Rivals set to grapple in opening gambit in Cup
league, will come face-to-face with fierce local rivals Swallows in the first game of the competition.
“We are delighted that Swallows have been included in the Gold Cup which is an amateur competition. With that in mind we are looking forward to playing them first up.
“The team had set its sights on this competition from February so they are looking forward to the increased challenge that the Gold Cup brings,” said Old Boys coach James Winstanley.
Swallows will host the match and having made it into the Gold Cup via a wildcard entry after ending as Super League runners-up, they will be eager to take the opportunity to ease into the competition against a team they know very well.
“We are really looking forward to playing Old Boys and the guys are excited to try and beat them again. We know them well, having played them so many times in the league and it gives us a good chance of getting started in the competition on the right foot,” admitted Swallows rugby club president Zuko Matyeshana.
Old Boys and Swallows were both drawn in Pool C alongside another wildcard entry in Tygerberg from the Western Cape.
The other two teams are still to be decided with the Eastern Province club champion to be crowned today with Progress or Park set to seal the title. The South Western Districts champs, with four teams still in the running, will be decided on the last weekend of this month.
This will be Swallows first appearance in the Gold Cup and they will be eager to impress.
“It is a really tough pool, so we need to win our first game just to raise our self-esteem and to make us believe in ourselves. If we win it will also put us in a really good place in the group going forward.
“The guys are just so excited to be a part of it, getting that wildcard entry was a dream come true for the players and they can't wait for it,” claimed Matyeshana.
Old Boys are no strangers to the Gold Cup, having represented Border in the competition over the last few years and they will know exactly what is expected of them if they are to achieve their goals.
“The team is committed to reaching the semifinal stages which is further than they have gone before.
“We could achieve this by winning our pool and gaining a home quarter final, thereafter the semis move to neutral venues,” said Winstanley.