SA Rugby has officially announced the fixtures and a new sponsor in Carling Black Label Beer for the Currie Cup.

The Carling Currie Cup will officially kick off on the weekend of 27/28 November, culminating in the final on Saturday, 23 January 2021. All log points from Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked will be carried over to the Carling Currie Cup.

The Cheetahs will defend the crown they won in the 2019 final against the Lions, as well as the Vodacom Bulls, Griquas, Pumas, Sharks and Western Province.

In the opening round of matches the Sharks will host the Pumas, Griquas take on the Lions and the Bulls travel to Cape Town to face Western Province. The Cheetahs have a bye.

The action will build up to the semi-finals on Saturday, 16 January 2021, when the top-four teams on the log will slog it out to progress to the final (23 January).

SA Rugby and South African Breweries (SAB) announced on Tuesday that they had struck a deal in which award-winning Carling Black Label Beer assumes the naming rights to rugby’s biggest domestic prize – marking Carling Black Label’s debut in rugby, although the partnership between SA Rugby and SAB spans close to three decades.

‘SAB has been a loyal partner to SA Rugby dating back to the days before rugby turned professional, so it gives me great pleasure to build on our association with them,’ SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux said.

‘This marks Carling Black Label’s first rugby sponsorship, and we are thrilled to have such a well-established and successful brand associated with the Currie Cup, which is a competition that prides itself on its rich heritage.

‘This is a fine fit because just as Carling Black Label is the beer of champions, winning the Currie Cup competition remains one of the biggest achievements in South African rugby. This association also resonates with the camaraderie in the sport and amongst SA’s die-hard rugby fans.

‘SAB, through its various brands, has promoted nation-building in sport, and particularly in rugby, and their association with the Carling Currie Cup comes at a time when nation-building is more important than ever.

‘What makes this sponsorship even more significant is that Carling Black Label has partnered with us during one of the toughest economic climates in the sport and in business, and this certainly shows their passion for the Currie Cup and rugby.’

Fixtures for the 2020 Carling Currie Cup (all subject to change):

Friday, 27 November

7pm: Sharks vs Pumas (Kings Park, Durban)

Saturday, 28 November

4:30pm: Griquas vs Lions (Tafel Lager Park, Kimberley)

7pm: Western Province vs Bulls (Newlands, Cape Town)

 Friday, 4 December

7pm: Pumas vs Griquas (‎Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)

 Saturday, 5 December

4:30pm: Bulls vs Cheetahs (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

7pm: Lions vs  Western Province (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)

 Friday, 11 December

7pm: Western Province vs Pumas (DHL Newlands, Cape Town)

 Saturday, 12 December

4:30pm: Cheetahs vs Lions (Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein)

7pm: Sharks vs Bulls (Jonsson Kings Park, Durban)

 Friday, 18 December

7pm: Pumas vs Cheetahs (‎Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)

 Saturday, 19 December

4:30pm: Griquas vs  Bulls (Tafel Lager Park, Kimberley)

7pm: Lions vs  Sharks (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)

 Saturday, 26 December

4:30pm: Western Province vs  Griquas (DHL Newlands, Cape Town)

7pm: Bulls vs Lions (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

 Sunday, 27 December

4:30pm: Cheetahs vs Sharks (Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein)

 Saturday, 2 January 2021

2pm: Pumas vs Lions (‎Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)

4:30pm: Sharks vs  Griquas (Jonsson Kings Park, Durban)

7pm: Cheetahs vs Western Province (Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein)

 Friday, 8 January

7pm: Pumas vs Bulls (‎Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)

 Saturday, 9 January

4:30pm: Griquas vs Cheetahs (Tafel Lager Park, Kimberley)

7pm: Western Province vs Sharks (DHL Newlands, Cape Town)

 Saturday, 16 January 2021: Semi-finals

 Saturday, 23 January 2021: Final