2003 Currie Cup

The 2003 Currie Cup was the 2003 season of the South African domestic rugby union competition, the Absa Currie Cup premier division, played from 26 July 2003 - 1 November 2003. The 2003 Currie Cup saw the implementation of a new format for the tournament with the Cup being split into 2 divisions, the Premier Division and a lower division. The Premier Division consisting of the 6 top provincial teams and the lower division consisting of 8 teams for a total of 14 teams participating in the Currie Cup. The teams in the divisions played matches among themselves with top teams progressing to the finals.[1] The finals were played at Securicor Loftus Stadium where the Blue Bulls beat the Sharks 40–19 to win the Cup. This would be the second win for the Blue Bulls in a streak of 3 consecutive Currie Cup wins from 2002 to 2004.[2] The Blue Bull's Ettienne Botha scored two tries in the final. This equaled the record for tries scored in a Currie Cup final at the time.[3]

2003 Currie Cup Premier Division
CountriesSouth Africa
Date26 July – 1 November 2003
ChampionsBlue Bulls (20th title)
Runners-upSharks

Team Standings
2003 Currie Cup Premier Division Log
Pos Team Pl W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts
1Blue Bulls141103538372+16673449255
2Sharks141005462329+13361459352
3Western Province14835576447+129794812151
4Golden Lions14815530428+10263527344
5Free State Cheetahs14528530470+6066559235
6Pumas14609447488−4147697233
7Griquas14309355613−25848807120
8SWD Eagles142012382673−29148927217
* Legend: Pos = Position, Pl = Played, W = Won, D = Drawn, L = Lost, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, PD = Points Difference, TF = Tries For, TA = Tries Against, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, Pts = Log Points

Blue Bulls and Sharks directly qualified to the grand Final.

Points breakdown:
*4 points for a win
*2 points for a draw
*1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less
*1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match

Fixtures

Round one

Source of matches [4]

25 July 2003
Natal Sharks 45 – 13 SWD Eagles
26 July 2003
Free State Cheetahs 54 – 14 Griquas
26 July 2003
Blue Bulls 64 – 29 Western Province
27 July 2003
Golden Lions 38 – 34 Pumas

Round two
1 August 2003
SWD Eagles 23 – 32 Blue Bulls
2 August 2003
Pumas 55 – 46 Free State Cheetahs
2 August 2003
Griquas 32 – 47 Natal Sharks
2 August 2003
Western Province 59 – 16 Golden Lions

Round three
8 August 2003
Griquas 24 – 47 SWD Eagles
9 August 2003
Free State Cheetahs 36 – 36 Western Province
9 August 2003
Natal Sharks 44 – 20 Pumas
9 August 2003
Golden Lions 23 – 28 Blue Bulls

Round four
15 August 2003
Pumas 40 – 26 Griquas
16 August 2003
Western Province 34 – 39 Natal Sharks
16 August 2003
SWD Eagles 29 – 52 Golden Lions
16 August 2003
Blue Bulls 36 – 19 Free State Cheetahs

Round five
23 August 2003
Sharks 35 – 28 Blue Bulls
23 August 2003
Pumas 49 – 17 SWD Eagles
23 August 2003
Griquas 43 – 60 Western Province
23 August 2003
Free State Cheetahs 22 – 40 Golden Lions

Round six
29 August 2003
Blue Bulls 15 – 19 Griquas
30 August 2003
Golden Lions 42 – 38 Natal Sharks
30 August 2003
Free State Cheetahs 67 – 23 SWD Eagles
30 August 2003
Western Province 44 – 20 Pumas

Round seven
6 September 2003
Natal Sharks 24 – 10 Free State Cheetahs
6 September 2003
Griquas 25 – 24 Golden Lions
6 September 2003
SWD Eagles 41 – 59 Western Province
6 September 2003
Pumas 22 – 41 Blue Bulls

