Windhoek
Namibia rugby premiership outfit FNB Wanderers will tomorrow face South Africa’s Pirates Rugby Club in their Gold Cup opener at Greenside in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Following the expansion of the competition this year to include clubs from Namibia and Zimbabwe, Wanderers will be aiming to take full advantage of the opportunity to compete against some of the best clubs in the South African setup, while also handing most of their youngsters an opportunity to gain much-needed exposure.
South Africa’s Pirates, founded in 1888 and making their first appearance in the Gold Cup since 2009, are determined and equally ready to make their presence felt. Until last year, the Gold Cup was formerly known as the Community Cup.
The Gold Cup will officially kick off tomorrow with 20 clubs once again competing in a World Cup-style format, with eight pool matches per week for five weeks up until October 8. The top two teams from each group progress to the quarterfinals a week later.
All knockout matches, including the semifinals (October 22) and grand final (October 29) will be hosted at participating clubs. – rugby365.com