Gold Cup Rugby

‼️‼️ Naka Bulls Rugby Club REIGNS SUPREME YET AGAIN

🏈🏈 What more is there to say about this championship side. Naka Bulls made it a hat-trick of wins in the Pick n Pay Gold Cup on Saturday, adding to their hat-trick of Carlron Cup titles they completed in August. They demolished Villager FC at home at Brookeside infront of a rowdy partisan crowd. Naka was unfazed, untroubled and seemingly unaware they are that they are playing the Western Cape champions as they completely outplayed a gallant but ultimately untested Villager side.

The Pretoria faithful back home must have been shocked when the first scrum of the match resulted in a penalty for Villager. But that was about the only real fright they got as Naka just went from strength to strength and won 3 penalties from the next 3 scrums. They absorbed the pressure like only a championship side can. And when it was Villager's turn to absorb that pressure they simply could not stay with Naka. Villager has a massive pack of forwards and they definitely pitched for the first 20minutes, but eventually ran out of steam, like most teams do against Naka. Naka let in a few soft tries towards the end that made the scoreboard look more competitive but there was really only ever one team in that title race.

In the end Naka did what they do best, and that is suffocate teams until they eventually give in. This current Naka Bulls team will go down as one of the greatest club rugby teams to ever take the field in South Africa. The scary part is they could still be doing this for the next 5 to 10 years to come.

Thank you to every single player, administrator, coach, manager, sponsor and to you guys the fans for making this season extra special and delivering on the expectations of the competition.

▶️▶️ Our team of the tournament: Naka Bulls
▶️▶️ Player of the tournament: Marco van Baalen (Naka Bulls)

‼️‼️ Pnp Gold Cup Finals loading

Naka Gold Cup Squad will travel to Cape Town to defend their Status as Gold Cup Champs. Let's make History......!!!!!

‼️‼️ PnP Gold Cup South Semi-Final

Halftime score
Villager FC 22 - 11 College Rovers

‼️‼️ Gold Cup Semi-Finals Preview:

Villager FC vs College Rovers (South)

Villager came into the Gold Cup as the champions of the Western Province A league. A huge achievement in itself. But it's been the manner in which they've gone about their business that's impressed most. Hammering Swallows and then knocking over Hamilton SP RFC for the 4th time this season was no mean feat. They would have been wary of some lapses in concentration that led to them narrowly defeating Gardens a week ago by 5 points in a game they were well in control of but was never really allowed to run away with. College Rovers on the other hand has been efficiently going about their business with not much noise but getting the job done. They narrowly scraped past Robertson after the latter had a tough game the day before in the Sanlam Boland Top 12 (a situation that should have never happened). Who knows what would have happened had Robertson not taken the field the day before. Both sides are very experienced with Villager perhaps edging Rovers in the X-factor department. Where Rovers has the older, cooler heads Villager has the younger hungrier team perhaps. Rovers has been close to winning the title in the post-Covid era, having made the final against eventual winners Naka Bulls Rugby Club in 2023 and losing out to the Rhinos in the semis in 2024 in a close battle. Villager has come out nowhere this season and dominated everyone up until now. Expect nothing less than a battle of wits and big hits. Rovers will keep cool heads but can they outlast villager is the question on everyones's lips.

Our prediction: Villager to edge it by less than 7

Northam Rhinos vs Naka Bulls (North)

A battle of epic proportions awaits us all in Limpopo. Rhinos and Naka knows each other all too well to expect nothing less than 100% effort from the other. This is the final everyone expected. It's a repeat of last season's Carlton Cup final, a repeat of last season's Gold Cup final, a repeat of the 2025 Castle Super League final and we can go on and on. These 2 teams have set the bar in club rugby the last 5 years. Two absolute giants. Naka and Rhinos have played in 6 finals the last 5 years with Naka winning 5 and Rhinos claiming a sole win in the 2025 Castle Super League. That win might just be the cataclyst for Rhinos to turn things around. Rhinos has a huge following on social media and according to their supporters they already have the Gold Cup locked in their cabinet. Rhinos arguably has the biggest pack of forwards ever seen in club rugby but Naka has negated that threat over the years by relying on experience and good old fashioned stamina and technique. The backs are pretty evenly matched in terms of pace and can easily score from anywhere on the field. Mistakes will have to be limited. Chances will have to be taken 8 times out of 10 at least. Conversions will have to be at a bare miminum of 90%. Cool heads will be the order of the day. Naka is too experienced and they've been in these big games all too often to realise having 1 player lose his head might cost them, same can be said of the Rhinos. The 2 captains are some of the most decorated players in club rugby ever in South Africa. Rhinos lost coach Bevin Fortuin not too long ago and that pain will still be lingering with them and might just give them the edge over the Bulls. Expect nothing less than brutal hits, a breakdown you must be brave to enter, every little mistake feeling like the end of the world, every margin won or lost to have an impact, every chirp to be personal. This is what club rugby is all about. Rhinos has every reason to be confident (playing at home) but Naka has set the standards in this new era of club rugby. We can not wait !

