Three key away wins kick-start 2026 SA Cup
The Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, Airlink Pumas and Valke all got their 2026 SA Cup campaigns off to winning starts on the road, while Suzuki Griquas and the Griffons also secured wins in the opening round as the 10 teams chase qualification for the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division.
The Bolanders were off to a flying start when they defeated the Toyota Cheetahs 34-24 in Bloemfontein on Friday evening, while the defending champion Pumas had to dig deep to beat the resurgent SWD Eagles 28-26 in a thrilling contest in George, and Eastern Province made a good start but couldn’t last the pace as the Valke won their match 29-23 in Gqeberha.
Saturday’s two fixtures saw a runaway 101-7 triumph for Griquas over the Leopards in Kimberley, while the Griffons beat the Border Bulldogs by 36-17 in Welkom.
Next weekend’s second round action sees Leopards hosting the Toyota Cheetahs in Potchefstroom on Friday, while Airlink Pumas are also involved on the same evening, against EP in Nelspruit.
On Saturday, the Valke take on Suzuki Griquas in Kempton Park, Border welcome SWD to East London and the Griffons travel to Wellington to take on the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers.
Composed Valke edge EP in Gqeberha thriller
Eastern Province opened the new SA Cup season with promise but were ultimately reeled in by a composed Valke outfit to lose 23–29 in their opening round meeting in Gqeberha on Friday.
EP struck immediately when scrumhalf Sachin Toring sniped over inside the opening minute, with Garth April (flyhalf) converting for a 7–0 lead. However, Valke wing Ezrick Alexander hit back five minutes later. The conversion was wide, but the hosts suffered a blow as centre Christiaan Potgieter was binned moments later, although April added a successful penalty goal for to make it 10–5 for EP.
Valke wing Adrian Joubert finished smartly on 15 minutes, and playmaker Sergio Stalmeester added the extras as they went 12-10 into the lead. The half turned again when Valke hooker Pierre Rabie saw yellow on the half hour mark and EP captain Laken Gray powered over from close range, which April converted for a half time lead of 17–12, but not before Valke also lost Alexander to the bin before the break in a frenetic closing spell.
With their maul getting stronger, Rabie atoned with a try in the 48th minute, and Stalmeester’s conversion gave the visitors a 19-17 edge, but EP were determined and April added a second penalty goal to restore EP’s lead at 20–19.
Valke fullback Mbembe Payi answered with a penalty goal of his own as the visitors regained the lead at 22-20 as the teams entered the final quarter.
EP’s cause was hampered when Gray was shown yellow 10 minutes before the end, and the Valke ruthlessly cashed in when replacement outside back Musa Tshabalala finished a sweeping movement four minutes from time, with Payi converting for a decisive nine point buffer.
Replacement Maxwell Klaasen landed a late penalty goal to salvage a losing bonus point for EP, but the Valke closed out a composed away win 23–29.
Scorers:
Eastern Province 23 (17) – Tries: Sachin Toring, Laken Gray. Conversions: Garth April (2). Penalty goals: April (2), Maxwell Klaasen.
Valke 29 (12) – Tries: Ezrick Alexander, Pierre Rabie, Musa Tshabalala, Adrian Joubert. Conversions: Sergio Stalmeester (2), Mbembe Payi. Penalty goal: Payi.
Kavaliers deliver statement win over Cheetahs
The Sanlam Boland Kavaliers delivered a statement SA Cup away win in Bloemfontein on Friday evening, defeating the Toyota Cheetahs 34–24 after surging to a commanding first half lead and managing the contest astutely after the interval for their third straight win over the Free Staters.
The Kavaliers struck early when wing Xavier Mitchell finished out wide with just five minutes on the clock. Juan Mostert added the extras before No 8 Thurlow Marsh powered over for a second try, also converted by Mostert, as the visitors quickly raced 14–0 ahead.
Outside centre Lunathi Nxele then cut through to dot down and with Mostert’s third conversion, plus a subsequent penalty goal, the Bolanders stretched their lead to 24–0.
The Cheetahs finally punched back on the stroke of half time, with wing Prince Nkabinde crossing and Ethan Wentzel adding the extras to make it 24-7 at the break.
The Free Staters began the second stanza with intent with hooker Louis van der Westhuizen crashing over two minutes after the restart. Scrumhalf Christiaan van der Westhuizen followed soon after to trim the deficit to 24-19.
The Bolanders steadied through their playmaker Mostert, who sniped for a crucial try in the 55th minute, while his conversion restored a two score cushion.
Mostert then landed a late penalty goal to keep the Cheetahs at arm’s length. Replacement outside back Cohen Jasper injected a spark for the hosts, converting centre Alex Zander du Plessis’s 65th minute try, but Boland’s game management in the final quarter proved decisive.
Scorers:
Toyota Cheetahs 24 (7) – Tries: Prince Nkabinde, Alex-Zander du Plessis, Louis van der Westhuizen, Christiaan van der Westhuizen. Conversions: Cohen Jasper, Ethan Wentzel.
Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 34 (24) – Tries: Juan Mostert, Lunathi Nxele, Xavier Mitchell, Thurlow Marsh. Conversions: Juan Mostert (4). Penalty goals: Mostert (2).
