SA Rugby praised referees, coaches, and players in the FNB Varsity Cup for their positive approach to the new tackle height laws that were introduced to the community game in South Africa this year – and already appear to be making a difference.
The Sanlam Boland Dames scored six tries in their 35-15 victory over DHL Western Province to maintain their good start to the Women’s Premier Division season in Wellington on Saturday, while the Bulls Daisies retained their unbeaten status with a 24-3 win over Free State Women in Bloemfontein in the second round.
Regional bragging rights and valuable log points will be on offer this weekend, with Eastern and Western Cape derbies highlighting the action in the second round of the Women’s Premier Division.
The three teams at the top of the SA Cup log – Suzuki Griquas, the Airlink Pumas and Toyota Cheetahs – will have their credentials as frontrunners tested when they hit the road for tricky away fixtures this weekend in round five of the competition.
Securing the best possible positions on the log will be the main driving force when the Vodacom United Rugby Championship returns to action this weekend as the pressure mounts with only five rounds remaining before the quarter-finals.
The Airlink Pumas, Suzuki Griquas, Toyota Cheetahs and Leopards again made it a profitable weekend for home teams in the SA Cup when all of them gained important victories at home to pick up crucial league points, while only two sides remain unbeaten.
The defending champions and runners-up in the Women’s Premier Division, the Bulls Daisies and DHL Western Province, scored convincing wins in the opening round of the 2024 season on Saturday, while Sanlam Boland Dames and the Golden Lions Women also started their campaigns with impressive home victories.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks succeeded in their quest to become the first South African team to advance to the semi-final of the EPCR Challenge Cup, but it was a weekend of disappointment for the Vodacom Bulls who were knocked out of the Investec Champions Cup competition.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks take a strong, settled and successful side into Saturday’s EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-final against Edinburgh at Hollywoodbets Kings Park.
The Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks will look to make history on Saturday as they attempt to advance to the in the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup semi-finals for the first time when they line up against Northampton Saints and Edinburgh in the quarter-finals.