Photo Credit: Martin Ashworth
The SuperSport Rugby Challenge will deliver a combination of school, club and provincial rugby action at their rugby festivals in 2020, with two new venues also added to the already impressive variety of communities across the country reached by this popular tournament.
The tournament kicks off on the weekend of 25 April, with the first Rugby Festival scheduled for Sunday 26 April when SWD Eagles host the EP Elephants. The venue for this match, and the other festivals, will be confirmed in due course.
These two teams will play in the South Section alongside DHL Western Province, Boland Cavaliers, Toyota Free State XV, Cell C Sharks XV, Border and Zimbabwe Academy, who will again play out of their Cape Town base at False Bay Rugby Club in Constantia.
Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek will host three of the Welwitschias’ home matches as the Namibians will again play alongside defending champions Tafel Lager Griquas, Phakisa Pumas, Vodacom Blue Bulls, Down Touch Griffons, Xerox Golden Lions XV, Leopards and Valke in the North Section.
The latter will host the first festival in the North Section on Sunday, 3 May when they face the defending champions on the East Rand.
The remaining five Rugby Festivals will be played on consecutive Sundays until the semi-finals (13/14 June), with the final scheduled for the last weekend in June. All the Festivals will be televised by SuperSport and will include a school and club match with the SuperSport Rugby Challenge encounter.
The first weekend of action in the North Section will see the Phakisa Pumas take on the Valke, Tafel Lager Griquas hosting Down Touch Griffons, the Xerox Golden Lions XV will face Leopards and the Vodacom Blue Bulls XV will travel to Windhoek to face the Welwitschias.
In the South Section, the Toyota Free State XV will host Boland Cavaliers, the Cell C Sharks XV host Zimbabwe Academy and DHL Western Province will take on Border before the South Eastern Cape derby.
SuperSport Rugby Challenge Fixtures 2020 (home teams first, venues and kick-off times to be confirmed)
ROUND 1 (24th-26th April)
NORTH
Phakisa Pumas vs Valke
Tafel Lager Griquas vs Down Touch Griffons
Xerox Golden Lions XV vs Leopards
Welwitschias vs Vodacom Blue Bulls XV
SOUTH
DHL Western Province vs Border
Cell C Sharks XV vs Zimbabwe Academy
Toyota Free State XV vs Boland Cavaliers
Festival: SWD vs EP Elephants
ROUND 2 (1st-3rd May)
NORTH
Leopards vs Down Touch Griffons
Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Phakisa Pumas
Xerox Golden Lions XV vs Welwitschias
Festival: Valke vs Tafel Lager Griquas
SOUTH
Cell C Sharks XV vs Toyota Free State XV
EP Elephants vs Boland Cavaliers
DHL Western Province vs SWD
Zimbabwe Academy vs Border
ROUND 3 (8th-10th May)
NORTH
Leopards vs Phakisa Pumas
Tafel Lager Griquas vs Welwitschias
Down Touch Griffons vs Vodacom Blue Bulls XV
Valke vs Xerox Golden Lions XV
SOUTH
Toyota Free State XV vs Eastern Province
Zimbabwe Academy vs SWD
Border vs Boland Cavaliers
Festival: DHL Western Province vs Cell C Sharks XV
ROUND 4 (15th-17th May)
NORTH
Vodacom Blue Bulls XV vs Tafel Lager Griquas
Phakisa Pumas vs Xerox Golden Lions XV
Welwitschias vs Down Touch Griffons
Valke vs Leopards
SOUTH
Zimbabwe Academy vs DHL Western Province
SWD vs Toyota Free State XV
Boland Cavaliers vs Cell C Sharks XV
