Provincial women's rugby back with a bang

The First Division – which is split into two sections – will follow, with Group 2 of the competition kicking off on Saturday, 12 June, and Group 1 starting on Saturday, 26 June.

The Premier Division will see the top six teams in the country – Boland, Border, Blue Bulls, Eastern Province, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Province – go head-to-head in a jam-packed 11-week competition, culminating in the final between the top two teams on the table on Saturday, 17 July.

Four teams will battle it out in Group 1 of the First Division – Free State, Griffons, Griquas and SWD – while Group 2 features five teams – the Leopards, Limpopo Blue Bulls, Lions, Valke and Pumas. These teams will go head-to-head over a single round.

The top team in each group will advance to the final, which will be played as the curtain raiser to the Premier Division final on Saturday, 17 July.

“We are thrilled that our women’s players will be back on the field playing in competitions for the first time in over a year-and-a-half,” said SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux.

“And we are particularly pleased that the Premier Division will feature a double round for the first time in the competition’s history, so this is certainly an exciting season for SA Rugby and the players alike.”

SA Rugby’s High Performance Manager for Women’s Rugby, Lynne Cantwell, added: “We have no doubt that this significant change in the Premier Division competition format will benefit the players from a physical and mental perspective as they prepare for the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand next year.

“It will also offer the players more opportunities to stake a claim for places in Springbok Women’s coach Stanley Raubenheimer’s wider squad as the World Cup approaches.

“It has been a long time since the players have been on the field and we cannot wait to see their eagerness and excitement to return to competition mode translate into top class rugby action.”

The first round of the Premier Division will feature three action-packed clashes, with 2019 runner’s up, Border, hosting the Blue Bulls, KwaZulu-Natal taking on Eastern Province, and defending champions Western Province going up against their Western Cape neighbours, Boland.

The First Division will kick off an equally exciting note with the Limpopo Blue Bulls meeting the Lions, and the Valke taking on the Leopards in the opening round of Group 2 on Saturday, 12 June, while the opening Group 1 fixtures on Saturday, 26 June, will see the Griffons meet Free State and Griquas host SWD.

Women’s Premier Division fixtures:

Saturday, 8 May: Border v Blue Bulls KwaZulu-Natal v Eastern Province Western Province v Boland

Saturday, 15 May: Blue Bulls v Western Province Eastern Province v Border Boland v KwaZulu-Natal

Saturday, 22 May: Border v KwaZulu-Natal Boland v Blue Bulls Western Province v Eastern Province

Saturday, 29 May: Border v Boland Eastern Province v Blue Bulls KwaZulu-Natal v Western Province

Saturday, 5 June: Blue Bulls v KwaZulu-Natal Boland v Eastern Province Western Province v Border

Saturday, 12 June: Blue Bulls v Border Eastern Province v KwaZulu-Natal Boland v Western Province

Saturday, 19 June: Border v Eastern Province KwaZulu-Natal v Boland Western Province v Blue Bulls

Saturday, 26 June: Blue Bulls v Boland Eastern Province v Western Province KwaZulu-Natal v Border

Saturday, 3 July: Blue Bulls v Eastern Province Boland v Border Western Province v KwaZulu-Natal

Saturday, 10 July: Border v Western Province Eastern Province v Boland KwaZulu-Natal v Blue Bulls

Saturday, 17 July: Final

Women’s First Division fixtures:

Group 1:

26 June: Griffons v Free State Griquas v SWD

Saturday, 3 July: Free State v SWD Griquas v Griffons

Saturday, 10 July: Free State v Griquas SWD v Griffons

Group 2:

Saturday, 12 June: Limpopo Blue Bulls v Lions Valke v Leopards Bye: Pumas

Saturday, 19 June: Leopards v Limpopo Blue Bulls Pumas v Valke Bye: Lions

Saturday, 26 June: Limpopo Blue Bulls v Pumas Lions v Leopards Bye: Valke

Saturday, 3 July: Pumas v Lions Valke v Limpopo Blue Bulls Bye: Leopards

Saturday, 10 July: Lions v Valke Leopards v Pumas Bye: Limpopo Blue Bulls

Saturday, 17 July: Final (Group 1 leader v Group 2 leader)

Note: All fixtures are subject to change; match venues and kick-off times to be confirmed in due course.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of South African Rugby Union.

Media Contact: Rugby@APO-opa.com

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South African Rugby Union Apo

Provincial women's rugby back with a bang

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