2016 Currie Cup Premier Division
The Currie Cup in 2012
Countries	South Africa
Date	5 August – 22 October 2016
Champions	Free State Cheetahs (5th title)
Runners-up	Blue Bulls
Relegated	Boland Cavaliers Eastern Province Kings
Matches played	39
Tries scored	321 (average 8.2 per match)
Top point scorer	Tian Schoeman (146)
Top try scorer	Frank Herne, Huw Jones, Howard Mnisi, Kwagga Smith and Jamba Ulengo (7)
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The2016 Currie Cup Premier Division was the top tier of the second stage of the 2016Currie Cup, the 78th edition of this annual South African rugby union competition organised by theSouth African Rugby Union. It was played between 5 August and 22 October 2016 and featured nine teams that qualified through the2016 Currie Cup qualification competition.

The competition was won by theFree State Cheetahs for the fifth time in their history; they beat theBlue Bulls 36–16 in the final played on 22 October 2016.

The competition was reduced to seven teams for2017, resulting in theBoland Cavaliers andEastern Province Kings being relegated to the2017 Currie Cup First Division.

There are nine participating teams in the 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division.

The six franchise teams automatically qualified for the 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division, and were joined by the three highest-placed non-franchise teams from the2016 Currie Cup qualification stage. Points will not be carried over to the Premier Division.

The nine teams that qualified for the Premier Division will play against each other over the course of the competition, either at home or away. Teams will receive four points for a win and two points for a draw. Bonus points will be awarded to teams that score four or more tries in a game, as well as to teams that lose a match by seven points or less. Teams will be ranked by log points, then points difference (points scored less points conceded).

The top four teams will qualify for the semifinals, which will be followed by a final.^[1]

In March 2017, theSouth African Rugby Union decided to reduce the competition to seven teams for2017 Currie Cup Premier Division. The seven teams with the best record over the past five years were selected to remain in the Premier Division, which resulted in theBoland Cavaliers andEastern Province Kings being relegated to the2017 Currie Cup First Division.^[2]

The teams that qualified for the 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division are:^[1]

Blue Bulls

Boland Cavaliers

Eastern Province Kings

Free State Cheetahs

Golden Lions

Griquas

Pumas

Sharks

Western Province

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Location of teams in the2016 Currie Cup Premier Division

The final log for the 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division was:^{[3][note 1]}

The table below shows a team's progression throughout the season. For each round, each team's cumulative points total is shown with the overall log position in brackets.

The following matches were played in the 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division:^[7][8]

The 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division got off to a turbulent start after theLions reached the2016 Super Rugby final and requested that theGolden Lions be given a bye in Round One of the competition. In addition, theEastern Province Kings were liquidated the day before the competition was due to kick off. They were reformed with the help of their local municipal council, but with no coaches or players in place, their Round One match againstGriquas was also postponed.^[a] On the field, the action got underway inPretoria, where theBlue Bulls beat2015 losing finalistsWestern Province 45–26. They scored six tries, withTian Schoeman kicking 15 points, while Western Province responded with four tries, all in the final twenty minutes of the match. In the other match played on the Friday evening, theSharks beat thePumas 33–10 inNelspruit, outscoring the hosts by five tries to one. The biggest victory of the weekend came in the Saturday match, with theFree State Cheetahs beatingBoland Cavaliers 44–16 inWellington, also scoring five tries to one to go top of the log.Fred Zeilinga scored nineteen points in that match, the most by any player in Round One.^[9]

	5 August 2016	Blue Bulls	45–26	Western Province	Loftus Versfeld,Pretoria
	17:10	Try:Piet van Zyl 18' Jason Jenkins 32' Marvin Orie 34' Jade Stighling 47' Jamba Ulengo 54' Bjorn Basson 79' Con:Tian Schoeman 20',33',36',48',55',80' (6/6) Pen:Tian Schoeman 7' (1/1)	Report[10] Scoreboard[11]	Try:Johnny Kôtze 61' Leolin Zas 70' Huw Jones 71' Scott van Breda 77' Con:Brandon Thomson 62',71',77' (3/4) Pen:Robert du Preez (0/1) Drop:Brandon Thomson (0/1)	Attendance: 3,498 Referee:Stuart Berry

	5 August 2016	Pumas	10–33	Sharks	Mbombela Stadium,Mbombela
	19:20	Try:Frank Herne 27' Con:Francois Brummer 28' (1/1) Pen:Francois Brummer 4' (1/1)	Report[12] Scoreboard[13]	Try:Franco Marais 13' Odwa Ndungane 18' S'bura Sithole 50' Ruan Botha 66' André Esterhuizen 72' Con:Curwin Bosch 14',19',51',73' (4/5) Pen:Curwin Bosch (0/1)	Attendance: 2,890 Referee:Pro Legoete

	6 August 2016	Boland Cavaliers	16–44	Free State Cheetahs	Boland Stadium,Wellington
	15:00	Try:Danwel Demas 68' Con:Nico Scheepers 69' (1/1) Pen:Nico Scheepers 19',26',40' (3/3)	Report[14] Scoreboard[15]	Try:Sergeal Petersen 9' Raymond Rhule 47' William Small-Smith 50' Shaun Venter 55' Francois Venter 78' Con:Fred Zeilinga 10',48',51',56',79' (5/5) Pen:Fred Zeilinga 5',44',53' (3/4)	Attendance: 1,250 Referee: Rodney Boneparte

