2017 Rugby Challenge

The 2017 Rugby Challenge – known as the SuperSport Rugby Challenge for sponsorship reasons – is the first edition of the Rugby Challenge, the secondary domestic rugby union competition in South Africa, and the long-term successor of the Vodacom Cup competition. The competition was organised by the South African Rugby Union and was played between 22 April and 16 July 2017. The competition featured all fourteen South African provincial unions plus Namibian side the Welwitschias.

2017 Rugby Challenge
CountriesSouth Africa
Namibia
Date22 April – 16 July 2017
ChampionsWestern Province (1st title)
Runners-upGriquas
Matches played67
Tries scored617
(average 9.2 per match)
Top point scorerShaun Reynolds, Golden Lions XV (138)
Top try scorerEnver Brandt, Griquas and
Frank Herne, Pumas (9)

The competition was won by Western Province, after they beat Griquas 28–19 in the final in Cape Town. Golden Lions XV fly-half Shaun Reynolds was the top scorer in the competition with 138 points, while Griquas wing Enver Brandt and Pumas hooker Frank Herne were the joint top try scorer with 9 tries.

Competition rules and information

The fifteen teams in the competition were divided into three regional pools of five teams. Each team will play home and away matches against the other four teams in their pool over a ten-week period. The top two teams from each pool, along with the two third-placed teams with the best record will progress to the play-offs, which will consist of quarter finals, a semi-final and a final.[1]

Teams

The teams that will compete in the 2017 Rugby Challenge are:

Northern Section
Team Sponsored Name
Blue Bulls XVVodacom Blue Bulls XV
FalconsHino Valke
Golden Lions XVXerox Golden Lions XV
PumasSteval Pumas
WelwitschiasWindhoek Draught Welwitschias
Central Section
Team Sponsored Name
Free State XVToyota Free State XV
GriffonsDown Touch Griffons
GriquasTafel Lager Griquas
LeopardsLeopards
Sharks XVCell C Sharks XV
Southern Section
Team Sponsored Name
Boland CavaliersBoland Cavaliers
Border BulldogsBorder Bulldogs
Eastern Province KingsEastern Province Kings
SWD EaglesSWD Eagles
Western ProvinceDHL Western Province

Northern Section

Log

Northern Section log
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts
1 Golden Lions XV8701485208+27769267136
2 Blue Bulls XV8503376240+13653337229
3 Pumas8512314217+9744277029
4 Falcons8116273386−11339567316
5 Welwitschias8107140537−3971982206

Round-by-round

The table below shows each team's progression throughout the season. For each round, each team's cumulative points total is shown with the overall log position in brackets.

Team Progression – Northern Section
Team R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 QF SF F
Golden Lions XV 0
(4th)
5
(3rd)
10
(1st)
14
(1st)
16
(1st)
16
(3rd)
21
(2nd)
26
(2nd)
31
(1st)
36
(1st)
Won Lost N/A
Blue Bulls XV 0
(5th)
5
(1st)
10
(2nd)
10
(2nd)
15
(2nd)
17
(2nd)
22
(1st)
27
(1st)
27
(2nd)
29
(2nd)
Won Lost N/A
Pumas 5
(2nd)
5
(4th)
5
(4th)
10
(3rd)
13
(3rd)
18
(1st)
19
(3rd)
19
(3rd)
24
(3rd)
29
(3rd)
Lost N/A N/A
Falcons 5
(1st)
5
(2nd)
6
(3rd)
7
(4th)
10
(4th)
12
(4th)
12
(4th)
14
(4th)
15
(4th)
16
(4th)
N/A N/A N/A
Welwitschias 1
(3rd)
1
(5th)
1
(5th)
1
(5th)
1
(5th)
6
(5th)
6
(5th)
6
(5th)
6
(5th)
6
(5th)
N/A N/A N/A
Key: win draw loss bye

Matches

Round One

Bye/s: Golden Lions XV

Round Two

Bye/s: Falcons

Round Three

Bye/s: Pumas

Round Four

Bye/s: Blue Bulls XV

Round Five

Bye/s: Welwitschias

Round Six

Bye/s: Golden Lions XV

Round Seven

Bye/s: Falcons

Round Eight

Bye/s: Pumas

Round Nine

Bye/s: Blue Bulls XV

Round Ten

Bye/s: Welwitschias

Central Section

Log

Central Section log
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts
1 Griquas8611335213+12247308135
2 Sharks XV8512288150+13843196129
3 Free State XV8305253301−4832406422
4 Leopards8305199276−7727394117
5 Griffons8206227362−13532534113

Round-by-round

The table below shows each team's progression throughout the season. For each round, each team's cumulative points total is shown with the overall log position in brackets.

