The grand old tournament may be overshadowed by other rugby spectacles, but it’s still got a lot to teach us about making the most of the bounce.
Even if you are the biggest of South African rugby fans, there is a good chance you will admit that the Currie Cup isn’t the drawcard it used to be.
This has been the case for a while, with the Tri-Nations turning into the Rugby Championship, SuperRugby morphing into a bigger and more diverse series, and the overseas player exodus being contributing factors. It’s sad to admit, but the grand old dame of a rugby tournament is moving towards the shadows.
And yet, when you think about its importance to SA rugby, the tournament may just be as appealing as ever.
What’s the biggest South African rugby success story right now? Correct, it’s the Lions. Where did the Lions turn things around and create a team that is now the pride of the nation? Right again, the Currie Cup.
Every major team in South Africa would love to replicate the success of the Lions.
But the player stocks are weaker, and the competition isn’t as stiff, I hear you say, and you would be right. Having a moan about isn’t going to get us anywhere though, so let’s get back to focusing on why the Currie Cup is so important, and use Western Province as an example.
Western Province/Stormers rugby isn’t in the place it would like to be at the moment. New coaching structures and the issue of losing players to foreign currencies are contributing factors, but this is a reality of rugby nowadays. The Currie Cup gives them the chance to build a new core team though, a team that can gel and find a new identity and flow to their play, something that will then get built upon with the return of the superstars in the SuperRugby tournament.
Every team experiences peaks and troughs, but it is what you do in those troughs that matters. With the format of the Currie Cup, this Western Province team can give the youngsters a chance, give key combinations an opportunity to build, and test where they want to be going as a team/union.
Schalk Burger recently spoke of the importance of your middle tier of talent in a team, those guys who hold everything together and provide the backbone of your team.
The Currie Cup is where these guys are groomed for greatness. For the fans too, the Currie Cup is a window to the future of SA rugby.
We can’t just sit back and bemoan the exodus of players moving overseas, and the selective management of the Springboks for main stage play. We need to get behind this level of play, and invest our support where it is needed most. The future.
The Currie Cup may not be the attraction it used to be, and the big names aren’t there until maybe the semis and final. The tournament’s importance is now redefined though, its identity has morphed into something new and unique, and the sooner we appreciate this, the sooner it can get the new recognition it deserves.
So whether it’s a Friday night match, or a Saturday afternoon affair, have a fresh look at the Currie Cup. It’s been around since 1889, and will be around for a long time to come.
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