TheFree State Cheetahs retained their spot at the top of the Currie Cup after outscoring theBlue Bulls by six tries to two in a 43–20 victory in their match in Bloemfontein, while theSharks kept pace with them by also securing a bonus-point victory in their match againstGriquas, scoring six tries in a 46–24 victory inDurban. TheGolden Lions started their title defense in style, with lockLourens Erasmus scoring a try just 8.5 seconds into their match against thePumas, a newCurrie Cup record for the fastest-ever try. The Golden Lions won the match 68–26 to move into third position on the log, scoring ten tries in the process, of which wingerAnthony Volmink scored two. In the other match of the weekend, theBoland Cavaliers secured their first win of the season, winning 28–10 in their first match against theEastern Province Kings in the Currie Cup Premier Division since1999.^[16]

	12 August 2016	Eastern Province Kings	10–28	Boland Cavaliers	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium,Port Elizabeth
	17:00	Try:Johann Tromp 74' Con:Lungelo Gosa 75' (1/1) Pen:Kobus Marais 36' (1/3) Cards:Tazz Fuzani 18' to 28' Alcino Izaacs 59' to 69'	Report[17] Scoreboard[18]	Try: Sergio Torrens 24' Zandré Jordaan 46' Christopher Bosch 64' Kenan Cronjé 69' Con:Nico Scheepers 25',47',65',70' (4/4) Pen:Nico Scheepers (0/1)	Attendance: 464 Referee: Rodney Boneparte

	12 August 2016	Sharks	46–24	Griquas	Kings Park Stadium,Durban
	19:10	Try:Etienne Oosthuizen 2' S'bura Sithole 8' André Esterhuizen 33' Stefan Ungerer 40' Tera Mtembu 60' Jean Deysel 76' Con:Curwin Bosch 3',9',34',40',77' (5/6) Pen:Curwin Bosch 27',68' (2/2)	Report[19] Scoreboard[4]	Try:Rudi van Rooyen 28' Alshaun Bock 54' JW Jonker 64' Con:Clinton Swart 29',55',64' (3/3) Pen:Clinton Swart 21' (1/1) Cards:AJ le Roux 39' to 49'	Attendance: 9,659 Referee:Jaco van Heerden

	13 August 2016	Golden Lions	68–26	Pumas	Ellis Park Stadium,Johannesburg
	15:00	Try:Lourens Erasmus 1' Jaco van der Walt 9' Anthony Volmink 22', 78' Cyle Brink 28' Sylvian Mahuza 38' Akker van der Merwe 45' Howard Mnisi 49' Koch Marx 63' Marnitz Boshoff 71' Con:Jaco van der Walt 2',10',23',29',39',46' (6/7) Marnitz Boshoff 63',72',79' (3/3) Cards:Akker van der Merwe 7' to 17' Jacques van Rooyen 11' to 22'	Report[20] Scoreboard[21]	Try: Marlou van Niekerk 25' Khwezi Mona 32' Justin van Staden 55' Devon Williams 81' Con:Francois Brummer 26',33',82' (3/4) Pen:Francois Brummer (0/1)	Attendance: 2,730 Referee:Stuart Berry

	13 August 2016	Free State Cheetahs	43–20	Blue Bulls	Free State Stadium,Bloemfontein
	17:10	Try:Francois Venter 2' Clayton Blommetjies 8' Ox Nché 28' Uzair Cassiem 55' William Small-Smith 60' Rayno Benjamin 74' Con:Fred Zeilinga 3',9',29',61' (4/5) Niel Marais 75' (1/1) Pen:Fred Zeilinga 40' (1/1)	Report[22] Scoreboard[23]	Try:Jannes Kirsten 25' Ruan Steenkamp 71' Con:Tian Schoeman 26' (1/1) Joshua Stander 72' (1/1) Pen:Tian Schoeman 5',50' (2/3)	Attendance: 14,251 Referee:Pro Legoete

TheSharks secured their third consecutive bonus-points victory against theBoland Cavaliers inWellington, scoring six tries in a 41–20 win to leap-frog theFree State Cheetahs into top spot on the log. Although the Cheetahs also won their third match in the competition – a 32–25 victory overWestern Province with fly-halfFred Zeilinga contributing 22 points – their two tries were not enough to secure a bonus point. TheBlue Bulls remained in third position on the log after a high-scoring victory over theEastern Province Kings; two tries fromJamba Ulengo and 19 points fromTian Schoeman's boot helped the side to a 49–35 victory over an EP Kings side who secured their first log point of the season by scoring five tries of their own. In the other match, theGolden Lions lost their first match since the2014 Currie Cup Final, withKimberley-based sideGriquas beating them 30–24.^[24]

	19 August 2016	Boland Cavaliers	20–41	Sharks	Boland Stadium,Wellington
	15:00	Try:Danwel Demas 48' Sergio Torrens 61' Ryan Nell 79' Con:Theuns Kotzé 80' (1/3) Pen:Nico Scheepers 14' (1/2) Drop:Adriaan Carelse (0/1) Cards:Marnus Hugo 9' to 20'	Report Scoreboard[25]	Try:Odwa Ndungane 10' Inny Radebe 16' André Esterhuizen 28' Chiliboy Ralepelle 37' Hanco Venter 65' Franco Marais 78' Con:Curwin Bosch 11',17',38' (3/4) Garth April 65' (1/2) Pen:Curwin Bosch 23' (1/1)	Attendance: 1,000 Referee:Marius van der Westhuizen

