1988 Currie Cup Division A

The 1988 Currie Cup Division A (known as the Santam Bank Currie Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the top division of the Currie Cup competition, the premier domestic rugby union competition in South Africa. This was the 50th season since the competition started in 1889.

1988 Currie Cup Division A
CountriesSouth Africa
Date30 April – 1 October 1988
ChampionsNorthern Transvaal (15th title)
Runners-upWestern Province
RelegatedNone

Teams
Location of teams in 1988 Currie Cup Division A
1988 Currie Cup Division A
Eastern Province
Free State
Natal
Northern Transvaal
South West Africa
Transvaal
Western Province

Competition

Regular season and title play-offs

There were seven participating teams in the 1988 Currie Cup Division A. These teams played each other twice over the course of the season, once at home and once away. Teams received two points for a win and one points for a draw. The top two teams qualified for the title play-offs (along with the top team from Division B). In the semi-finals, the team that finished second had home advantage against the team that finished top of Division B, while the team that finished top had a bye through to the final. The final was then played at the home venue of the higher-placed team.

Relegation play-offs

The bottom team on the log qualified for the relegation play-offs. That team played off against the team placed top in Division B over two legs. The winner over these two ties qualified for the 1989 Currie Cup Division A, while the losing team qualified for the 1989 Currie Cup Division B.

Log
1988 Currie Cup Division A Log
Pos Team Pl W D L PF PA PD TF TA Pts
1Northern Transvaal121101328188+140351622
2Western Province121002379156+223531520
3South West Africa12606254269−15273012
4Transvaal12507251253−2303010
5Natal12408225292−6724328
6Eastern Province12309216332−11623446
7Free State12309200363−16322476
Northern Transvaal qualified for the Currie Cup final and Western Province qualified for the Currie Cup semi-final.
Free State qualified for the promotion/relegation play-off game.

* 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, Pts = Log points

Points breakdown:
*2 points for a win
*1 point for a draw

Fixtures and Results

Round one
30 April 1988 South West Africa 21 – 9 Free State Windhoek  
30 April 1988 Transvaal 18 – 26 Eastern Province Johannesburg  
30 April 1988 Western Province 51 – 6 Natal Cape Town  
Bye/s: Northern Transvaal

Round two
7 May 1988 Free State 19 – 44 Transvaal Bloemfontein  
7 May 1988 Natal 32 – 12 South West Africa Durban  
7 May 1988 Northern Transvaal 6 – 24 Western Province Pretoria  
Bye/s: Eastern Province

Round three
14 May 1988 Eastern Province 51 – 19 Free State Port Elizabeth  
14 May 1988 South West Africa 15 – 34 Northern Transvaal Windhoek  
14 May 1988 Transvaal 22 – 10 Natal Johannesburg  
Bye/s: Western Province

Round four
21 May 1988 Natal 28 – 9 Eastern Province Durban  
21 May 1988 Northern Transvaal 22 – 18 Transvaal Pretoria  
21 May 1988 Western Province 21 – 24 South West Africa Cape Town  
Bye/s: Free State

Round Five
4 June 1988 Eastern Province 18 – 30 Northern Transvaal Port Elizabeth  
4 June 1988 Free State 28 – 14 Natal Bloemfontein  
4 June 1988 Transvaal 9 – 28 Western Province Johannesburg  
Bye/s: South West Africa

Round Six
11 June 1988 South West Africa 15 – 18 Transvaal Windhoek  
11 June 1988 Northern Transvaal 48 – 18 Free State Pretoria  
11 June 1988 Western Province 33 – 6 Eastern Province Cape Town  
Bye/s: Natal

Round Seven
18 June 1988 Free State 3 – 43 Western Province Bloemfontein  
18 June 1988 Natal 27 – 34 Northern Transvaal Durban  
18 June 1988 Eastern Province 13 – 31 South West Africa Port Elizabeth  
Bye/s: Transvaal

Round Eight
2 July 1988 South West Africa 26 – 24 Natal Windhoek  
2 July 1988 Transvaal 36 – 13 Free State Johannesburg  
2 July 1988 Western Province 15 – 24 Northern Transvaal Cape Town  
Bye/s: Eastern Province

Round Nine
23 July 1988 Free State 27 – 25 Eastern Province Bloemfontein  
23 July 1988 Northern Transvaal 18 – 16 South West Africa Pretoria  
23 July 1988 Natal 22 – 18 Transvaal Durban  
Bye/s: Western Province

Round Ten
6 August 1988 South West Africa 27 – 34 Western Province Windhoek  
6 August 1988 Eastern Province 22 – 20 Natal Port Elizabeth  
6 August 1988 Transvaal 10 – 21 Northern Transvaal Johannesburg  
Bye/s: Free State

Round Eleven
20 August 1988 Natal 24 – 15 Free State Durban  
20 August 1988 Northern Transvaal 49 – 9 Eastern Province Pretoria  
13 August 1988 Western Province 40 – 21 Transvaal Cape Town  
Bye/s: South West Africa

Round Twelve
27 August 1988 Eastern Province 10 – 35 Western Province Port Elizabeth  
27 August 1988 Transvaal 22 – 25 South West Africa Johannesburg  
27 August 1988 Free State 12 – 18 Northern Transvaal Bloemfontein  
Bye/s: Natal

Round Thirteen
3 September 1988 Northern Transvaal 24 – 6 Natal Pretoria  
3 September 1988 South West Africa 27 – 15 Eastern Province Windhoek  
3 September 1988 Western Province 24 – 8 Free State Cape Town  
Bye/s: Transvaal

Round Fourteen
10 September 1988 Eastern Province 12 – 17 Transvaal Port Elizabeth  
10 September 1988 Free State 29 – 15 South West Africa Bloemfontein  
10 September 1988 Natal 12 – 31 Western Province Durban  
Bye/s: Northern Transvaal

Semi-final

As champions of Division B, Northern Free State qualified to the semi-finals of the Currie Cup competition, where they met Division A runners-up Western Province.

17 September 1988 Northern Free State 9 – 26 Western Province North West Stadium, Welkom  
Report[1]

Final
1 October 1988 Northern Transvaal 19 – 18 Western Province Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria  
Report[2]

Relegation play-offs

In the relegation play-offs, Northern Free State beat Free State on aggregate and won promotion to Division A. Free State were initially relegated, but Division A was expanded to 8 teams and they retained their place.[3]

24 September 1988 Free State 14 – 40 Northern Free State Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein  
Report[4]
8 October 1988 Northern Free State v Free State North West Stadium, Welkom  
Report

See also

References
  1. "WP lyk reg vir eindstryd". Die Burger (in Afrikaans). 19 September 1988. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  2. "Verspeelde strafskop keerpunt in stryd". Die Burger (in Afrikaans). 3 October 1988. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  3. "Rugbyraad besluit oor Craven-gesprek Ja vir integrasie, nee vir die ANC". Die Burger (in Afrikaans). 12 November 1988. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  4. "Noord-Vrystaat wen met puik spanwerk". Die Burger (in Afrikaans). 26 September 1988. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
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