Limpopo will play in the Vodacom Cup as a separate team for the first time when this 16-team competition kicks off on the second weekend of March.
The region, which is a sub-union of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, has been granted a place in the tournament in its own rights to help foster rugby in South Africa’s far north. They join the 14 provincial unions as well as the returning Pampas XV from Argentina in the tournament, which concludes in mid-May.
The Polokwane-based Limpopo team will play in the North Section of the Vodacom Cup, along with the Vodacom Blue Bulls, MTN Golden Lions, Griffons, Leopards, Ford Pumas, Valke and GWK Griquas, runners up in 2012. They are scheduled to play their mother body Vodacom Blue Bulls in Polokwane on Saturday, 20 April.
The South Section contains defending champions, DHL Western Province, as well as Border Bulldogs, Regent Boland Kavaliers, Eastern Province Kings, Toyota Free State XV, the Sharks XV, South Western Districts and the Pampas XV from Argentina.
Teams will each play seven group matches within their own section. Thereafter the top four teams from each section will progress to the quarter-final round, which will be contested across the two sections.
Vodacom Cup 2013 fixtures:
Round 1 – 8/9 March:
- MTN Golden Lions v Leopards
- Ford Pumas v Valke
- GWK Griquas v Vodacom Blue Bulls
- Limpopo v Griffons
- SWD v Toyota Free State XV
- Regent Boland Kavaliers v DHL WP
- Sharks XV v Border Bulldogs
- EP Kings v Pampas XV
Round 2 – 15/16 March:
- Vodacom Blue Bulls v Ford Pumas
- Valke v MTN Golden Lions
- Leopards v Limpopo
- Griffons v GWK Griquas
- DHL WP v Sharks XV
- Toyota Free State XV v Regent Boland Kavaliers
- Pampas XV v SWD
- Border Bulldogs v EP Kings
Round 3 – 22/23 March:
- Leopards v Valke
- MTN Golden Lions v Vodacom Blue Bulls
- Ford Pumas v Griffons
- Limpopo v GWK Griquas
- EP Kings v DHL WP
- Sharks XV v Toyota Free State XV
- Regent Boland Kavaliers v SWD
- Pampas XV v Border Bulldogs
Round 4 – 5/6 April:
- Vodacom Blue Bulls v Leopards
- GWK Griquas v Ford Pumas
- Griffons v MTN Golden Lions
- Limpopo v Valke
- DHL WP v Border Bulldogs
- Toyota Free State XV v EP Kings
- SWD v Sharks XV
- Regent Boland Kavaliers v Pampas XV
Round 5 – 12/13 April:
- Valke v Vodacom Blue Bulls
- Leopards v Griffons
- MTN Golden Lions v GWK Griquas
- Ford Pumas v Limpopo
- Pampas XV v DHL WP
- Border Bulldogs v Toyota Free State XV
- EP KINGS v SWD
- Sharks XV v Regent Boland Kavaliers
Round 6 – 19/20 April:
- Ford Pumas v MTN Golden Lions
- GWK Griquas v Leopards
- Griffons v Valke
- Limpopo v Vodacom Blue Bulls
- DHL WP v SWD
- Pampas XV v Toyota Free State XV
- Border Bulldogs v Regent Boland Kavaliers
- EP Kings v Sharks XV
Round 7 – 26/27 April:
- Vodacom Blue Bulls v Griffons
- Valke v GWK Griquas
- Leopards v Ford Pumas
- MTN Golden Lions v Limpopo
- Toyota Free State XV v DHL WP
- SWD v Border Bulldogs
- Sharks XV v Pampas XV
- Regent Boland Kavaliers v EP Kings
Quarter-finals – 3/4 May:
- North 1 v South 4
- South 1 v North 4
- North 2 v South 3
- South 2 v North 3
Semi-finals – 10/11 May
Final – 17/18 May
Home teams named first, kick-off times and venues to be confirmed. All fixtures subject to change.
During the playoffs the EP Kings will play 4 home games at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth:
- Round 1 – 8/9 March: EP Kings v Pampas XV
- Round 3 – 22/23 March: EP Kings v DHL WP
- Round 5 – 12/13 April: EP Kings v SWD
- Round 6 – 19/20 April: EP Kings v Sharks XV
Alan Straton
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