	19 August 2016	Western Province	25–32	Free State Cheetahs	Newlands Stadium,Cape Town
	17:10	Try:Huw Jones 10' Kobus van Wyk 27' Leolin Zas 65' Con:Brandon Thomson 11' (1/2) Robert du Preez 65' (1/1) Pen:Brandon Thomson 6',33' (2/2)	Report[26] Scoreboard[27]	Try:Nico Lee 21' Tian Meyer 43' Con:Fred Zeilinga 22',44' (2/2) Pen:Fred Zeilinga 14',17',56',60',72',79' (6/6)	Attendance: 6,533 Referee:Craig Joubert

	19 August 2016	Blue Bulls	49–35	Eastern Province Kings	Loftus Versfeld,Pretoria
	19:20	Try:Tian Schoeman 12' Jamba Ulengo 19', 64' Jannes Kirsten 28' Bjorn Basson 32' Burger Odendaal 59' Joshua Stander 70' Con:Tian Schoeman 13',20',29',33',60',65',71' (7/7) Cards:RG Snyman 32'	Report[28] Scoreboard[29]	Try:Mike Willemse 1' Berton Klaasen 5' Johann Tromp 39' Siviwe Soyizwapi 54' Martin Bezuidenhout 67' Con:Kobus Marais 2',6' (2/4) Lungelo Gosa (0/1) Pen:Kobus Marais 24',32' (2/2)	Attendance: 2,800 Referee:Rasta Rasivhenge

	20 August 2016	Griquas	30–24	Golden Lions	Griqua Park,Kimberley
	14:10	Try:AJ Coertzen 21' Stephan Kotzé 30' Rudi van Rooyen 50' Con:Clinton Swart 22',31',50' (3/3) Pen:Clinton Swart 16',25' (2/3) André Swarts 68' (1/1)	Report[30] Scoreboard[31]	Try:Akker van der Merwe 1' Howard Mnisi 34' Cyle Brink 41' Corné Fourie 74' Con:Jaco van der Walt 2' (1/2) Marnitz Boshoff 42' (1/2) Pen:Marnitz Boshoff (0/1) Cards:Jaco van der Walt 38' to 48'	Attendance: 2,000 Referee:Quinton Immelman

TheSharks extended their lead at the top of the Currie Cup log to four points after securing a 26–19 victory over theBlue Bulls, with fullbackCurwin Bosch getting a "full house" – scoring points through all four methods (try, conversion, penalty and drop goal) – for a personal points tally of 21 points. TheFree State Cheetahs remained in second position on the log despite having a bye, while theGolden Lions moved ahead of the Blue Bulls following a 60–12 victory over theBoland Cavaliers in Johannesburg, with Selom Gavor scoring two of the Lions' nine tries and fly-halfMarnitz Boshoff kicking 15 points.Griquas maintained their play-off push with a 41–35 victory over thePumas inNelspruit, with both teams scoring four tries. Griquas centreClinton Swart matched Bosch's 21 points in the match, eclipsing Pumas fly-halfFrancois Brummer's 15 points, whileRudi van Rooyen scored two tries for the visitors. In the other match of the round,Western Province moved up to sixth place after beating bottom sideEastern Province Kings 36–6, withHuw Jones getting a hat-trick of tries for the team from Cape Town.^[32]

	26 August 2016	Golden Lions	60–12	Boland Cavaliers	Ellis Park Stadium,Johannesburg
	17:00	Try: Selom Gavor 5', 54' Anthony Volmink 13' Dillon Smit 30' Jacques Nel 40' Victor Sekekete 45' Howard Mnisi 64' JW Bell 76' Dylan Smith 80' Con:Marnitz Boshoff 6',31',46',55',65',81' (6/9) Pen:Marnitz Boshoff 24' (1/1) Cards:Bobby de Wee 71'	Report[33] Scoreboard[34]	Try:Joubert Horn 27' Wayne Wilschut 36' Con:Theuns Kotzé 27' (1/2) Cards:Clemen Lewis 72'	Attendance: 1,000 Referee:Rasta Rasivhenge

	26 August 2016	Pumas	35–41	Griquas	Mbombela Stadium,Mbombela
	19:10	Try: JP Lewis 10' Jannie Stander 24' Marnus Schoeman 51' Frank Herne 56' Con:Francois Brummer 25',51',57' (3/4) Pen:Francois Brummer 4',19',77' (3/3) Cards:Frank Herne 28' to 39'	Report[35] Scoreboard[36]	Try:Rudi van Rooyen 12', 40' Alshaun Bock 42' Wendal Wehr 73' Con:Clinton Swart 13',40',43' (3/4) Pen:Clinton Swart 7',28',37',68',72' (5/5) Drop:Clinton Swart (0/1)	Referee:Stuart Berry

	27 August 2016	Eastern Province Kings	6–36	Western Province	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium,Port Elizabeth
	16:00	Pen:Kobus Marais 3',32' (2/2) Cards:Christiaan de Bruin 23' to 33' Etienne Oosthuizen 39'	Report[37] Scoreboard[38]	Try:Leolin Zas 11' Huw Jones 18', 72', 75' Sikhumbuzo Notshe 40' Jano Vermaak 58' Con:Brandon Thomson 12',59',76' (3/6)	Referee:Pro Legoete

	27 August 2016	Sharks	26–19	Blue Bulls	Kings Park Stadium,Durban
	18:10	Try:Ruan Botha 38' Curwin Bosch 55' Con:Curwin Bosch 39',56' (2/2) Pen:Curwin Bosch 21',29',77' (3/5) Drop:Curwin Bosch 40' (1/1)	Report[39] Scoreboard[40]	Try:Jamba Ulengo 9' Con:Tian Schoeman 10' (1/1) Pen:Tian Schoeman 25',50',63',67' (4/4) Cards:Ruan Steenkamp 33' to 43'	Referee:Marius van der Westhuizen

A midweek match sawGriquas secure their third consecutive victory in the competition to move into third position on the log, while cementing theEastern Province Kings' last place. Griquas also picked up a bonus point by virtue of scoring seven tries, with fullbackAJ Coertzen getting two.

