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time CELL C SHARKS SIGMA LIONS 17H00
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04/06 #SHAVSLIO
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CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
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CHANGING THE GAME is a team effort. SIYA KOLISI - RUGBY 4
CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
@OAKLEY INC.
OAKLEY.COM
MESSAGE
PRESIDENT OF SA RUGBY
Welcome to this exciting meeting in the Carling Currie Cup, which remains the premier provincial competition on the South African rugby landscape as we have started the process of re-aligning the local season. As the oldest provincial rugby competition in the world, the Carling Currie Cup has always provided a magnificent pathway for players to show they have what it takes to step up to high-intensity action at the top level. This year, more than ever before, we are looking forward to our teams unearthing the next generation of Springbok stars by providing playing opportunities to the best local talent. The Carling Currie Cup is about respectful rivalry, provincial passion, ambition, pride and community, with local support always at very high levels.
promises to be an exciting and challenging double round of action, culminating in the playoffs late in June. I’d also like to thank our broadcast partner, SuperSport, and our tournament sponsor, Carling Black Label, for their continued support, as well as all the team partners who invest in the local game, ensuring we can deliver a top-class product week in and week out. Thank you also to everyone who has worked hard behind the scenes to make the 2022 edition of the Carling Currie Cup happen, all the players and staff and all other important stakeholders. MARK ALEXANDER
President: SA Rugby
And then, there is the drama and intrigue associated with the Carling Currie Cup – will be Vodacom Bulls continue their domination of the last two seasons, or will a new team step up to lift the coveted gold trophy in June? Good luck to all the teams for what CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
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CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
CONTENTS
MATCH PREVIEW | 10
MAJOR MATCH UP | 20
10 14 22 27 26
MATCH PREVIEW
CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS KICK OFF 17H00
MAJOR MATCH UP BONILLA VS SWANEPOEL
FIXTURES & LOG CURRIE CUP
SPONSORS THE SHARKS
CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
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C E L L C P RO U D LY SU PPO RT S T HE S H ARK S
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CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
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MATCH PREVIEW
CRUNCH-TIME COMING UP WORDS: ALBERT HEENOP
As the Cell C Sharks head into the penultimate league round of this year’s Carling Currie Cup competition, the battle for third and fourth spots on the table is shaping up as a do-or-die affair. It means that winning against the Lions, at home tonight, has become non-negotiable… Griquas provided one of the biggest Carling Currie Cup shocks in recent years, when they pumped the high-riding and unbeaten Cheetahs 46-18 in Kimberley last weekend. The Peacock Blues not only surprised friend and foe by upstaging the Bloemfontein-based outfit, but, through generating maximum championship points, Griquas also managed to nudge the Cell C Sharks from third place on the current Carling Currie Cup standings. This has now rendered the last two rounds of league rugby vitally important for the Cell C Sharks. As things stand at the moment, Etienne Fynn’s charges are in fourth spot on the table, two championship points adrift of the third-placed Griquas and two points clear of the Pumas, who are currently hovering in fifth position. 10 CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
The Cell C Sharks are today hosting the Lions, who, although they are languishing at the bottom of the table and are already out of the Carling Currie Cup race, secured their first win of the season last Saturday with a comprehensive 33-10 victory over Western Province in Johannesburg. In addition, the Lions are now at liberty to freely utilise their United Rugby Championship stars for the remaining Carling Currie Cup games, which suggests that they will field a highly competitive lineup for today’s encounter with the Cell C Sharks. To date, the Durbanites have won five of their first 10 matches in the 2022 edition of the Carling Currie Cup, with the home fixture against the Bulls in April having been aborted due to the severe flooding in KwaZulu-Natal at the time. The Cell C Sharks have made life difficult
for themselves, though, having lost their last two games on the trot. They suffered a disappointing loss to the Pumas at home a month ago, and the following week went down to the Cheetahs away from home in Bloemfontein. Player availability has proven to be an issue in the Carling Currie Cup arena, with the Cell C Sharks also participating in the URC, and that becomes a particularly daunting challenge when confronting sides, like the Pumas and Cheetahs, who are able to field full-strength sides week in, week out. That, however, is the stark reality of rugby in the professional arena, and a challenge that the Cell C Sharks generally are adept at negotiating - considering the growing depth in player talent.
