griffons)
Recall Security Bloemfontein Police (Cheetahs)
Pool D:
RotoTank Roodepoort (Golden Lions)
Newrak Rustenburg Impala (Leopards)
KWV Springs (Falcons)
Hollywoodbets Swallows (Border)
2019 GOLD CUP FIXTURES:
Round 1 – Sat 9 March:
Stiles Progress George v Durbanville-Bellville
OneLogix United Bulk Villagers Worcester v Northam Platinum Rhinos
Multisure Gardens v Sasol Digi Mag Secunda
College Rovers v Phakisa Holdings East Rand United
ABE Midas Naka Bulls v CT Hydraulics Sishen
Welkom v Recall Security Bloemfontein Police
RotoTank Roodepoort v Newrak Rustenburg Impala
KWV Springs v Hollywoodbets Swallows
Round 2 – Sat 16 March:
Durbanville-Bellville v Northam Platinum Rhinos
Stiles Progress George v OneLogix United Bulk Villagers Worcester
Phakisa Holdings East Rand United v Sasol Digi Mag Secunda
Multisure Gardens v College Rovers
CT Hydraulics Sishen v Recall Security Bloemfontein Police
ABE Midas Naka Bulls v Welkom
Newrak Impala v Hollywoodbets Swallows
Rototank Roodepoort v KWV Springs
Round 3 – Sat 23 March:
OneLogix United Bulk Villagers Worcester v Durbanville-Bellville
Northam Platinum Rhinos v Stiles Progress George
Sasol Digi Mag Secunda v College Rovers
Phakisa Holdings East Rand United v Multisure Gardens
Welkom v CT Hydraulics Sishen
Recall Security Bloemfontein Police v ABE Midas Naka Bulls
KWV Springs v Newrak Impala
Hollywoodbets Swallows v Rototank Roodepoort
GOLD CUP CHAMPIONS:
2013 – Despatch (bt College Rovers in final)
2014 – Newrak Impala (bt RotoTank Roodepoort in final)
2015 – Durbanville-Bellville (bt Newrak Impala in final)
2016 – Newrak Impala (bt DirectAxis False Bay in final)
2017/18 – DirectAxis False Bay (bt College Rovers in final). – ISSUED: SA RUGBY COMMUNICATIONS