	31 August 2016[a]	Griquas	47–24	Eastern Province Kings	Griqua Park,Kimberley
	17:00	Try:Wandile Putuma 17' Jono Janse van Rensburg 29' Ederies Arendse 46' Alshaun Bock 49' AJ Coertzen 52', 68' Eric Zana 74' Con:Clinton Swart 18',30',47',50',53' (5/5) André Swarts 75' (1/2)	Report[41] Scoreboard[42]	Try:Alcino Izaacs 21', 38' Cullen Collopy 79' Con:Lungelo Gosa 22',39' (2/2) Pieter-Steyn de Wet 80' (1/1) Pen:Lungelo Gosa 36' (1/1) Cards:Siviwe Soyizwapi 73'	Attendance: 1,200 Referee:AJ Jacobs

Despite suffering their first defeat of the season toWestern Province, a bonus point in a 27–34 defeat saw theSharks maintain top spot in the competition.Curwin Bosch was again the Sharks' main points contributor with 18 points through five penalties and converting one of the Sharks' two tries, but Western Province secured the victory after scoring five tries, with outside centreEW Viljoen scoring two in his first start of the season. TheFree State Cheetahs made it four wins out of four with a 57–25 win over anEastern Province Kings team that played their third match in a week, to move to within a single log point of the Sharks, withNico Lee,Charles Marais andPaul Schoeman each scoring two of the Cheetahs' nine tries. TheBlue Bulls moved into the top four with a 31–17 victory overGauteng rivals theGolden Lions, with the help of 16 points from the boot ofTian Schoeman, pushing Griquas into fourth position and the Lions out of the play-off spots into fifth. In the other match of the round, theBoland Cavaliers secured a narrow 25–22 win over thePumas inWellington to secure their second victory of the season, with the Pumas remaining winless.^[43]

	2 September 2016	Boland Cavaliers	25–22	Pumas	Boland Stadium,Wellington
	15:00	Try:Adriaan Carelse 20' Shaun Adendorff 63' Robbie Louw 72' Con:Theuns Kotzé 21',73' (2/3) Pen:Theuns Kotzé 12' (1/1) Drop:Theuns Kotzé 40' (1/1) Cards:Shaun Adendorff 17' to 27' Clemen Lewis 90'	Report[44] Scoreboard[45]	Try:Frank Herne 8' Renaldo Bothma 48' Leighton van Wyk 55' Kevin Luiters 78' Con:Francois Brummer 56' (1/3) Devon Williams (0/1) Cards:Tyler Fisher 27'	Attendance: 1,000 Referee:Marius van der Westhuizen

	2 September 2016	Blue Bulls	31–17	Golden Lions	Loftus Versfeld,Pretoria
	19:00	Try:Travis Ismaiel 31' Marvin Orie 45' Joshua Stander 73' Con:Tian Schoeman 32',74' (2/3) Pen:Tian Schoeman 2',15',24',64' (4/4)	Report[46] Scoreboard[47]	Try:Howard Mnisi 25' Kwagga Smith 60' Con:Marnitz Boshoff 26',61' (2/2) Pen:Marnitz Boshoff 19' (1/2)	Attendance: 7,896 Referee:Craig Joubert

	3 September 2016	Free State Cheetahs	57–25	Eastern Province Kings	Free State Stadium,Bloemfontein
	15:00	Try:Nico Lee 20', 71' Tom Botha 26' Paul Schoeman 32', 53' Charles Marais 59', 78' Niel Marais 68' Ox Nché 75' Con:Fred Zeilinga 27' (1/4) Niel Marais 72',75' (2/5) Pen:Fred Zeilinga 14',18' (2/3)	Report[48] Scoreboard[49]	Try:JC Greyling 11' Berton Klaasen 76' Vince Jobo 82' Con:Pieter-Steyn de Wet 12' (1/1) Kobus Marais 83' (1/2) Pen:Pieter-Steyn de Wet 31' (1/1) Drop:Pieter-Steyn de Wet 58' (1/1)	Attendance: 3,710 Referee:Jaco van Heerden

	3 September 2016	Western Province	34–27	Sharks	Newlands Stadium,Cape Town
	17:10	Try:Johnny Kôtze 3' Werner Kok 10' EW Viljoen 44', 67' Kobus van Dyk 57' Con:Robert du Preez 4',11',67' (3/5) Pen:Robert du Preez 17' (1/2)	Report[50] Scoreboard[51]	Try:Jean-Luc du Preez 26' Rhyno Smith 69' Con:Curwin Bosch 70' (1/2) Pen:Curwin Bosch 6',14',23',36',38' (5/5) Drop:Curwin Bosch (0/1) Cards:Jean-Luc du Preez 46' to 56'	Attendance: 14,751 Referee:Rasta Rasivhenge

TheFree State Cheetahs moved into top spot on the log after beating theSharks 38–30 in a top-of-the-log clash inDurban. They scored five tries, withFred Zeilinga successfully converting them all, while 20 points from the boot ofCurwin Bosch was not enough for the Sharks, who dropped to second place. TheBlue Bulls secured their fourth win of the season to remain in third place, scoring six tries in a 41–14 win over thePumas inNelspruit, with wingerJamba Ulengo scoring a brace.Griquas remained in the final semi-final spot after securing a fourth consecutive victory, with 21 points fromClinton Swart and a brace of tries byElgar Watts helping the team to a 46–22 victory over theBoland Cavaliers. TheGolden Lions remained two points behind Griquas after beatingWestern Province 58–32 in the most high-scoring match of the round. They scored eight tries (withKwagga Smith scoring two) andJaco van der Walt kicked 18 points, whileJacques Vermeulen scored two tries for Western Province.^[52]

