Willem Strauss, President of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, has thanked Dr Patrice Motsepe and Dr Johan van Zyl of African Rainbow Capital (ARC) for sponsoring the national club competition, the Gold Cup, again this season.
“We are blessed at the Blue Bulls Rugby Union with magical shareholders who are buying into a total eco-system of rugby, from grassroots to professional level,” said Strauss.
The Tournament will kick-off on 21 September with 32 teams (two per province), the champions of last year and a wild card in a knock-out format culminating in the final on 19 October. The defending champions are Naka Bulle from the Blue Bulls. Four other teams from the very strong Castle Carlton Cup will also participate in the ARC Gold Cup this season: Centurion RC, Tuine-Grizzlies, Northam Rhinos and Northam Wolves.
The ARC sponsorship is an incredible incentive for the more than 1 000 rugby clubs in South Africa and the hundreds of thousands of supporters that keeps rugby alive in local communities from Limpopo to the Western Cape.
Strauss added that there will be another incentive for the elite club players of the Blue Bulls with a Loftus 200 team selected from the Carlton Cup due to play against the African champions, the national team of Zimbabwe, in a curtain raiser on 1 March 2025 for the massive United Rugby Championship clash during the Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers.
“We are a province and not just a team, with growing and excellence on every level as part of our vision,” concluded Strauss.
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