WESTERN PROVINCE BUILDING FOR CURRIE CUP RESURGENCE
There’s no better way to kick off the Carling Currie Cup season than with a clash between long-time rivals, DHL Western Province and the Vodacom Bulls.
Round One of South Africa’s oldest rugby competition will reignite the iconic North-South Derby at DHL Stadium on 26 July 2025.
Western Province, 34-time Currie Cup champions, will be looking to turn the tide after losing both fixtures to the Pretoria-based side last season and finishing second from the bottom.
In a bid to return to playoff contention, the union has assembled a new-look coaching team led by Labeeb Levy. He’ll be supported by Brok Harris (Forwards Coach), Dewaldt Duvenage (Backline Coach), Riefaat Jappie (Strength and Conditioning), and Brendan Venter (Technical Consultant).
Coach Levy and his staff have a clear mandate: guide Province back to the playoffs for the first time in seven years with a top-four finish.
“Last season was a tough one, but we achieved our aim of bringing through some talented young players — eight of whom went on to represent the DHL Stormers,” says Director of Rugby John Dobson.
“This season, we’ve got a great group of hopefuls who’ll be primed to play the exciting brand of rugby that DHL Western Province is renowned for, under the guidance of this strong coaching team.”
A new era for Province
Levy, a familiar figure with nearly two decades of coaching experience at Western Province and the Stormers, is relishing the opportunity to take the reins.
“I have a strong personal relationship with each one of these men, and I know that together we’ll take this group forward and do justice to the blue-and-white hoops of DHL Western Province.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for both coaches and players to prove their mettle. You can be sure that we’ll be putting in the hard work to rise to the challenge this season,” says Levy.
Following their opening weekend clash with the Bulls, Province heads into a tough four-game away stretch through August. They return to DHL Stadium on 30 August in Round 6 to face the 2022 champions, the Airlink Pumas, a key fixture in the race for the playoffs.
Province holds the advantage in recent history, having won four of their last five matches against the Pumas since 2022.
To conclude the regular season, Die Streeptruie will host the Sanlam Boland Cavaliers in the first Cape Derby in almost a decade.
This Round 7 showdown marks the first Currie Cup meeting between the two provincial rivals since 2016 and the Cavaliers’ first-ever visit to DHL Stadium, following their promotion from the First Division.
Tickets for all home matches at DHL Stadium are available on Ticketmaster, starting from just R60.
