Mzanzi Challenge
| Current season, competition or edition: Current sports event 2023 Mzanzi Challenge | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2023 |
| First season | 2023 |
| Ceased | 2023 |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Country | South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, United States, Zimbabwe |
| Last champion | Valke |
| Most titles | Valke (1) |
The 2023 Currie Cup First Division ran concurrently with the Mzansi Challenge, which, in addition to the six South African sides, featured four additional international sides; the Welwitschias from Namibia, the Zimbabwe Goshawks, the Simbas from Kenya and the San Clemente Rhinos from the USA. Initially, the Tel Aviv Heat from Israel were due to play. However, after pressure from the South African BDS, SARU withdrew their invitation to the Heat, who were replaced by the Rhinos.[1][2]
The SA Cup became the long term replacement for the Mzansi Challenge.[3]
Standings - Mzansi Challenge
[edit | edit source]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valke | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 323 | 208 | +115 | 48 | 29 | 9 | 0 | 41 | Semifinals |
| 2 | SWD Eagles | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 223 | 174 | +49 | 31 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 40 | |
| 3 | Boland Cavaliers | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 232 | 146 | +86 | 34 | 17 | 8 | 0 | 36 | |
| 4 | Leopards | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 190 | 170 | +20 | 24 | 23 | 6 | 0 | 26 | |
| 5 | Eastern Province Elephants | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 191 | 211 | −20 | 23 | 28 | 5 | 0 | 25 | |
| 6 | San Clemente Rhinos | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 209 | 226 | −17 | 30 | 34 | 8 | 0 | 24 | |
| 7 | Welwitschias | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 241 | 274 | −33 | 32 | 35 | 5 | 0 | 17 | |
| 8 | Simbas | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 135 | 119 | +16 | 20 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 12 | |
| 9 | Border Bulldogs | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 197 | 352 | −155 | 27 | 51 | 4 | 0 | 12 | |
| 10 | Zimbabwe Goshawks | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 106 | 167 | −61 | 14 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
Rules for classification: Tournament points in the standings were awarded to teams as follows:
- 4 points for a win.
- 2 points for a draw.
- 1 bonus point for a loss in a match by seven points or under.
- 1 bonus point for scoring four tries or more.
Round 1
[edit | edit source]Round 2
[edit | edit source]Round 3
[edit | edit source]Round 4
[edit | edit source]Round 5
[edit | edit source]Round 6
[edit | edit source]Round 7
[edit | edit source]Round 8
[edit | edit source]Round 9
[edit | edit source]Round 10
[edit | edit source]Round 11
[edit | edit source]Play-offs
[edit | edit source]On the eve of the playoffs, South Western Districts Eagles threatened to pull out of their semifinal, disputing the decision to award the Valke points after they refused to play against the San Clemente Rhinos.[4]
Semifinals
[edit | edit source]| 10 June 2023 | Valke | 57–30 | Leopards | Barnard Stadium | ||
| 15:00 | [1] |
| 10 June 2023 | SWD Eagles | 37–20 | Boland Cavaliers | Outeniqua Park | ||
| 15:00 | [2] |
Final
[edit | edit source]| 17 June 2023 | Valke | 55–38 | SWD Eagles | Barnard Stadium | ||
| 12.30 | Try: Tshabalala Elias Wellman Stamper Ntunja Arendse Con: Fortune (5) Pen: Fortune (5) |
[3] | Try: Syster (2) Leonard Stander Ntsane Con: Weich (3) Syster (1) |
See also
[edit | edit source]References
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