Mbombela in Nelspruit is the stage for the Carling Currie Cup opener featuring the Hollywoodbets Sharks and Airlink Pumas as both sides look to get their campaigns off to a winning start.
For the Hollywoodbets Sharks, title-holders as recently as 2024 when they defeated the Golden Lions 16-14 in Johannesburg in a tight final, the franchise has a proud record that they will look to continue in South Africa’s longest running provincial tournament.
As part of his preparations for the tournament, Head coach Mike Vowles acknowledged that adding depth to the side was crucial and from that point, “We had some tough lessons to learn out of our Under 23 campaign and aside from some experienced players, we’ve also brought in some exciting youngsters.
“Two of them, Jaco du Toit and Matthew Fortuin
Swiel’s breakout came at the Hollywoodbets Sharks, making his debut in Super Rugby in 2014, before a short-term stint at Harlequins, following a return to Durban, and then back to Harlequins for the next three years. His career has also taken him to the DHL Stormers, Newcastle Falcons, Edinburgh, Saracens and most recently, to the US.
“It made sense for him to come in and steer the ship here for us at flyhalf and having had some experience at the Hollywoodbets Sharks, he also felt that he has some unfinished business here, so he was very excited and jumped at the opportunity to join us.”
Vowles added that the team is excited to have him in the mix, he’s been around and will add some much-needed direction and leadership to the group.
“It’s an exciting balance of youth and experience, one that will compliment each other well. I don’t think this group actually knows how good it can be, there is so much potential, but because we’re young and just kind of come together at the back-end of a four-week preseason, there’s still a lot of belief, but the question is: ‘how good can we be, where can we go in this comp’”.
While the physical side of rugby can never be denied, it’s also what happens behind the scenes, the mental preparation and the self-belief that is so important, particularly with a group of players that leans towards youth.
“I think this match will be a great opportunity to show that. Given what we’ve got and the culture and values we’ve worked hard to instil in this group, I think we won’t only surprise ourselves, but also a couple of the other unions.”
“This is an exciting group and one we are really confident can perform and compete in the Carling Currie Cup.”
Some of the senior players have been in the system for a while, like Marnus Potgieter, Cameron Dawson, Deon Slabbert have all had Vodacom United Rugby Championship exposure and it’s a great opportunity for them to find their form and re-establish themselves in terms of their rugby careers and put their hands up for VURC selection.
“Everyone has their own reasons why they want to perform, but as a collective, there’s a real focus on instilling pride back into the jersey when it comes to the Carling Currie Cup and to start the competition well.”
