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Brazil is seeking new paths to development. With significant financial backing and ever increasing exposure from the Americas Rugby Championship, Brazil is now targeting a place in the Currie Cup.
The Currie Cup is South Africa’s annual domestic rugby competition. The 2017 edition is the 79th in the history and it runs from July to October. It is the country’s premier division and is a seven team competition.
The second division is known as the Rugby Challenge. It consists of 15 teams, one of which is from Namibia. The competition replaced the former Vodacom Cup, a tournament well-known to rugby fans in Argentina due to the former involvement of the Pampas XV.
The Argentine side was the predecessor of Los Jaguares. A composite side containing Argentina’s leading domestic players, the Pampas XV played in the Vodacom Cup from 2010-2013. In 2011 the team was crowned champions. With Los Jaguares created for Super Rugby the Pampas XV was disbanded in 2015.
The CBRu now seeks to have Brazil follow a similar path to that of Argentina. Portal do Rugby reports that involvement is not certain but negotiations are ongoing. Moreover CEO Agustín Danza has eluded to there being a possibility of Brazil joining the Currie Cup in 2018.
Danza outlined (in Portuguese) in the following video that there are into the initial stages of planning. He underlines the fact that they already have a team and coaching staff. In addition with sponsors and TV backing it is entirely plausible that Brazil could enter the South African league.
He goes on to add that it would give Brazil’s leading players the opportunity to play 8 additional high level matches per year. This would, in Danza’s words, assist in Brazil’s path to qualifying for Rugby World Cup 2023.
He adds that more than 50% of the process has been taken care of already. In the event that more time is required Danza finishes by saying that they will instead look at entering in 2019.