	8 September 2016	Griquas	46–22	Boland Cavaliers	Griqua Park,Kimberley
	19:00	Try:AJ Coertzen 12' Ederies Arendse 24' Elgar Watts 30', 59' Clinton Swart 46' Wendal Wehr 62' Con:Clinton Swart 25',31',47',60',63' (5/6) Pen:Clinton Swart 4',16' (2/3)	Report[53] Scoreboard[54]	Try:Clemen Lewis 51' Craig Pheiffer 69' Adriaan Carelse 73' Con:Theuns Kotzé 52' (1/1) Adriaan Carelse 74' (1/2) Pen:Theuns Kotzé 22' (1/2) Cards:Shaun Adendorff 29' to 39'	Attendance: 2,000 Referee:Jaco van Heerden

	9 September 2016	Golden Lions	58–32	Western Province	Ellis Park Stadium,Johannesburg
	19:00	Try:Jacques Nel 1' Robbie Coetzee 15' Andries Coetzee 18' JP du Preez 37' Rohan Janse van Rensburg 40' Anthony Volmink 46' Kwagga Smith 57', 74' Con:Jaco van der Walt 19',38',40',47',58',75' (6/8) Pen:Jaco van der Walt 13',22' (2/2)	Report[55] Scoreboard[56]	Try:Leolin Zas 33' Jacques Vermeulen 63', 80' Dewaldt Duvenage 71' Con:Robert du Preez 34',63',72' (3/4) Pen:Robert du Preez 6',11' (2/2)	Attendance: 4,000 Referee:Jaco Peyper

	10 September 2016	Sharks	30–38	Free State Cheetahs	Kings Park Stadium,Durban
	17:00	Try:Francois Kleinhans 59' Thomas du Toit 69' Con:Curwin Bosch 60' (1/2) Pen:Curwin Bosch 4',13',20',40',43',52' (6/7) Cards:Jean-Luc du Preez 52' to 64'	Report[57] Scoreboard[58]	Try:penalty try 11' Michael van der Spuy 28' Tian Meyer 47' Uzair Cassiem 52' Shaun Venter 62' Con:Fred Zeilinga 12',29',48',53',63' (5/5) Pen:Fred Zeilinga 37' (1/3)	Attendance: 10,565 Referee:Rasta Rasivhenge

	10 September 2016	Pumas	14–41	Blue Bulls	Mbombela Stadium,Mbombela
	19:10	Try:Ruwellyn Isbell 70' Con:Francois Brummer (0/1) Pen:Francois Brummer 11',25',33' (3/4) Cards: Leighton van Wyk 59' to 69'	Report[59] Scoreboard[60]	Try:Ulrich Beyers 7' Travis Ismaiel 35' Nick de Jager 39' Hanro Liebenberg 44' Jamba Ulengo 50', 66' Con:Tian Schoeman 8',36',40' (3/5) Joshua Stander 67' (1/1) Pen:Tian Schoeman 21' (1/2)	Attendance: 4,736 Referee:Stuart Berry

TheFree State Cheetahs became the first team to secure a semi-final berth after winning their sixth consecutive match, beating theGolden Lions 37–29 in Bloemfontein. The Cheetahs had different try scorers for all five of their tries, while the Golden Lions relied on the boot ofJaco van der Walt, who kicked 16 of his side's points. After two consecutive defeats, theSharks returned to winning ways, securing the first whitewash of the season after beating bottom sideEastern Province Kings 53–0, scoring nine tries in the match. TheBlue Bulls remained level on log points with the Sharks after scoring a half-century of their own, beatingGriquas 57–20 in Pretoria.Piet van Zyl scored two if his side's eight tries, whileTian Schoeman kicked 17 points. While Griquas remained in the final semi-final position despite the defeat, fifth-placedWestern Province closed the gap by beating thePumas 31–23 inCape Town.^[61]

	15 September 2016	Free State Cheetahs	37–29	Golden Lions	Free State Stadium,Bloemfontein
	19:00	Try:Raymond Rhule 26' Reniel Hugo 37' Shaun Venter 52' Rayno Benjamin 54' Tian Meyer 79' Con:Niel Marais 38',55',80' (3/5) Pen:Niel Marais 16',60' (2/3) Cards:Clayton Blommetjies 18' to 29'	Report[62] Scoreboard[63]	Try:Rohan Janse van Rensburg 32' Robbie Coetzee 35' Con:Jaco van der Walt 33',36' (2/2) Pen:Jaco van der Walt 3',7',12',66' (4/4) Andries Coetzee 23' (1/1) Cards:Jaco van der Walt 15' to 27' Fabian Booysen 49' to 59'	Attendance: 6,312 Referee:Jaco van Heerden

	16 September 2016	Blue Bulls	57–20	Griquas	Loftus Versfeld,Pretoria
	19:00	Try:Nick de Jager 16' Jamba Ulengo 20' RG Snyman 26' Piet van Zyl 41', 59' Ulrich Beyers 54' penalty try 73' Bjorn Basson 81' Con:Tian Schoeman 17',21',27',55',60',74',82' (7/8) Pen:Tian Schoeman 39' (1/2) Cards:RG Snyman 46' to 58'	Report[64] Scoreboard[5]	Try:Alshaun Bock 6' Wandile Putuma 66' Con:Clinton Swart 7',67' (2/2) Pen:Clinton Swart 11',32' (2/3) Cards:Mzwanele Zito 38' to 48'	Referee:Quinton Immelman