Round eight
13 September 2003
Pumas 31 – 33 Golden Lions
13 September 2003
Griquas 19 – 75 Free State Cheetahs
13 September 2003
SWD Eagles 29 – 37 Natal Sharks
13 September 2003
Western Province 63 – 26 Blue Bulls

Round nine
20 September 2003
Free State Cheetahs 37 – 40 Pumas
20 September 2003
Natal Sharks 48 – 15 Griquas
20 September 2003
Blue Bulls 61 – 20 SWD Eagles
20 September 2003
Golden Lions 26 – 26 Western Province

Round ten
26 September 2003
SWD Eagles 37 – 32 Griquas
27 September 2003
Western Province 36 – 36 Free State Cheetahs
27 September 2003
Pumas 35 – 27 Natal Sharks
27 September 2003
Blue Bulls 52 – 40 Golden Lions

Round eleven
3 October 2003
Griquas 31 – 22 Pumas
4 October 2003
Free State Cheetahs 24 – 51 Blue Bulls
4 October 2003
Golden Lions 104 – 14 SWD Eagles
4 October 2003
Natal Sharks 18 – 6 Western Province

Round twelve
10 October 2003
SWD Eagles 27 – 37 Pumas
11 October 2003
Golden Lions 30 – 34 Free State Cheetahs
11 October 2003
Western Province 57 – 34 Griquas
11 October 2003
Blue Bulls 20 – 15 Sharks

Round thirteen
17 October 2003
SWD Eagles 38 – 45 Free State Cheetahs
17 October 2003
Natal Sharks 17 – 20 Golden Lions
18 October 2003
Griquas 22 – 45 Blue Bulls
18 October 2003
Pumas 24 – 38 Western Province

Round fourteen
25 October 2003
Golden Lions 42 – 19 Griquas
25 October 2003
Blue Bulls 39 – 18 Pumas
25 October 2003
Free State Cheetahs 25 – 28 Natal Sharks
25 October 2003
Western Province 29 – 24 SWD Eagles

Grand Final
1 November 2003
Blue Bulls 40 – 19 Sharks

Final squads


Blue Bulls:
FB 15 Johan Roets
RW 14 Gavin Passens
OC 13 JP Nel
IC 12 Ettiene Botha
LW 11 John Mametsa
FH 10 Louis Strydom
SH 9 Fourie du Preez
N8 8 Anton Leonard (c)
BF 7 Johan Wasserman
OF 6 Jacques Cronje
RL 5 Geo Cronje
LL 4 Pedrie Wannenburg
TP 3 Andries Human
HK 2 Gary Botha
LP 1 Wessel Roux
Substitutes:
HK 16 Kobus van der Walt
PR 17 Sias Wagner
PR 18 Piet Krause
BR 19 Ruan Vermeulen
BR 20 Norman Jordaan
SH 21 Francois Swart
OB 22 Frikkie Welsh
Coach:
Heyneke Meyer
Sharks:
FB 15 Justin Swart
RW 14 Deon Kayser
OC 13 André Snyman
IC 12 Rudi Keil
LW 11 Brent Russell
FH 10 Butch James
SH 9 Craig Davidson
N8 8 Brad MacLeod-Henderson
BF 7 Shaun Sowerby (c)
OF 6 Solly Tyibilika
RL 5 Charl van Rensburg
LL 4 Philip Smit
TP 3 BJ Botha
HK 2 Lukas van Biljon
LP 1 Ollie le Roux
Substitutes:
HK 16 Deon Carstens
PR 17 Eduard Coetzee
PR 18 AJ Venter
BR 19 Luke Watson
SH 20 Dave von Hoesslin
CE 21 Henno Mentz
OB 22 Enrico Swartz
Coach:

Referee:
Shaun Veldsman

References
  1. "Currie Cup format revised". News24. 27 June 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  2. "Currie Cup Finals History - SuperSport - Rugby". www.supersport.com. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  3. "Ten Currie Cup final facts". News24. 29 October 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  4. "2003 Currie Cup Premier Division". globalrugbyresults.com. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
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