Format
The current Currie Cup format sees the competition split into two divisions. Eight teams are in the Premier Division, and contest for the Currie Cup trophy. The other six teams are in the Currie Cup First Division, and play for the chance to be promoted to the Premier Division. The format has changed many times over the years, but this format is due to remain in place until 2011 at least.
The qualifying rounds are contested in a double round-robin format, with each team playing all the others home and away. This makes 14 games in the Premier division and 10 in the First Division. Teams are awarded four points for a win, two for a draw, and zero for a loss. Single bonus points are awarded to teams by two possible outcomes; scoring four tries in a match, or losing a match by seven points or less. Thus, the winner of a match can receive four or five points, whereas a loser can receive up to two points for a loss depending on whether they gain any bonus points.
At the close of the round-robin phase, the top four teams in each division, based on points totals, advance to the knock-out stages. The bottom two teams are forced into promotion/relegation play-offs. The semi-finals are hosted by the teams finishing first and second on the log, and they play the third and fourth placed teams respectively. The final is held at the home ground of the highest ranked semi-final winner. The winner of the Premier Division final wins the Currie Cup trophy.
The first division semi-finals and finals work in the same way, with the winning team receiving a different trophy. The top two teams from the round robin log, irrespective of semi-final performance, take part in the promotion/relegation play-offs. These are two-legged matches, played with the same points system as the regular season. The top ranked First Division team plays the last placed Premier Division team and the second placed First Division team plays the second last placed Premier Division team. The winners of each promotion/relegation series play in the following seasons Premier Division, while the losers play in the First Division.
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