A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| 2015 Vodacom Cup | |
|---|---|
| Countries | South Africa Namibia |
| Date | 6 March – 30 May 2015 |
| Champions | Pumas (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Western Province |
| Matches played | 63 |
| Tries scored | 430 (average 6.8 per match) |
| Top point scorer | JC Roos (118) |
| Top try scorer | Alshaun Bock (8) |
The 2015 Vodacom Cup was contested from 6 March to 30 May 2015. The tournament was the 18th edition of the Vodacom Cup, an annual domestic South African rugby union competition, and was played between the fourteen provincial teams in South Africa, as well as the Limpopo Blue Bulls and Namibian side Welwitschias.
The tournament was won by the Pumas for the first time; they beat Western Province 24–7 in the final played on 30 May 2015.
Competition rules and information
Sixteen teams participated in the 2015 Vodacom Cup competition. These teams were geographically divided into two sections, with eight teams in each of the Northern and Southern Sections. Teams played all the teams in their section once over the course of the season, either at home or away. At the request of the Namibia Rugby Union, all the Welwitschias' matches were played in Windhoek.[1]
Teams received four log points for a win and two points for a draw. Bonus log points were awarded to teams that scored four or more tries in a game, as well as to teams that lost a match by seven points or less. Teams were ranked by log points, then points difference (points scored less points conceded).
The top four teams in each section qualified for the title play-offs. In the quarter-finals, the teams that finished first in each section had home advantage against the teams that finished fourth in the other section and the teams that finished second in each section had home advantage against the teams that finished third in the other section. The winners of these quarter finals then played each other in the semi-finals, with the higher-placed team having home advantage. The two semi-final winners then met in the final.[2]
Quotas
This competition saw the retention of the quota system used in 2014. Each match-day squad had to contain seven black players. Two of these had to be forwards and five of these had to be in the starting line-up.[3]
Teams
Changes from 2014
In September 2014, the Namibia Rugby Union revealed that they were in talks with the South African Rugby Union to enter the competition for the first time since 2011.[4] Namibia's participation was confirmed on 19 November 2014[5] and it was later revealed that their new sponsor, First National Bank, agreed to a three-year sponsorship deal which should ensure their participation in the competition until 2017.[6]
In addition, the Kenya Rugby Football Union also initially indicated that they intended to once again enter a team in the competition.[7] However, after being included in the fixture list for the competition, the Kenyan RFU withdrew from the competition a month before its scheduled start date due to financial considerations.[8] As a result, Griquas moved to the Southern Section of the competition, inheriting the Simba XV's fixtures.
Team Listing
The following teams took part in the 2015 Vodacom Cup competition:
| 2015 Vodacom Cup teams | |||
| Team | Sponsored Name | Stadium/s | Sponsored Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Section teams | |||
| Blue Bulls | Vodacom Blue Bulls | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | Loftus Versfeld |
| Falcons | Hino Falcons | Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park | Barnard Stadium |
| Golden Lions | Emirates Airline Golden Lions | Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg | Emirates Airline Park |
| Griffons | Down Touch Griffons | North West Stadium, Welkom | HT Pelatona Projects Stadium |
| Leopards XV | Leopards XV | Olën Park, Potchefstroom | Profert Olën Park |
| Limpopo Blue Bulls | Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls | Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane | Peter Mokaba Stadium |
| Pumas | Steval Pumas | Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela | Mbombela Stadium |
| Welwitschias | FNB Welwitschias | Hage Geingob Stadium, Windhoek | Hage Geingob Stadium |
| Southern Section teams | |||
| Boland Cavaliers | Regent Boland Cavaliers | Boland Stadium, Wellington | Boland Stadium |
| Border Bulldogs | Border Bulldogs | Buffalo City Stadium, East London | Buffalo City Stadium |
| Eastern Province Kings | Eastern Province Kings | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium |
| Free State XV | Toyota Free State XV | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein | Free State Stadium |
| Griquas | GWK Griquas | Griqua Park, Kimberley | GWK Park |
| Sharks XV | Cell C Sharks XV | Kings Park Stadium, Durban | Growthpoint Kings Park |
| SWD Eagles | SWD Eagles | Outeniqua Park, George | Outeniqua Park |
| Western Province | DHL Western Province | Newlands Stadium, Cape Town | DHL Newlands |
Logs
The top four teams in each section will qualify to the quarter-finals, with their final log positions determining their seedings in the quarter finals. In the quarter finals, the teams that finish first in each section will have home advantage against the teams that finish fourth in the other section and the teams that finish second in each section will have home advantage against the teams that finish third in the other section. The winners of these quarter finals will then play each other in the semi-finals, with the higher-placed team having home advantage. The two semi-final winners will then meet in the final.[2]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden Lions | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 279 | 108 | +171 | 38 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 33 | Qualified for quarter-finals |
| 2 | Blue Bulls | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 282 | 114 | +168 | 40 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 29 | |
| 3 | Pumas | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 263 | 114 | +149 | 32 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 24 | |
| 4 | Leopards XV | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 208 | 217 | −9 | 28 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 20 | |
| 5 | Falcons | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 213 | 200 | +13 | 31 | 26 | 5 | 2 | 19 | |
| 6 | Griffons | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 160 | 286 | −126 | 23 | 40 | 3 | 0 | 11 | |
| 7 |  Welwitschias
|
7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 94 | 285 | −191 | 13 | 41 | 2 | 1 | 7 | |
| 8 | Limpopo Blue Bulls | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 115 | 290 | −175 | 12 | 43 | 1 | 1 | 2 |