Currie Cup is home, where the heart is

Since the expansion of Super rugby arrived, there have been suggestions indicating that the days of the oldest domestic rugby competition in the world are numbered. It was a decent conclusion, considering that from next year the Currie Cup will be beginning later than ever, with Super rugby concluding in August (do I smell overkill on behalf of Sanzar?).

This is further compounded by the constant lack of Springboks playing in the competition. The Springboks are usually in the middle of their Test season while the Currie Cup goes on in the background, as it were. But does that make the rugby any less compelling?

Compelling rugby, while linked to skill level, isn’t wholly dependent on the rugby being played, since the Currie Cup dredges up grudge matches that have been rolling for decades. The biggest rivalry is the north-south “derby” between the Blue Bulls and Western Province, with it almost being a clash between old and new. Doesn’t anyone find it a wee bit confusing that it is referred to as a derby when both sides come from opposite ends of the country? Sounds like Super rugby jargon perverting the local game to me. This is soccer. This is Currie Cup rugby.

Anyway, whenever these two sides face off, while the rugby might not be great, the game is usually absorbing, as this weekend’s encounter proved. To suggest that the north-south rivalry is it would also be a lie. Whenever two provincial rugby sides clash, both sides always bring their respective histories on to the field, no matter how shite they may happen to be playing at the time. As the wheel turns, so do the fortunes of South Africa’s respective regions. Heck, if the old Transvaal could win SA’s first proper Super rugby title back in 1993, anything is possible!

Besides, if the Currie Cup was a dying animal, why would SuperSport see fit to pay R700-million for the TV rights for the next five years? SuperSport, as the world’s largest broadcaster of sport, wouldn’t spend such a large amount of money if they weren’t going to get a return on their investment. Commercially, the competition has always been viable, especially through the power of TV, and it will continue to remain so. Having a dedicated sponsor such as Absa, which used to be known as Bankfin, has also assisted the tournament in carving out its own place in South Africa’s rugby landscape, making it a top-of-mind rugby product.

Super rugby may be quicker, better and more glamorous, but how fun is it to sit in a room divided between two sides and argue why your opponent’s team is about to receive a beating. I experienced this last week in Cape Town (where the Lions were thumped badly by the Sharks to the delights of eight guys sitting behind me. I was wearing my replica shirt, but to no avail) and again this week in Johannesburg, where the Lions came back from the brink to score only their second win of the season, against the Cheetahs. This time, I wasn’t the only Lions supporter in the room, which makes for a nice change since misery loves company. While the Lions have struggled, if you enjoy the game then you must be willing to accept the barbs of rival supporters, which only intensifies the attachment we have to our team and the Currie Cup as a whole. It is a fantastic competition.

The Currie Cup is also an excellent showcase for the next level of talent in South Africa. At this particular moment, South Africa is blessed with a number of quality players outside of the Springbok establishment (Duane Vermeulen has been very unlucky), which only adds more fervour to bar-room talk and centimetres to columns printed and posted online. We must continue to embrace the Currie Cup as it is our window into South Africa’s rugby soul. Sometimes it’s bright, sometimes it’s light, but it is never weak or lacking of effort.

The way things are shaping up in 2010 sees WP on course to secure top position, and as such a possible home final (again). The Sharks, with Pat Lambie at 10 (how impressive is he?) are also playing some powerful rugby, with their domineering performances over the Lions and Leopards — who nearly shocked the Blue Bulls — in the last fortnight earmarking the Banana Boys as title challengers. The Cheetahs should make the top four as well, since Griquas and the Lions, even for a fan such as I, won’t have enough in the tank to challenge for a semifinal. Depending on the state of the Boks when they finish their Test season, WP are favourites for the title.