	17 September 2016	Sharks	53–0	Eastern Province Kings	Kings Park Stadium,Durban
	15:00	Try:André Esterhuizen 4' Chiliboy Ralepelle 13' Jean-Luc du Preez 18' Inny Radebe 31' Michael Claassens 44' Francois Kleinhans 48' Etienne Oosthuizen 54' Wandile Mjekevu 60' Khaya Majola 80' Con:Curwin Bosch 14',32' (2/5) Patrick Lambie 50',81' (2/4)	Report[65] Scoreboard[66]		Attendance: 5,186 Referee:Cwengile Jadezweni

	17 September 2016	Western Province	31–23	Pumas	Newlands Stadium,Cape Town
	17:10	Try:Werner Kok 21' Huw Jones 56' Leolin Zas 68' Jan de Klerk 71' Con:Robert du Preez 22',57',69',72' (4/4) Pen:Robert du Preez 18' (1/1) Cards:Stefan Willemse 51' to 61'	Report[67] Scoreboard[68]	Try: JP Lewis 58' Tyler Fisher 74' Renaldo Bothma 80' Con:Francois Brummer (0/1) Devon Williams 75' (1/2) Pen:Francois Brummer 34' (1/3) Drop:Francois Brummer 4' (1/1) Cards:De-Jay Terblanche 48' to 58'	Referee:Alexandre Ruiz

TheFree State Cheetahs made it sevens wins in a row after a 52–10 victory over thePumas inNelspruit.Rayno Benjamin scored a hat-trick of tries in the match withPaul Schoeman getting a brace, as the Cheetahs ensured that they would top the log and have home advantage in the semifinal and possible final. A 48–26 victory by theBlue Bulls over theBoland Cavaliers inWellington meant that they would join the Cheetahs in the play-offs.Hanro Liebenberg scored two of the Blue Bulls' seven tries in their final match of the regular season, whileTheuns Kotzé also scored two tries for the home side. The biggest margin of victory came in the match between theEastern Province Kings and theGolden Lions inPort Elizabeth, with the visitors winning 71–7. Golden Lions captainKwagga Smith scored a hat-trick, withHoward Mnisi andJacques Nel each contributing two of the Lions' eleven tries.Western Province also won their match againstGriquas inKimberley, meaning all four fixtures resulted in away wins. Six different try scorers and 22 points kicked byRobert du Preez saw Western Province move into the top four, behind aSharks team that enjoyed a bye weekend, while Griquas dropped to sixth place despite picking up a bonus point for scoring four tries of their own.^[69]

	23 September 2016	Boland Cavaliers	26–48	Blue Bulls	Boland Stadium,Wellington
	15:00	Try:Theuns Kotzé 26', 55' Danwel Demas 32' Zandré Jordaan 54' Con:Theuns Kotzé 27',55',55' (3/3) Cards: Francois Hanekom 71'	Report[70] Scoreboard[71]	Try:Ulrich Beyers 8' Bjorn Basson 20' Tian Schoeman 50' Roelof Smit 63' Hanro Liebenberg 65', 72' Lizo Gqoboka 77' Con:Tian Schoeman 9',51',64',73',78' (5/7) Pen:Tian Schoeman 46' (1/1)	Attendance: 4,280 Referee:Shuhei Kubo

	23 September 2016	Pumas	10–52	Free State Cheetahs	Mbombela Stadium,Mbombela
	18:40	Try:Frank Herne 71' Con:Heinrich Steyl 72' (1/1) Pen:Francois Brummer 21' (1/1)	Report[72] Scoreboard[73]	Try:Rayno Benjamin 7', 48', 58' Uzair Cassiem 24' Paul Schoeman 26', 37' Francois Venter 32' Elandré Huggett 77' Con:Niel Marais 8',25',38',49',59' (5/7) Fred Zeilinga 78' (1/1)	Attendance: 2,083 Referee:Pro Legoete

	23 September 2016	Griquas	31–52	Western Province	Griqua Park,Kimberley
	19:00	Try:JW Jonker 10' Rudi van Rooyen 27' André Swarts 36' Jonathan Adendorf 76' Con:Clinton Swart 11',28' (2/2) André Swarts 37',76' (2/2) Pen:Clinton Swart (0/2) André Swarts 49' (1/2) Drop:AJ Coertzen (0/1)	Report[74] Scoreboard[75]	Try:Juan de Jongh 25' Bongi Mbonambi 33' Huw Jones 51' Werner Kok 53' Nizaam Carr 70' Leolin Zas 80' Con:Robert du Preez 26',34',54',71',81' (5/6) Pen:Robert du Preez 40',46',66',79' (4/4)	Attendance: 7,000 Referee:Jaco Peyper

	24 September 2016	Eastern Province Kings	7–71	Golden Lions	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium,Port Elizabeth
	17:10	Try:Sampie Mastriet 22' Con:Pieter-Steyn de Wet 23' (1/1)	Report[76] Scoreboard[77]	Try:Ruan Ackermann 18' Howard Mnisi 30', 69' Koch Marx 38' Kwagga Smith 40', 63', 66' Anthony Volmink 42' Jacques Nel 45', 80' Sylvian Mahuza 76' Con:Jaco van der Walt 19',39',40',43',64' (5/7) Andries Coetzee 70',77',81' (3/4)	Referee:Cwengile Jadezweni