Festival: EP Elephants vs Border
ROUND 5 (22nd-24th May)
NORTH
Tafel Lager Griquas vs Phakisa Pumas
Leopards vs Welwitschias
Down Touch Griffons vs Valke
Festival: Xerox Golden Lions XV vs Vodacom Blue Bulls
SOUTH
Toyota Free State XV vs Zimbabwe Academy
EP Elephants vs DHL Western Province
Boland Cavaliers vs SWD
Border vs Cell C Sharks XV
ROUND 6 (29th-31st May)
NORTH
Welwitschias vs Phakisa Pumas
Down Touch Griffons vs Xerox Golden Lions XV
Vodacom Blue Bulls XV vs Valke
Tafel Lager Griquas vs Leopards
SOUTH
Zimbabwe Academy vs Boland Cavaliers
DHL Western Province vs Toyota Free State XV
Cell C Sharks XV vs EP Elephants
Festival: Border vs SWD
ROUND 7 (5th-7th June)
NORTH
Phakisa Pumas vs Down Touch Griffons
Valke vs Welwitschias
Xerox Golden Lions XV vs Tafel Lager Griquas
Leopards vs Vodacom Blue Bulls XV
SOUTH
EP Elephants vs Zimbabwe Academy
SWD vs Cell C Sharks XV
Border vs Toyota Free State XV
Festival: Boland Cavaliers vs DHL Western Province
SEMI-FINALS (13th/14th June)
FINALS (27th/28th June)
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
NORTH
Phakisa Pumas vs Valke
Tafel Lager Griquas vs Down Touch Griffons
Xerox Golden Lions XV vs Leopards
Welwitschias vs Vodacom Blue Bulls XV
SOUTH
DHL Western Province vs Border
Cell C Sharks XV vs Zimbabwe Academy
Toyota Free State XV vs Boland Cavaliers
Festival: SWD vs EP Elephants
ROUND 2 (1st-3rd May)
NORTH
Leopards vs Down Touch Griffons
Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Phakisa Pumas
Xerox Golden Lions XV vs Welwitschias
Festival: Valke vs Tafel Lager Griquas
SOUTH
Cell C Sharks XV vs Toyota Free State XV
EP Elephants vs Boland Cavaliers
DHL Western Province vs SWD
Zimbabwe Academy vs Border
ROUND 3 (8th-10th May)
NORTH
Leopards vs Phakisa Pumas
Tafel Lager Griquas vs Welwitschias
Down Touch Griffons vs Vodacom Blue Bulls XV
Valke vs Xerox Golden Lions XV
SOUTH
Toyota Free State XV vs Eastern Province
Zimbabwe Academy vs SWD
Border vs Boland Cavaliers
Festival: DHL Western Province vs Cell C Sharks XV
ROUND 4 (15th-17th May)
NORTH
Vodacom Blue Bulls XV vs Tafel Lager Griquas
Phakisa Pumas vs Xerox Golden Lions XV
Welwitschias vs Down Touch Griffons
Valke vs Leopards
SOUTH
Zimbabwe Academy vs DHL Western Province
SWD vs Toyota Free State XV
Boland Cavaliers vs Cell C Sharks XV
Festival: EP Elephants vs Border
ROUND 5 (22nd-24th May)
NORTH
Tafel Lager Griquas vs Phakisa Pumas
Leopards vs Welwitschias
Down Touch Griffons vs Valke
Festival: Xerox Golden Lions XV vs Vodacom Blue Bulls
SOUTH
Toyota Free State XV vs Zimbabwe Academy
EP Elephants vs DHL Western Province
Boland Cavaliers vs SWD
Border vs Cell C Sharks XV
ROUND 6 (29th-31st May)
NORTH
Welwitschias vs Phakisa Pumas
Down Touch Griffons vs Xerox Golden Lions XV
Vodacom Blue Bulls XV vs Valke
Tafel Lager Griquas vs Leopards
SOUTH
Zimbabwe Academy vs Boland Cavaliers
DHL Western Province vs Toyota Free State XV
Cell C Sharks XV vs EP Elephants
Festival: Border vs SWD
ROUND 7 (5th-7th June)
NORTH
Phakisa Pumas vs Down Touch Griffons
Valke vs Welwitschias
Xerox Golden Lions XV vs Tafel Lager Griquas
Leopards vs Vodacom Blue Bulls XV
SOUTH
EP Elephants vs Zimbabwe Academy
SWD vs Cell C Sharks XV
Border vs Toyota Free State XV
Festival: Boland Cavaliers vs DHL Western Province
SEMI-FINALS (13th/14th June)
FINALS (27th/28th June)
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
