THERE may be light at the end of the tunnel for Griquas with the expansion of the Currie Cup Premier Division to eight teams, but the Kimberley side will not get too excited just yet.
The SA Rugby Union (Saru) announced last Thursday, after a special general meeting, that it had received the required two-thirds majority for a resolution to expand the format of the competition from six teams to eight for the next two seasons, starting this year.
The new structure will see the Blue Bulls, Free State Cheetahs, Golden Lions, Sharks, Western Province and new members Eastern Province Kings and the Pumas, who won promotion at the end of last season, securing their spots. The last spot for this year's competition is set to be contested between the six Currie Cup First Division sides.
"This is definitely the best decision for South African rugby. Nobody can say they are being left behind," Griquas chief executive Arni van Rooyen said yesterday.
The Griquas were the side to make way for the Pumas after finishing bottom of the log last season and failing to beat the Mpumalanga side in the two-legged promotion-relegation play-offs that handed the Pumas a ticket back to top-flight rugby.
Naturally, one would give the newly relegated Griquas the advantage as the side with the better chance to secure the last available spot in the Premier Division, but they will first need to go through a qualifying competition and prove themselves against the Leopards, Border Bulldogs, Boland Cavaliers, SWD Eagles, Griffons and Valke at the end of this season's Vodacom Cup competition in May.
Van Rooyen admitted that his Griquas side were eager to regain their spot in top-flight rugby, but does not expect it to come easy.
"It is very good news. We have a good chance to play top rugby again, but our fate will be in our own hands," Van Rooyen said.
"We can't be too confident that the remaining spot will be ours. Yes, we are going to try our very best to ensure we get in there, but so will the other teams. We are very determined to work hard and to fight to return to [the] top flight [in the ]Currie Cup."
He said that the team has already been hard at work preparing for the upcoming season under its new management, and will be heavily armoured and ready when the Currie Cup qualifying competition begins in mid-May.
Currie Cup door open for Griquas
THERE may be light at the end of the tunnel for Griquas with the expansion of the Currie Cup Premier Division to eight teams, but the Kimberley side will not get too excited just yet.
The SA Rugby Union (Saru) announced last Thursday, after a special general meeting, that it had received the required two-thirds majority for a resolution to expand the format of the competition from six teams to eight for the next two seasons, starting this year.
The new structure will see the Blue Bulls, Free State Cheetahs, Golden Lions, Sharks, Western Province and new members Eastern Province Kings and the Pumas, who won promotion at the end of last season, securing their spots. The last spot for this year's competition is set to be contested between the six Currie Cup First Division sides.
"This is definitely the best decision for South African rugby. Nobody can say they are being left behind," Griquas chief executive Arni van Rooyen said yesterday.
The Griquas were the side to make way for the Pumas after finishing bottom of the log last season and failing to beat the Mpumalanga side in the two-legged promotion-relegation play-offs that handed the Pumas a ticket back to top-flight rugby.
Naturally, one would give the newly relegated Griquas the advantage as the side with the better chance to secure the last available spot in the Premier Division, but they will first need to go through a qualifying competition and prove themselves against the Leopards, Border Bulldogs, Boland Cavaliers, SWD Eagles, Griffons and Valke at the end of this season's Vodacom Cup competition in May.
Van Rooyen admitted that his Griquas side were eager to regain their spot in top-flight rugby, but does not expect it to come easy.
"It is very good news. We have a good chance to play top rugby again, but our fate will be in our own hands," Van Rooyen said.
"We can't be too confident that the remaining spot will be ours. Yes, we are going to try our very best to ensure we get in there, but so will the other teams. We are very determined to work hard and to fight to return to [the] top flight [in the ]Currie Cup."
He said that the team has already been hard at work preparing for the upcoming season under its new management, and will be heavily armoured and ready when the Currie Cup qualifying competition begins in mid-May.
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