- Source: 2006 Currie Cup Premier Division
The 2006 ABSA Currie Cup season was contested from June through to October. The Currie Cup is an annual domestic competition for rugby union clubs in South Africa. The tournament was controversial before it even began, with the Southern Spears saga regarding entry into the Super 14 and Currie Cup continuing.
The final was drawn between the Free State Cheetahs and the Blue Bulls 28-all at Vodacom Park. It was the first drawn final since the 1989 season. The 2006 final was the third Free State/Blue Bulls final in succession.
Competition
= Changes from previous season
=The structure of the competition changed for 2006. In 2005, all fourteen provincial teams played in the qualifying rounds of the Currie Cup, with the top eight teams going through to the Premier Division competition and the bottom six teams going through to the First Division tournament.
For 2006, it was decided to reduce the number of teams to just eight. The five provincial teams directly affiliated to the Super 14 franchises - the Blue Bulls, Free State Cheetahs, Golden Lions, Sharks and Western Province, called "entrenched" teams – got automatic qualification to the Currie Cup Premier Division for five seasons, from 2006 until 2010.
The two best non-entrenched teams in the 2006 Vodacom Cup competition would also participate in the Premier Division. The Falcons won the Vodacom Cup competition and the Pumas finished fifth to secure their places in the Premier Division.
In addition, the South Eastern Cape would be named as an entrenched team for 2006 only, as preparation for the Southern Spears' entry into the 2007 Super 14 season. However, the Southern Spears were later denied entry into the Super 14 competition and the South Eastern Cape's spot were given to Griquas instead.
= Format
=All eight teams played a double round robin, meaning every team played fourteen matches in total.
Teams received four points for a win and two points for a draw. Bonus points were awarded to teams that scored 4 or more tries in a game, as well as to teams that lost a match by 7 points or less. Teams were ranked by points, then points difference (points scored less points conceded).
The top four teams qualified to the semi-finals.
= Teams
=Fixtures and results
= Round 1
=Friday 23 June Pumas 18-25 Western Province Witbank
Saturday 24 June Cheetahs 55-14 Griquas Bloemfontein
= Round 2
=Friday 30 June Falcons 9-66 Cheetahs Brakpan
Saturday 1 July Western Province 25-28 Sharks Cape Town
Saturday 1 July Golden Lions 24-39 Blue Bulls Johannesburg
= Round 3
=Friday 7 July Sharks 34-16 Pumas Durban
Saturday 8 July Cheetahs 59-5 Golden Lions Bloemfontein
Saturday 8 July Falcons 23-8 Griquas Brakpan
Saturday 8 July Blue Bulls 10-15 Western Province Pretoria
= Round 4
=Friday 14 July Lions 32-19 Falcons Johannesburg
Saturday 15 July Griquas 23-22 Sharks Kimberley
Saturday 15 July Pumas 17-48 Blue Bulls Witbank
Saturday 15 July Western Province 20-13 Cheetahs Cape Town
= Round 5
=Friday 21 July Falcons 31-40 Western Province Brakpan
Friday 21 July Blue Bulls 28-37 Sharks Pretoria
Saturday 22 July Griquas 27-23 Golden Lions Kimberley
Saturday 22 July Cheetahs 42-27 Pumas Bloemfontein
= Round 6
=Friday 28 July Pumas 8-36 Falcons Witbank
Saturday 29 July Blue Bulls 39-20 Griquas Pretoria
Saturday 29 July Western Province 30-28 Golden Lions Cape Town
Saturday 29 July Sharks 19-31 Cheetahs Durban
= Round 7
=Friday 4 August Falcons 17-46 Sharks Brakpan
Saturday 5 August Griquas 23-27 Western Province Kimberley
Saturday 5 August Cheetahs 12-24 Blue Bulls Bloemfontein
Saturday 5 August Golden Lions 74-15 Pumas Johannesburg
Saturday 12 August Blue Bulls 17-19 Golden Lions Pretoria
= Round 8
=Friday 18 August Falcons 13-27 Blue Bulls Brakpan
Saturday 19 August Griquas 20-31 Cheetahs Kimberley
Saturday 19 August Golden Lions 22-21 Sharks Johannesburg
Saturday 19 August Western Province 43-10 Pumas Cape Town
= Round 9
=Saturday 25 August Sharks 16-6 Western Province Durban
Saturday 25 August Pumas 27-60 Griquas Witbank
Sunday 26 August Cheetahs 78-8 Falcons Bloemfontein
= Round 10
=Friday 1 September Pumas 14-82 Sharks Witbank
Saturday 2 September Griquas 36-27 Falcons Kimberley
= Round 11
=Friday 8 September Blue Bulls 66-3 Pumas Pretoria
Friday 8 September Cheetahs 28-13 Western Province Bloemfontein
Friday 8 September Sharks 60-8 Griquas Durban
Friday 8 September Falcons 17-32 Golden Lions Brakpan
= Round 12
=Friday 15 September Western Province 68-12 Falcons Cape Town
Saturday 16 September Pumas 12-68 Cheetahs Witbank
Saturday 16 September Golden Lions 66-13 Griquas Ellis Park
Saturday 16 September Sharks 32-50 Blue Bulls Durban
= Round 13
== Round 14
=Friday 29 September Pumas 10-89 Golden Lions Witbank
Saturday 30 September Western Province 55-17 Griquas Cape Town
Saturday 30 September Sharks 48-10 Falcons Durban
Saturday 30 September Blue Bulls 41-31 Cheetahs Pretoria
Standings
= Points Breakdown
=Four points for a win
Two points for a draw
One bonus point for a loss by seven points or less
One bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match
= Table Notes
=P = Played, W = Won, D = Drew, L = Lost, PF = Points Scored (Points For), PA = Points Conceded (Points Against), PD = Points Difference (Points For minus Points Against), TF = Tries Scored, TA = Tries Conceded, BP = Bonus points, Pts = Total Points
Semi-finals
Final
At the end of regular time the scores were level at 25-25 and the match went into extra-time for the first time in the Currie Cup's 127-year history. [1] After 20 minutes of extra-time, the game was still tied, each team having managed to score no more than a penalty goal. In the absence of a tie-breaker, the match was drawn — the first time since 1989 that a final had been drawn — and, with no clear winner, the cup was shared by the two teams.
Statistics
= Top point scorers
== Top try scorers
=References
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- 2006 Currie Cup Premier Division
- 2023 Currie Cup First Division
- 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division
- 2007 Currie Cup Premier Division
- Currie Cup
- Pumas (Currie Cup)
- Sharks (Currie Cup)
- 2008 Currie Cup First Division
- François Steyn
- 2005 Currie Cup
