Rugby
From underdogs to champions – Griquas defy all odds─── MORGAN PIEK 08:28 Mon, 22 Sep 2025
The coach of the newly crowned Currie Cup champions, Pieter Bergh, has praised his team after they won the world’s oldest domestic competition for the first time in 55 years with a nail-biting 27-25 victory over the Lions at Ellis Park.
The Lions and their supporters thought the Sir Donald Currie trophy was theirs, but late drama and a decisive TMO call handed Griquas a crucial penalty in the dying moments of the match in Johannesburg. Veteran flyhalf George Whitehead slotted the clutch penalty with ice-cool composure to seal a famous win. This was an emotional moment for Whitehead as well, because it happened on his late father’s birthday.
The team from Kimberley defied all expectations. At the start of the season, they were written off as non-contenders. Yet not only did they put themselves in the running, they went on to beat a Lions side stacked with Springboks and United Rugby Championship stars, lifting the Currie Cup for the first time since 1970.
What makes it even more remarkable is that, as things stand, the defending champions will still have to qualify for next year’s Currie Cup.
Of the top four teams in this season’s Currie Cup, three came through qualification via the SA Cup semi-finals – while three of the automatic qualifiers ended up in the bottom three. SA Rugby will need to address this going forward, as many will feel this is an injustice if it remains this way.
Speaking after the historic triumph on the Highveld, an emotional and relieved Bergh said the victory was built on mindset and self-belief against opponents who looked stronger on paper.
“It’s incredible – I’ve been emotional since the final whistle,” said Bergh.
“On Monday, I walked into the team room and said: ‘If I hear the words URC this week, it’s a R500 fine.’ We weren’t playing a URC team; we were playing the Lions. They had 23 players; we had 23 players – that was our mindset going into the game.
“This is a proper Currie Cup win, no asterisk needed. For a long time, we’ve said there’s space for the smaller unions in South African rugby. Hopefully, this proves we can compete with a budget that’s maybe 20% of the Lions’.
Gurswin Wehr. Photo: Morgan Piek
“We came here and beat a full-strength Lions side with Springboks brought in for the final. I’m incredibly proud. Hopefully it opens doors for smaller unions and shows we can compete. But we need to find ways – whether through SuperSport or SA Rugby – to ensure we play more competitive rugby.
“We’re now off until March – we don’t play a single game until then. This shows there’s room for more teams to be in bigger competitions.”
Bergh added that in an ideal world, his side would have the chance to test themselves against top international opposition.
Dylan Maart and the 2025 champions. Photo: Morgan Piek
“I don’t know exactly what the solution is, but we need an international competition,” he said.
“The SA Cup gives us more games, but it doesn’t bring in extra revenue or bigger sponsors. An international tournament would mean more broadcast money, more sponsorships, more opportunities to grow.
“Hopefully this win can be a catalyst for that. Griquas have shown what’s possible – now it’s time to look deeper and find those competitions.”
For now, the Peacock Blues will savour a well-earned break before focusing on 2026. Encouragingly, they will only lose two players from the current squad: scrumhalf Thomas Bursey is heading to the Pumas, while prop Leon Lyons returns to the Stormers.
Meanwhile, victorious captain Cebo Dlamini and scrumhalf Caleb Abrahams will join the Sharks and Stormers respectively on loan deals for the United Rugby Championship.