Pumas show grit in nail-biting win over Eagles in George
The Airlink Pumas began their SA Cup title defence with a hard earned 28–26 victory over a spirited SWD Eagles side in George on Friday evening, overturning a 19–7 half time deficit to edge a gripping opener at Outeniqua Park.
SWD set the tone early as flanker Carel du Preez muscled over after three minutes and Abner van Reenen slotted the extras (7–0), before Pumas centre Sango Xamlashe’s converted try levelled matters.
Pumas hooker Gustav du Rand was then shown yellow on the half hour mark, and the Eagles pounced with a penalty try. Their momentum held to the break as No 8 Ulrich Stander dominated gain line collisions and SWD controlled territory, taking a deserved 19–7 lead into the sheds.
But after the break, the champions reset with accuracy and patience, resulting in flanker Ntsika Fisanti dotting down just after the restart for a converted try to cut the margin to five. A yellow for SWD scrumhalf Xavier Swartbooi compounded the pressure and the Pumas capitalised ruthlessly as wing Valentino Wellman finished out wide, before Dalvon Blood crossed for the Lowvelders.
Visagie’s reliable boot – he landed all four his conversion attempts – helped swing the contest 28–19 in Jimmy Stonehouse team’s favour. But Heyneke Meyer’s charges refused to fade with replacement Fred Zeilinga adding composure at flyhalf and, after sustained multi phase attack, wing Keanu Vers dotted down with seven minutes to go.
Zeilinga converted to set up a grandstand finish at 28–26 and although the Pumas lost replacement lock Miyelane Ngobeni to the bin, they gave a composed defensive stand in the closing minutes.
Scorers:
SWD Eagles 26 (19) – Tries: Keanu Vers, Ulrich Stander, Carel du Preez, Penalty Try. Conversions: Fred Zeilinga, Abner van Reenen.
Airlink Pumas 28 (7) – Tries: Sango Xamlashe, Valentino Wellman, Dalvon Blood, Ntsika Fisanti. Conversions: Danrich Visagie (4).
Griquas overpower Leopards in Kimberley
Carling Currie Cup champions Suzuki Griquas opened their SA Cup campaign with a runaway 101-7 triumph over the Leopards on Saturday, crossing for 15 tries in a one sided display in Kimberley.
Tries by Lourens Oosthuizen, Tiaan Lange, Cameron Hufke, Connor Mahoney, and Sako Makata ensured full control of the first half. Former Junior Bok flyhalf Liam Koen converted every first half score.
The Leopards scored a consolation try though Naiden Jaarts, which was converted by Shaun Christian Baxter, to make the halftime score 42-7.
Any hopes of a Leopards resurgence evaporated as the men from Kimberley resumed their assault immediately after the restart. Albert Liebenberg, Mahoney, and Oosthuizen added further tries, all converted by Koen before his substitution.
Makata completed his hat trick, Phumzile Maqondwana powered over, and Damian Markus and Gustav Erlank also contributed to the final try tally.
Scorers:
Suzuki Griquas 101 (42) – Tries: Lourens Oosthuizen (3), Sako Makata (3), Cameron Hufke (2), Connor Mahoney (2), Albert Liebenberg, Tiaan Lange, Damian Markus, Phumzile Maqondwana, Gustav Erlank. Conversions: Louis Koen (9), George Whitehead (4).
Leopards 7 (7) – Try: Naiden Jaarts. Conversion: Shaun Baxter.
Griffons register convincing win over Border
The Griffons secured a convincing 36–17 victory over the Border Bulldogs in their SA Cup opening-round clash at the Down Touch Investments Stadium in Welkom on Saturday.
Entering the match, the Bulldogs were desperate to set a new tone for this season after a tough 2025 campaign where they failed to record a win.
The Griffons established control early on when No 8 Calla Pienaar crossed the whitewash in the seventh minute, with Keegan Schaefer adding the extras. Despite a period of dogged defence from the Bulldogs, the hosts increased their lead just before the interval through prop Hlumza Nondonga, taking a 12–0 lead into halftime.
The second stanza saw the Griffons pull away as wing Chad Tshimanga produced a scintillating hat-trick. Tshimanga’s first try in the 51st minute was quickly followed by another just three minutes later, both converted by Schaefer to stretch the lead to 26–0.
Tshimanga completed his treble in the 63rd minute, effectively sealing the result, before replacement Justin Forwood added a sixth try for the hosts in the 70th minute.
To their credit, the Bulldogs refused to capitulate and dominated the final 10 minutes. Siyabonga Marele sparked the late resurgence with a try in the 72nd minute, followed by scores from Mbasa Nkonki and Sphamandia Soti. Avuyile Mabece added a solitary conversion, but it was too little, too late to threaten the Northern Free Staters’ dominance.
Scorers:
Griffons 36 (12) – Tries: Calla Pienaar, Hlumza Nondonga, Chad Tshimanga (3), Justin Forwood. Conversions: Keegan Schaefer (3).
Border Bulldogs 17 (0) – Tries: Siyabonga Marele, Mbasa Nkonki, Sphamandia Soti. Conversion: Avuyile Mabece.
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