THE LIONS ARE NOW AT LIBERTY TO FREELY UTILISE THEIR UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP STARS FOR THE REMAINING CARLING CURRIE CUP GAMES With only two league games left to play next Saturday the boys will be heading down to Cape Town to take on Western Province - the Cell C Sharks still have destiny in their own hands. There is no more room for error, though. To ensure a top-four finish and a spot in this year’s Carling Currie Cup semi-finals, the Cell C Sharks need to bag full championship points from both today’s encounter with the Lions and next weekend’s Cape assignment. Priority number one, however, is to first secure the win against the visitors from Johannesburg here at Hollywoodbets Kings Park tonight. CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
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#WEARERHINO
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@TheSharks
@TheSharksZA
CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
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CELL C SHARKS
HEAD COACH ETIENNE FYNN
MANAGER
LUSANDA MTIYA
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NEVALDO FLEURS
15
MARNUS POTGIETER
14
JEREMY WARD
13
MURRAY KOSTER
12
ANTHONY VOLMINK
11
TITO BONILLA
10
ZEE MKHABELA
09
CELIMPILO GUMEDE
08
JEANDRE LABUSCHAGNE
07
JAMES VENTER (C)
06
HYRON ANDREWS
05
THEMBELANI BHOLI
04
LOURENS ADRIAANSE
03
JASON ALEXANDER
02
DIAN BLEULER
01
JACQUES MARAIS
16
KHWEZI MONA
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KEAGAN GLADE
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OJ NOA
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NICK HATTON
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GERADO JAARS
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JORDAN CHAIT
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SIVI ZONDANI
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KICK OFF 17H00 REFEREE CWENGILE JADEZWENI
SIGMA LIONS
5
QUAN HORN
4
STEAN PIENAAR
3
HENCO VAN WYK
2
MATT MORE
1
EDWILL VAN DER MERWE
0
TIAAN SWANEPOEL
9
SANELE NOHAMBA
8
EMMANUEL TSHITUKA
7
VINCENT TSHITUKA
6
FRANCKE HORN
5
REINHARD NOTHNAGEL (C)
4
RUBEN SCHOEMAN
3
RUAN DREYER
2
PJ BOTHA
1
JP SMITH
6
MORNE BRANDON
7
STI SITHOLE
8
ASENATHI NTLABAKANYE
9
JAROD CAIRNS
0
SIBUSISO SANGWENI
1
ANDRE WERNER
2
JORDAN HENDRIKSE
3
WANDISILE SIMELANE ASSISTANT REFEREES AJ JACOBS & ZUKILE MADIKIZELA TMO EGON SECONDS
HEAD COACH
IVAN VAN ROOYEN
MANAGER
MUSTAPHA BOOMGAARD
CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
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THE ULTIMATE TEAM
SECURITY, FACILITIES & CLEANING Visit www.ssgsa.co.za 18 CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
LOCAL IS LEKKER! DID YOU KNOW THAT THE SHARKS NOW OWN THE AFROS IN UMHLANGA? PURCHASE A CELL C SHARKS
MATCH DAY TICKET AND RECEIVE
10% OFF
YOUR MEAL ON YOUR NEXT VISIT TO OUR UMHLANGA STORE.
PRESENT YOUR MATCH DAY TICKET AT THE COUNTER TO REDEEM YOUR DISCOUNT.
OFFER VALID : MARCH - MAY
*EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE TO THE AFRO’S UMHLANGA STORE.
CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
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MAJOR MATCHUP
BONILLA VS SWANEPOEL Argentinian Tito Bonilla returns to pivot for the Cell C Sharks as they aim to get their Carling Currie Cup campaign back on the winning track and qualify for the semi-finals. The 32-year-old flyhalf certainly adds heaps of experience in the allimportant stand-off slot, boasting four test caps for the Pumas. Moreover, he wore the No 10 shirt of the Jaguares, when the Argentine franchise made it to the Super Rugby final three years ago, and has had European stints with Racing 92 (France) and the Leicester Tigers (England). Bonilla will be required to call the shots from flyhalf tonight, as well as add much-needed calmness and composure to the back division. Tiaan Swanepoel’s performance was pivotal in the Lions’ inspirational victory over WP last weekend. The 25-year-old Namibian-born flyhalf racked up 18 points, and scored one of the Lions’ four tries, to walk off with the Man-of-the-Match spoils, and will again be a key component for his team tonight. The former Maties and WP U21 prodigy had a stint with Sydney-based outfit West Harbour in Australia, before signing with the Lions two years ago. Equally at home in the No 15 jumper, Swanepoel is not only notorious for slotting long-distance goals from well within his own half, but is also a courageous defender and slick on the attack.
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WELCOME TO
THE SHARKS ACADEMY
THE SHARKS ACADEMY IS A WORLD-CLASS SOCCER AND RUGBY ACADEMY WHICH IS BACKED BY STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SHARKS.
@THESHARKSACADEMY @SHARKSACADEMY @SHARKS_ACADEMY CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
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CURRIE CUP LOG TEAM VODACOM BULLS
P
W
D
L
PD
PTS
11
9
1
1
122
47
TOYOTA CHEETAHS
10
9
0
1
124
41
THE WINDHOEK DRAUGHT GRIQUAS
10
5
0
5
35
26
CELL C SHARKS
10
5
1
4
-18
24
AIRLINK PUMAS
10
4
0
6
41
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DHL WESTERN PROVINCE
9
2
0
7
-69
13
SIGMA LIONS
10
0
0
10
-235
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CURRIE CUP FIXTURES / RESULTS R0UND 2
WED, 19 JAN
CELL C SHARKS VS TAFEL LAGER GRIQUAS | 24-23
R0UND 3
WED, 2 FEB
CELL C SHARKS VS DHL WESTERN PROVINCE | 35-20
R0UND 4
SAT, 19 FEB
SIGMA LIONS VS CELL C SHARKS | 31 - 43
R0UND 5
FRI, 4 MAR
NEW NATION PUMAS VS CELL C SHARKS | 10 - 24
R0UND 6
WED, 16 MAR
VODACOM BULLS VS CELL C SHARKS | 35 - 21
R0UND 7
WED, 23 MAR
CELL C SHARKS VS TOYOTA CHEETAHS | 15 - 29
R0UND 8
WED, 6 APR R0UND 9
SAT, 16 APR
TAFEL LAGER GRIQUAS VS CELL C SHARKS | 6 - 13 CELL C SHARKS VS VODACOM BULLS | MATCH CANCELLED
R0UND 10
SAT, 7 MAY
CELL C SHARKS VS NEW NATION PUMAS | 10- 20
R0UND 11
SAT, 14 MAY
TOYOTA CHEETAHS VS CELL C SHARKS | 44-15
R0UND 13
SAT, 4 JUNE
CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
R0UND 14
SAT, 11 JUNE
DHL WESTERN PROVINCE VS CELL C SHARKS
HOME HOLLYWOODBETS KINGS PARK, DURBAN HOME HOLLYWOODBETS KINGS PARK, DURBAN AWAY EMIRATES AIRLINE PARK, JHB AWAY MBOMBELA STADIUM, NELSPRUIT AWAY LOFTUS VERSFELD, PRETORIA HOME HOLLYWOODBETS KINGS PARK, DURBAN AWAY TAFEL LAGER PARK, KIMBERLEY HOME HOLLYWOODBETS KINGS PARK, DURBAN HOME HOLLYWOODBETS KINGS PARK, DURBAN AWAY TOYOTA STADIUM, BLOEMFONTEIN HOME HOLLYWOODBETS KINGS PARK, DURBAN AWAY CAPE TOWN STADIUM, CPT
CELL C SHARKS VS SIGMA LIONS
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