Our prediction: Naka to edge it by less than 3

‼️‼ PNP Gold Cup

Semi-Final Fixtures

Villager FC vs College Rovers
🏁Saturday 18 October 2025
©️Brookeside, Claremont
▶️14h30

Northam Rhinos vs Naka Bulls Rugby Club
🏁Saturday 18 October 2025
©️Bushveld Park, Setaria
▶️17h00

🇿🇦 Both games live on SuperSport

⛔Preview dropping tomorrow

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🏈🏈 Pick n Pay Gold Cup Round of 16 review:

# Naka Bulls Rugby Club, Northam Rhinos expected to win

This Saturday we head into the Round of 16 clashes with 8 mouth-watering spectacles taking place all over the country.

7 unions will be represented by their best clubs, with the Blue Bulls having 3, Limpopo 2, Leopards 1, Western Province 2, Eastern Province 2, Boland 2, Sharks 2, Golden Lions 1 and Valke 1.

Clash of the round has to be between the two oldest clubs in the country, Villager RFC and Hamilton SP RFC . This is a repeat of the Western Province Super League A final that Villager won, having also beaten their rivals twice in the league phase. Villager must go in as favourites but Hamiltons is a proud club with fantastic players and a rich history, which includes the Saldanha Top 8 just a few months ago. A clash for the ages awaits us all.

In other noticeable fixtures, the current champs, Naka Bulls Rugby Club, should be too strong for Louis Trichardt Rugby Klub/Club, Northam Rhinos locks horns with Centurion Rugby Klub, which should be a closer affair, but expect the Rhinos to run away with it at the end. College Rovers should have one up on their local rivals Northwood Crusaders, while a massive clash and a huge crowd awaits the players from Worcester Villagers and Robertson, expect fireworks in this impossible-to-call clash. Meanwhile down in the Eastern Cape, expect thousands to flock down to Gardens to witness them take on Kruisfontein in a huge high-stakes Eastern Cape derby.

Round of 16 Fixtures:

Naka Bulls vs Louis Trichardt
Northam Wolves Rugby Club vs Raiders
Northam Rhinos vs Centurion
Pretoria Harlequins Rugby Club vs Vereeniging
College Rovers vs Northwood Crusaders
Robertson vs Worcester Villagers
Villager vs Hamiltons
Gardens vs Kruisfontein

✔️✔️

# Defending champions make a statement, Rhinos put up a century

Some results from the round of 32, we will keep you updated as we get more final scores in:

Naka Bulls Rugby Club 66 - 8 Safcol
Witrivier Rugby Club 18 - 20 Centurion Rugby Klub
Grootbrakrivier Rugby Club 23 - 33 Gardens
Sishen 32 - 39 Worcester Villagers
Northam Wolves Rugby Club 48 - 8 Sibanye
Villager RFC 99 - 10 Swallows
Harlequins 64 - 31 Nelspruit Rugby Club
Northam Rhinos 101 - 11 Rovers
Welkom Rugby Club 18 - 20 Louis Trichardt Rugby Klub/Club
Raiders 38 - 31 Brakpan
Bloemfontein Police 21 - 26 Northwood Crusaders
Robertson 62 - 7 Kimberley
East London Police 30- 36 Hamilton SP RFC
Kruisfontein 33 -Helderberg 33
Vereeniging 39 - 37 Pirates

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A huge shoutout to GSN Global Sports Network for bringing us the following games to enjoy at home ✔️✔️

‼️‼️Red notice

1 day left to the kickoff of the biggest club rugby competition in the country.

There will be no 2nd chances, lose and you go home, win and you get to fight another day.

Calling yourself the best in the country is a massive honour and one that comes from being consistent and keeping your eye on the prize infront of you.

Goodluck to all the teams participating, do yourselves and your communities proud.

⛔⛔ Unfortunately no word yet on any games being streamed or broadcast, which is very dissapointing but we will keep you updated as the results come in.

Here are some of the team announcements for tomorrow.