In the first match of the weekend, defending champions theGolden Lions secured a place in the semifinals after beating theSharks 28–16 inJohannesburg. The result meant that the Sharks needed theBoland Cavaliers to get an unlikely victory againstWestern Province a few hours later. Boland ran in four tries to lead 28–20 with 8 minutes to go, but Western Province scored a converted try and a 78th–minute penalty through fly-halfRobert du Preez to secure the final semi-final spot in dramatic fashion, winning the match 30–28. The final match on the Friday night saw thePumas travel to theEastern Province Kings for a match between the bottom two teams on the log, both without a win to their name prior to this match. The Pumas edged the match 38–30, with hookerFrank Herne scoring a hat-trick of tries in his team's only win of the season. The final group match in the competition was a dead rubber; top sideFree State Cheetahs outscoredGriquas by 9 tries to 4 to win 63–26; scrum-halfShaun Venter got a brace, while fly-halfNiel Marais contributed 17 points through one try and 6 conversions.^[78]

	30 September 2016	Golden Lions	28–16	Sharks	Ellis Park Stadium,Johannesburg
	17:05	Try:Kwagga Smith 46' Howard Mnisi 58' Sylvian Mahuza 70' Con:Jaco van der Walt 47' (1/2) Andries Coetzee 71' (1/1) Pen:Jaco van der Walt 51' (1/3) Andries Coetzee 63',77' (2/2)	Report[79] Scoreboard[80]	Try:Michael Claassens 21' Con:Curwin Bosch 22' (1/1) Pen:Curwin Bosch 11',44',53' (3/5) Cards:Francois Kleinhans 50' to 60' André Esterhuizen 76'	Attendance: 13,201 Referee:Craig Joubert

	30 September 2016	Eastern Province Kings	30–38	Pumas	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium,Port Elizabeth
	18:00	Try:Johann Tromp 17' Brandon Brown 28' Ricky Schroeder 46' Con:Pieter-Steyn de Wet 18',29',47' (3/3) Pen:Pieter-Steyn de Wet 2',8',63' (3/3) Cards:Brandon Brown 38' to 48' Etienne Oosthuizen 70'	Report[81] Scoreboard[82]	Try:Brian Shabangu 11' Frank Herne 23', 38', 71' Kevin Luiters 58' JP Lewis 78' Con:Heinrich Steyl 24',39' (2/3) Devon Williams 72',79' (2/3) Cards:Carel Greeff 44' to 54'	Attendance: 791 Referee:Quinton Immelman

	30 September 2016	Western Province	30–28	Boland Cavaliers	Newlands Stadium,Cape Town
	19:10	Try:Scott van Breda 23' Kobus van Dyk 36' David Ribbans 73' Con:Robert du Preez 24',37',73' (3/3) Pen:Robert du Preez 20',55',78' (3/3)	Report[83] Scoreboard[84]	Try:Shaun Adendorff 2' Adriaan Carelse 50' Francois Hanekom 63' Jacques Engelbrecht 65' Con:Theuns Kotzé 3',51',64',66' (4/4)	Attendance: 6,131 Referee:AJ Jacobs

	1 October 2016	Free State Cheetahs	63–26	Griquas	Free State Stadium,Bloemfontein
	14:00	Try:penalty try 14' Uzair Cassiem 15' Shaun Venter 17', 58' Henco Venter 31' Niel Marais 34' Nico Lee 39' Torsten van Jaarsveld 78' Raymond Rhule 80' Con:Niel Marais 14',16',18',32',35',40' (6/6) Fred Zeilinga 59',79',81' (3/3)	Report[85] Scoreboard[86]	Try:Johnathan Francke 1' Renier Botha 25' André Swarts 45' Jason Fraser 76' Con:André Swarts 25',46' (2/3) Eric Zana 77' (1/1)	Attendance: 4,384 Referee:Cwengile Jadezweni

TheFree State Cheetahs maintained their unbeaten record in the season with an emphatic 55–17 victory over theGolden Lions. They scored six tries, with right wingerSergeal Petersen getting a hat-trick, while fly-halfNiel Marais added 21 points, successfully kicking three conversions and five penalties in the match.Blue Bulls fly-halfTian Schoeman replicated Marais' kicking record in his side's 36–30 victory overWestern Province in the second semi-final, which ended in dramatic fashion as the Blue Bulls scored a try in the 78th minute through replacement scrum-halfIvan van Zyl – in his first appearance of the season – to overturn Western Province's lead. These results meant that the Free State Cheetahs qualified for their first final since2009, when they also met theBlue Bulls in the final, and their first home final since2006, when the same two teams drew 28–all after extra time to share the title.^[87]

	15 October 2016	Free State Cheetahs	55–17	Golden Lions	Free State Stadium,Bloemfontein
	15:00	Try:Sergeal Petersen 15', 34', 76' Niell Jordaan 41' Rayno Benjamin 69' Clayton Blommetjies 72' Con:Niel Marais 16',35',42' (3/3) Fred Zeilinga 70',73' (2/3) Pen:Niel Marais 6',9',24',27',54' (5/5) Cards:Rayno Benjamin 48' to 58' Paul Schoeman 61' to 71'	Report[88] Scoreboard[89]	Try:Sylvian Mahuza 49', 67' Ruaan Lerm 80' Con:Jaco van der Walt (0/1) Andries Coetzee 80' (1/2) Cards:Cyle Brink 26' to 38'	Attendance: 23,192 Referee:Rasta Rasivhenge

