Defending champions NWU-Pukke will be aiming for a fourth title in six years when the 35th annual SAA National Club Championships kick off this coming Sunday, September 20, at the LC de Villiers sports grounds on the University of Pretoria’s Sport Campus.

The country’s 14 provincial champions as well as two invited teams, from the Leopards and Limpopo, will contest the tournament, which takes place in the country’s capital for the first time since 2003.

Pukke have made a habit of spacing their titles two years apart – they lifted the trophy in 2004, 2006 and 2008 – and they will have their work cut out to avoid the disappointments of 2005 and 2007 despite the virtual absence of any of their Varsity Cup opponents.

Free State champions Shimlas are the only other student team to have qualified, with the championships instead featuring a number of household names from the ranks of the open clubs. South Africa’s oldest club, Hamiltons (WP), and Johannesburg’s oldest club, Pirates (Golden Lions), both successful saw off university opposition in their local leagues this year, and will be among the favourites for the title.

Cape Town’s Hamiltons, in particular, will arrive in Pretoria full of confidence after they won the WP Super League for the first time since 1936 with a nailbiting 27-22 away victory over UCT last Saturday – a result that means perennial champions Maties will have to settle for the runners-up spot this year.

If their provisional squad is anything to go by, four-time KZN champions College Rovers should fancy their chances of extending their dominance at provincial level to the national stage. Rovers, who lost to Pukke in both the 2006 and 2008 finals, have named a strong 29-man line-up that includes Sharks players Chris Jordaan, Justin Downey, Pat Cilliers and Craig Burden.

Eight first-round matches will be played on Sunday, with the action starting at the LC de Villiers stadium at 10h00 with the match between Valke champions Springs and Griffons champions Welkom Rovers. The main match of the day kicks off at 16h00 between local Blue Bulls champions Pretoria Police and East London club Buffalo, the Border champions.

SARU’s referee tournament director André Watson has also announced that eight of the country’s most promising referees will officiate at the Club Champs.

Full schedule for September 20 (with referees):

Stadium:
10h00: Springs (Valke) v Welkom Rovers (Griffons) – Gareth Lloyd-Jones
11h30: Hamiltons (WP) v Kuruman (Griquas) – Sindile Mayende
13h00: College Rovers (KZN) v Impala (Leopards invitees) – Joey Salmans
14h30: NWU Pukke (Leopards) v Noordelikes (Limpopo invitees) – Stuart Berry
16h00: Pretoria Police (Blue Bulls) v Buffalo (Border) – Pro Legoete

A field:
11h30: Rawsonville (Boland) v Great Brakriver (SWD) – Lourens van der Merwe
13h00: Shimlas (Free State) v Park (Eastern Province) – Francois Veldsman
14h30: Pirates (Golden Lions) v Middelburg (Mpumalanga) – Jason Jaftha

Issued by SA Rugby