The ABSA Currie Cup will be contested by only six teams from 2012 after the SARU General Council met in Cape Town this morning. This will mean the end of the Premier Division for two teams at the end of the season.
This decision was voted on and a unanimous decision was made to cut the competition to only six teams and the First Division will thus be contested by eight teams. The battle for seventh and eighth position has just gotten a whole lot more serious and the financial loss from playing in the First Division is indescribable.
The union declined to comment about which five South African teams will take part in the Super Rugby season post 2012, and this will discussed at the President’s Forum later in the year.
Once in a while, SARU gets something right
So 6 teams for CC 2012. Does that close the door on relegation matches or does team 5 and 6 compete for relegation with team 1 and 2 of the first devision?
Its too bad though, I am enjoying the quality of rugby much more in the CC than in the S15. More running and free flowing. The S15 is more like test rugby most of the time.
Oh man, a whole extra reason to support whoever plays against the Bulls!!!!
@Culling Song (Comment 4) :
Seriously though,i prefer the larger format
Why didnt they rather combine the 2 divisions and only play each other once ala S14 style.
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 6) :
Same here.. I enjoy the current format..
Three games a weekend just shortens the competition and makes it all the more predictable..
This sucks imo. Would prefer a shortened S15.
@Ben (Comment 9) : You and me both…
@Ben (Comment 9) :
yea i also agree .. we sould our souls to the Tasmanian devils
Come on Pumas. This is all the motivation you`ll ever need. Now go out there and make sure the bulls end up where they belong . . . next to border and the mighty griffons!
It’ll make for a nice change not having the Bulls around in 2012.
@JarsonX (Comment 7) : Because that USED to be the case and it was totally kak. Standard of Bok rugby dropped during those years as well. OK, the standard is pretty kak now too, but for other helium-induced reasons.
I wonder if there are going to be any promotion/relegation playoffs at season end then? Will the two teams finishing bottom of the premier division just drop to the first division, with no promotion chance for the current first division teams, or will there be a six way playoff between the top two from the first division and the bottom four of the premier, with top two staying in the premier division? Or most likely, there will be some half-baked compromise somewhere in-between. The makeup of future super rugby franchises will be interesting, the way things currently stand, and if some people have there way, the franchises we will have are:
1. Stormers, comprising a CC premier division side
2. Sharks, also a premier division side.
3. Bulls, a first division side
4. Kings also first division.
5. This franchise, with a new name, something like the first Cats side, a combination of Lions, Cheetahs and Griquas, all potentially premier division sides.
@Viking (Comment 2) : You are thinking to far ahead to ever qualify for a job at SARU.
This not I like…
,can’t believe they decided to go this route….
@Culling Song (Comment 4) :
@Original Pierre (Comment 12) :
As appealing as that sounds, it will never happen. The big 5 will have been assured of their Superugby futures.
This format suits me and LMS better.
Haha the Bulls fans must be kakking themselves at the moment
I blame this on the Aussies. That convict-filled island is busy stealing the Currie Cup from right under our noses and SARU is only too happy to be given the opportunity to help them load up the van.
@klempie (Comment 14) : Didnt know thay.
@ helium induced reasons.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 19) : Will make it more thrilling I agree
Any news on u19 side?
Definately not going to develop the game … you’ll have all the main teams weakened without Boks, only to bring them back in time to avoid relegation.
Talented players will be lost in the 1st division and probably give up on the game as a career.
It’s like building a business from management level up – wait these fools at SARU can’t be compared to a business!!
@Viking (Comment 2) : The two teams who ends last in the current 2011 comp will fall out. At the end of 2012 they will play relegation match between the Top team in the ist division and the last in the CC.
The proper format for this will be discussed on 25 August.
@Ice (Comment 26) : Talk about kiling the smaller unions. I thought the objective is to develop rugby in this country
I suppose I was wrong 
I see in this Morning’s “Die Burger” that the President of the Bulls Mr. Louis Nel says that at the time nobody foresaw the impact that the expanded SR comp or the 4 Nations would have on the Currie Cup.
WTF?!?!?
Final proof that they live with their heads up their arses. Either that or a blatant LIE!!!
How the hell did they not foresee this? EVERY single blog predicted it.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 28) : Of course they did not foresee it; that would have required a capacity for reasoning, a desire to look after players’ interests, or at least an ability to read the all-pervasive commentary in the media. In terms of being self-serving, the average banana republic dictator could stand to learn from our rugby administrators…
@francoiswies (Comment 24) : they are up now!
If a big union like the bulls or the like drop out of the currie cup for next year,watch saru quickly recant.suppose the were hoping for one if either the pumas/kwasse and the other one the leopards ,to drop down.