	15 October 2016	Blue Bulls	36–30	Western Province	Loftus Versfeld,Pretoria
	18:00	Try:Travis Ismaiel 10' Jason Jenkins 63' Ivan van Zyl 78' Con:Tian Schoeman 11',64',79' (3/3) Pen:Tian Schoeman 24',33',37',47',55' (5/5) Drop:Tian Schoeman (0/1)	Report[90] Scoreboard[91]	Try:Nizaam Carr 19' Werner Kok 49' Jan de Klerk 58' Con:Robert du Preez 20',50',59' (3/3) Pen:Robert du Preez 40',41',73' (3/3)	Attendance: 17,968 Referee:Marius van der Westhuizen

TheFree State Cheetahs beat theBlue Bulls 36–16 to win theCurrie Cup for the fifth time in their history and for the first time since2007. The first half delivered no tries, with Free State Cheetahs fly-halfNiel Marais kicking six penalties against Blue Bulls fly-halfTian Schoeman's three penalties for an 18–9 half-time lead. A convertedClayton Blommetjies try and two more penalties extended the Free State Cheetahs' lead to 31–9 by the 67th minute. APiet van Zyl try in the 74th minute briefly gave the Blue Bulls some hope, but the Free State Cheetahs responded with a try of their own throughSergeal Petersen just two minutes later to put the result beyond any doubt. Niel Marais contributed 21 points for the home side by kicking seven penalties; a new Currie Cup final record, surpassing the six penalties scored byThierry Lacroix in the1995 final and byPatrick Lambie in the2012 final.^[92]

	22 October 2016	Free State Cheetahs	36–16	Blue Bulls	Free State Stadium,Bloemfontein
	16:00	Try:Clayton Blommetjies 63' Sergeal Petersen 76' Con:Fred Zeilinga 64' (1/2) Pen:Niel Marais 4',9',12',18',26',40',53' (7/8) Fred Zeilinga 67' (1/1)	Report[92] Scoreboard[93]	Try:Piet van Zyl 74' Con:Joshua Stander 75' (1/1) Pen:Tian Schoeman 6',13',35' (3/3) Cards:Jamba Ulengo 8' to 18'	Attendance: 43,400 Referee:Jaco Peyper

The honour roll for the 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division was:

The following squads were named for the 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division:

Blue Bulls
Name	WPr	FSC	EPK	SHA	LIO	PMA	GRQ	BOL	SF	F		App	Try	Kck	Pts
Pierre Schoeman	1	1	17		1		1		23	23		7	0	0	0
Jaco Visagie	2	2	2	2	2	16	2	16	2	2		10	0	0	0
Entienne Swanepoel	3	3	3									3	0	0	0
Jason Jenkins	4	4					18	18	18	4		6	2	0	10
Marvin Orie	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5		10	2	0	10
Ruan Steenkamp	6	6	6	6	6	6						6	1	0	5
Jannes Kirsten	7	7	7	7			19	19	7	7		8	2	0	10
Arno Botha(c)	8	8	8	8	7				8	8		7	0	0	0
Piet van Zyl	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9		20		9	4	0	20
Tian Schoeman	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10		10	2	136	146
Jamba Ulengo	11	14	14	11	11	11	11	14	11	11		10	7	0	35
Burger Odendaal	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12		10	1	0	5
Dries Swanepoel	13			13	13	13	13	13	13	13		8	0	0	0
Jade Stighling	14											1	1	0	5
Bjorn Basson	15	11	11				22	11	22	22		7	4	0	20
Bandise Maku	16			16	16	2	16	2	16	16		7	0	0	0
Nqoba Mxoli	17											1	0	0	0
Eli Snyman	18											1	0	0	0
Hanro Liebenberg	19	19	20	19	8	8	8	8	19	19		10	3	0	15
André Warner	20	20	21	20	20	20	20					7	0	0	0
Tony Jantjies	21											1	0	0	0
Dan Kriel	22	13	13									3	0	0	0
Ulrich Beyers		15		22	22	15	15	15	15	15		8	3	0	15
Edgar Marutlulle		16	16									2	0	0	0
Martin Dreyer		17		17	17	17	3	17	17	17		8	0	0	0
RG Snyman		18	4	4	4	4	4	4	4			8	1	0	5
Joshua Stander		21	22	21	21	21	21	21	21	21		8	2	6	16
Duncan Matthews		22	15	15	15							4	0	0	0
Lizo Gqoboka			1	1		1		1	1	1		6	1	0	5
Jacobie Adriaanse			18	3	3	3		3	3	3		7	0	0	0
Irné Herbst			19			18						2	0	0	0
Travis Ismaiel				14	14	14	14		14	14		6	3	0	15
Nick de Jager				18	18	7	7	7		18		6	2	0	10
Roelof Smit					19	19	6	6	6	6		6	1	0	5
Divan Rossouw						22		22				2	0	0	0
John-Roy Jenkinson							17					1	0	0	0
Rudy Paige								20	9	9		3	0	0	0
Ivan van Zyl									20			1	1	0	5
penalty try												–	1	–	5
Total												10	44	142	362
Andrew Beerwinkel, Clyde Davids,Corniel Els,Aston Fortuin,Neethling Fouché, Njabulo Gumede,Alcino Izaacs,JT Jackson,Jesse Kriel,Manie Libbok,Kefentse Mahlo,Kobus Marais, Ganfried May,Franco Naudé,Freddy Ngoza,Abongile Nonkontwana,Trevor Nyakane,Luther Obi, Marquit September,Jan Serfontein,Adriaan Strauss, Tapiwa Tsomondo,Jan van der Merwe andRuben van Heerden were named in the Currie Cup Premier Division squad, but not included in a matchday squad.