The Eastern Cape Super 14 final between Fort Beaufort and Progress will be played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium as the curtain-raiser to the SA Cup match between the Pumas and Eastern Province on Saturday.
The decision was reached by the provincial tournament’s organisers on Tuesday.
It had been known that EP would stage the final based on the conference group seeding for the combined logs of BRU and EP, where Progress finished in a superior position to FB United.
In a letter, EP president George Malgas said a decision was reached among stakeholders and that the 46,000-seater Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium would host the club showpiece.
“We managed to secure the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium for our finals match, to be played between Progress and Fort Beaufort,” he said.
“This is indeed an opportunity for [our players] to showcase their talent on the big stage and at such an iconic venue.
“Over and above this match, our provincial team, the EP Elephants, will be in action against the Pumas rugby team.
“This will be our first home match in the SA Cup competition, and we look forward to great rugby making its return to the stadium.”
Kariega side Progress will be bidding to land a third Eastern Cape Super 14 title when they face unbeaten Border giant-killers Fort Beaufort United.
When FB was founded just over half a decade ago, it was a goal to one day reach the final of the Eastern Cape Super 14, but they did not think it would happen this quickly.
The Super 14 is the summit of club rugby in the province, winning it or even reaching the final is a hard task, but the men from KwaMaqoma have made it look easy.
From wearing the tag of newcomers to being seen as giant-killers in a couple of months, it had been a fairytale season for FB United, club president Craig Christian said.
“It’s been a rollercoaster ride, but we were always prepared for the Super 14 because it was what we envisioned when we started this club in about 2019 and started bringing back all our quality players who plied their trade outside KwaMaqoma,” he said.
Those players included former Border Bulldogs and EP Elephants playmaker Oliver Zono, who has played a vital role in galvanising the team that was only promoted in 2024 to the Super League. This earned them a wild-card spot in the Super 14.
Their road to the 2025 final has not shown any signs of them having played in the lower division.
They have beaten Gold Cup team Swallow, knocked out two-time champions Police and drew with Young Leopards.
They then went away to Alexandria and sparked a second-half comeback after being 13-0 down at halftime to win 15-13.
Christian wants the last big scalp on Saturday, that of Progress, to make history and take the R50,000 on offer for first prize.
“They are a big team with big history, but we have proved in the competition that we are capable of beating big teams, there won’t be any difference,” he said.
While they will have to play the final away, Christian said they were not concerned by the intimidating atmosphere, having arranged with the help of the Raymond Mhlaba Municipality and local business Pandarosa Lounge to transport their supporters from KwaMaqoma.
Minibus taxis have been organised to transport supporters while others will use their cars to create a “home” atmosphere in Gqeberha.
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.