Defending champions Progress kick off their EC Super 14 club rugby title defence with a tough opening match against dangerous Alexandria outfit Trying Stars at the Central Field in Kariega on February 7.
Progress are seeking a Super 14 double after they beat Border team Fort Beaufort United 40-29 in a thrilling 2025 final at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The wildcard team from Border had been unbeaten after five outings before the final and delighted the big crowd with their adventurous brand of rugby.
En route to the biggest game of the season, Fort Beaufort pulled off a shock 25-15 win over defending champions EL Police in round two of the competition.
Apart from lifting the coveted Super 14 title for a third time, Progress also scooped a cash windfall of R50,000 from the organisers.
There was some consolation for Fort Beaufort, whose disappointment was tempered when they were awarded R30,000 for finishing runners-up.
In a bid to cut down on travelling costs, it has been decided EP and Border teams will have their own mini top 8 divided into two groups before provincial quarterfinals against Border sides in 2026.
The two EP groups are:
- Group A: Progress, Park, Trying Stars and Hankey Villagers (wildcard).
- Group B: Joubertina United, Star of Hope, Brumbies and Jeffreys Bay.
EP officials said Kwaru had launched an urgent appeal against their exclusion as a wild card, and a final decision on their status is expected to be made soon.
Progress will be one of the early favourites to lift the title after powerhouse EP teams Gardens, Harlequins and Kruisfontein United opted to withdraw from the tournament.
The Kariega side will have an opportunity to fine-tune their Super 14 preparations when they face Klipfontein in a friendly at the Central Field on Saturday (kickoff 1pm).
EP Rugby’s general manager Mzi Mpofu confirmed EPRU Grand Challenge champions Gardens, beaten finalists Harlequins and previous champions Kruisfontein United would not play in the 2026 and 2027 tournaments.
The teams were barred from playing in the Super 14 after they opted to withdraw from the regional event at the start of the 2025 season over the non-payment of match fees.
The cross-border tournament has been mired in controversy in recent seasons after non-payment of match fees, which led to unhappiness among clubs.
Club rugby teams were left scrambling to cover their own travel and accommodation costs and prize money, while some were drowning in debt, an internal investigation has found.
The Eastern Cape Sports Confederation set up a task team to investigate its finances for the tournament, made up of Border and EP sides, in its 2023 and 2024 seasons, owing to unpaid prize money.
The tournament is funded to the tune of R1m by the Eastern Cape department of sport, recreation, arts and culture.
Club rugby teams raised concerns after they did not receive their prizes, including the overall prize money for the tournament.
Shockwaves reverberated around EP rugby in January when it was revealed Kruisfontein United, Gardens, Harlequins and Despatch Oostelikes had withdrawn from the tournament.
Instead of playing in the Super 14, Kruisfontein United, Gardens, Harlequins and Despatch Oostelikes opted to play what they called block friendlies at the same time as the Super 14 was being contested.
This led to unhappiness in EP rugby and the suspension of the clubs from the Super 14.
List of Super 14 champions:
2009 Gardens (EP), 2010 World Cup break, 2011 Police (EP), 2012 Despatch (EP), 2013 Harlequins (EP), 2014 Gardens (EP), 2015 EL Police (Border), 2016 Gardens (EP), 2017 Gardens (EP), 2018 Swallows (Border), 2019 EL Police (Border), 2020 tournament not played, 2021 Progress (EP), 2022 Progress (EP), 2023 EL Police (Border), 2024 EL Police (Border), 2025 Progress (EP)
EP fixtures for Super 14:
February 7: (all 3.30pm kickoffs). Group A: Progress v Trying Stars, Hankey Villagers v Park. Group B: Joubertina United v Brumbies, Jeffreys Bay Star of Hope
February 14: Group A: Park v Progress, Trying Stars v Hankey Villagers. Group B: Star of Hope v Joubertina United, Brumbies v Jeffreys Bay
February 21 (all matches at neutral venues): Group A: 10am: Hankey Villagers v Progress, 2pm: Trying Stars v Park. Group B: Midday: Jeffreys Bay v Joubertina United, Brumbies v Star of Hope
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