The Currie Cup is back this weekend for Round two of the 2026 competition, with all eight provincial sides in action across three days of top-quality South African rugby. We take a look at the 4 fixtures and offer up a bet in each game.
There are four fixtures to unpack across Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and plenty of value to be found across the markets.
FRIDAY
Cheetahs v Sharks XV — Click here to bet
The Cheetahs kicked off their campaign with a solid win against the Lions last weekend at home. It was a tight contest, but they pulled away late to seal a 29-27 win.
The Sharks XV come into this week off the back of a brilliant win in Round one, beating the Pumas 26-24 away from home. They will be delighted with that after a poor showing in the competition last year.
Head-to-Head
The H2H has been tight between the two sides in the Currie Cup over recent years, however, the Sharks take the edge, winning three of the last five encounters. The last time the two sides met in Bloemfontein, the Sharks won the match 25-20.
Betting and Verdict
The Cheetahs are at 1.63, The Sharks at 2.50 and the draw at 26.00.
The handicap is Cheetahs -4.5.
Both sides are coming off the back of wins in Round one, but we think the Sharks XV result was the more impressive of the two, coming away from home against a fancied Pumas side. The Cheetahs will enjoy home comforts, but the Sharks XV showed real fight in Round one and we back them to cause another upset this weekend.
Suggested Bet: Sharks win at 2.50.
SATURDAY
Lions v Pumas — Click here to bet
The Lions had a tough opening round, playing the Cheetahs away from home. They put on a solid performance but fell short, losing the match 29-27 in Bloemfontein.
The Pumas hosted the Sharks XV in Round one where they started -6.5, but they also suffered a narrow loss, with the match ending 24-26.
Head-to-Head
The Lions have had the upper hand against the Pumas in recent times, winning their last four against the team from Nelspruit. The last time the sides met, the Lions won 36-35 away from home, while the last fixture in Johannesburg saw them run out 55-12 winners.
Betting and Verdict
The Lions are at 1.50 with the Pumas at 2.70 and the draw at 26.00.
The handicap is Lions -5.5.
Both sides will be looking for their first win of the tournament, but it looks a tall ask for the Pumas heading to Johannesburg. The Lions looked solid in defeat last week, and with home advantage, the recent H2H edge, and the depth of their squad to draw on, we think they should be able to cover the handicap comfortably this weekend.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Lions [-5.5] at 1.85.
Griquas v Bulls — Click here to bet
The Griquas had a tough start last weekend as they travelled to Cape Town to take on the Stormers XXIII. The match was a close contest, but they ended up losing 25-19.
The Bulls also had a difficult start, travelling down to Boland to take on the Boland Cavaliers. Their match saw them suffer the largest losing margin of Round one as they went down 24-10 in wet conditions.
Head-to-Head
The H2H reads 3-2 in favour of the Bulls, however, the Griquas did win the most recent encounter 42-21, in Pretoria.
Betting and Verdict
The bookies have the Griquas at 1.29 while the Bulls are at 4.25 for the win and the draw is 26.00.
The handicap is Griquas at -8.5.
Both sides had a tough start to their campaign and will be looking to bounce back. The Bulls have had the upper hand against the Griquas in recent times, however in the last five meetings between the sides the winning team has easily covered a -8.5 point handicap, and we do think the Griquas can take advantage of home comforts to run out winners here.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Griquas [-8.5] at 1.93.
Bomb Squad Insurance
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Qualifying Markets:
- Anytime Try Scorer.
- First Try Scorer.
- Last Try Scorer.
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Simply email promotions@wsb.co.za with Subject ‘Bomb Squad’ within 24 hours of the game finishing.
SUNDAY
Boland v Stormers XXIII — Click here to bet
A Western Cape derby with both teams coming off the back of a win.
Boland’s opening round saw them deliver a strong performance against the Bulls at home, with the match ending 24-10, while the Stormers XXIII’s opening round saw them beat the Griquas 25-19, also at home and having started +5.5 with the bookies.
Head-to-Head
The Stormers have had the upper hand in the H2H winning the most recent, 40-22, as well as three of the last five. Boland have only been able to win one while the other ended in a draw, this was the last time the two sides met in Boland.
Betting and Verdict
Boland are favourites to win at 1.54 while the Stormers XXIII are at 2.75. The draw is at 23.00 while the handicap is Boland -4.5.
Last year we saw Boland go on a brilliant run at home in the pool stages, winning all of their home games and pushing all the way through, and we think we could see something similar this weekend. Coming off the back of a big statement win over the Bulls, they will fancy their chances of stringing another home performance together, and the -4.5 handicap looks well within their reach against a Stormers XXIII side that were far from convincing in round one.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Boland [-4.5] at 1.95
Click here for betting on all the weekend’s Currie Cup matches
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
