The 2019 Currie Cup campaign is a shorter campaign this year owing to the Rugby World Cup, and teams around South Africa have very little time to find the front foot. 

The Tafel Lager Griquas will be looking to build on their form in the Supersport Rugby Challenge. The Kimberley-based outfit won the Rugby Challenge after beating the Pumas, who, until that game had not lost a match. 

The Griquas travel to Durban to take the Sharks in the first game of this year's Currie Cup campaign. The Sharks welcome the arrival of their new coach, Sean Everitt, who comes in to replace Robert du Preez. Everitt also brings with him a new captaining structure which will see Tera Mthembu and Jeremy Ward take over the captaincy reigns from Louis Schroeder who will be out for the first part of the Currie Cup as he recovers from a broken toe. 

Moving more central into the country, the Bulls have named Burger Odendaal as their head man going into this year's Currie Cup. The centre struggled with injuries throughout the Super Rugby campaign but has since recovered to take the lead for the Pretoria-based side. Odendaal's first task will come in the form of leading his team out against Western Province in Cape Town on Saturday.

The Lions start this year's campaign on the back foot. The Johannesburg-based unit starts the season by bidding farewell to ten players, as they look to build a new era of Lions rugby. Springboks Ruan Combrinck and Lionel Mapoe will move to Heyneke Meyer’s Stade Francais club in Paris, while another Bok Robbie Coetzee and prop Danie Mienie are finishing their contracts, with no word currently where they will end up next. Elton Jantjies continues negotiations with the franchise, and the news is yet to surface with regards to his future. Franco Naude was on loan from the Bulls and returns to bolster them after they lost Jesse Kriel to Japan while Harold Vorster, Sylvian Mahuza and Robert Kruger have all taken up contracts in Japan. Nic Groom has joined Edinburgh from next season while Stephan Lewies has been signed by Harlequins in England.

The Cheetahs will pin their leadership sticker on Tiaan Meyer who continues a job he had alongside Shaun Venter, who now moves to Wales. 

The 2019 Currie Cup will kick off on Friday at 19:15, with the Sharks hosting the Tafel Lager Griquas at Jonsson Kings Park in Durban

@Samludidi - OFM Sport