Team Progression – Central Section
Team R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 QF SF F
Griquas 5
(1st)
7
(2nd)
7
(2nd)
12
(2nd)
17
(1st)
22
(1st)
22
(1st)
27
(1st)
30
(1st)
35
(1st)
Won Won Lost
Sharks XV 0
(5th)
0
(5th)
5
(3rd)
10
(3rd)
11
(3rd)
11
(4th)
16
(3rd)
21
(2nd)
24
(2nd)
29
(2nd)
Lost N/A N/A
Free State XV 0
(3rd)
2
(4th)
4
(5th)
6
(4th)
10
(4th)
15
(2nd)
20
(2nd)
21
(3rd)
21
(3rd)
22
(3rd)
Lost N/A N/A
Leopards 5
(2nd)
10
(1st)
15
(1st)
15
(1st)
15
(2nd)
15
(3rd)
17
(4th)
17
(4th)
17
(4th)
17
(4th)
N/A N/A N/A
Griffons 0
(4th)
5
(3rd)
5
(4th)
5
(5th)
5
(5th)
7
(5th)
7
(5th)
7
(5th)
12
(5th)
13
(5th)
N/A N/A N/A
Key: win draw loss bye

Matches

Round One

Bye/s: Free State XV

Round Two

Bye/s: Sharks XV

Round Three

Bye/s: Griquas

Round Four

Bye/s: Griffons

Round Five

Bye/s: Leopards

Round Six

Bye/s: Sharks XV

Round Seven

Bye/s: Griquas

Round Eight

Bye/s: Griffons

Round Nine

Bye/s: Free State XV

Round Ten

Bye/s: Leopards

Southern Section

Log

Southern Section log
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts
1 Western Province8800312171+14146237039
2 Eastern Province Kings8503235222+1335304125
3 Border Bulldogs8404215264−4929374222
4 Boland Cavaliers8305193198−524284218
5 SWD Eagles8008183283−1002541369

Round-by-round

The table below shows each team's progression throughout the season. For each round, each team's cumulative points total is shown with the overall log position in brackets.

Team Progression – Southern Section
Team R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 QF SF F
Western Province 5
(1st)
10
(1st)
15
(1st)
15
(1st)
20
(1st)
25
(1st)
30
(1st)
34
(1st)
34
(1st)
39
(1st)
Won Won Won
Eastern Province Kings 0
(5th)
5
(3rd)
5
(3rd)
6
(4th)
11
(3rd)
11
(4th)
15
(3rd)
15
(3rd)
20
(3rd)
25
(3rd)
Lost N/A N/A
Border Bulldogs 5
(2nd)
6
(2nd)
11
(2nd)
15
(2nd)
15
(2nd)
16
(2nd)
16
(2nd)
20
(2nd)
22
(2nd)
22
(3rd)
N/A N/A N/A
Boland Cavaliers 2
(3rd)
2
(4th)
4
(5th)
8
(3rd)
8
(4th)
12
(3rd)
12
(4th)
12
(4th)
17
(4th)
18
(4th)
N/A N/A N/A
SWD Eagles 0
(4th)
2
(5th)
4
(4th)
5
(5th)
5
(5th)
5
(5th)
6
(5th)
7
(5th)
7
(5th)
9
(5th)
N/A N/A N/A
Key: win draw loss bye

Matches

Round One

Bye/s: SWD Eagles

Round Two

Bye/s: Boland Cavaliers

Round Three

Bye/s: Eastern Province Kings

Round Four

Bye/s: Western Province

Round Five

Bye/s: Border Bulldogs

Round Six

Bye/s: SWD Eagles

Round Seven

Bye/s: Boland Cavaliers

Round Eight

Bye/s: Eastern Province Kings

Round Nine

Bye/s: Western Province

Round Ten

Bye/s: Border Bulldogs

Title play-offs

The final pool standings and title play-offs seeding were:

Section winners
Seeding Team Section PD Pts
1 Western ProvinceSouthern Section39+141
2 Golden Lions XVNorthern Section36+277
3 GriquasCentral Section35+122
Section runners-up
Seeding Team Section PD Pts
4 Sharks XVCentral Section29+138
5 Blue Bulls XVNorthern Section29+136
6 Eastern Province KingsSouthern Section25+13
Section third-placed teams
Seeding Team Section PD Pts
7 PumasNorthern Section29+97
8 Free State XVCentral Section22−48
9 Border BulldogsSouthern Section22−49

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Final

Honours

The honour roll for the 2017 Rugby Challenge was as follows:

2017 Rugby Challenge
Champions: Western Province (1st title)
Top points scorer:Shaun Reynolds, Golden Lions XV (138)
Top try scorers:Enver Brandt, Griquas
Frank Herne, Pumas (9)

Players

Squads

The following squads were named for the 2018 Rugby Challenge:

Top scorers

The top ten try and point scorers during the 2017 Rugby Challenge were:

Referees

The following referees officiated matches in the 2017 Rugby Challenge:

See also

References

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