The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the 2025 Carling Currie Cup Premier Division when the Fidelity ADT Lions host Suzuki Griquas in the final at Ellis Park on Saturday.

This will be the second successive year that the Gautengers will host the final, as they hope to capitalise on home-ground advantage against the tenacious visitors from the Northern Cape.

Saturday’s final, which will be refereed by Christopher Allison, is scheduled to kick off at 15h00 and will be broadcast live by SuperSport.

Both teams secured their spot in the final with convincing performances in the semi-finals. The Lions finished the league phase at the top of the log with five wins from seven matches and they flexed their muscles in the 67-19 semi-final victory last weekend over the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers.

Griquas, who ended the league season in second place, secured their place in the decider with a hard-fought 25-5 win over the Toyota Cheetahs in Kimberley.

The two teams have met once this season, with the Lions emerging as clear victors two weeks ago when they clinched top spot on the log with a commanding 37-7 victory over the visitors at Ellis Park in the final round of the league action.

That result will undoubtedly give the Lions a psychological edge heading into the final. Griquas on the other hand, will use that outcome as motivation to go one step further and create history.

Looking at the form guide, both teams come into the final with strong recent form, as indicated by their success in the semi-finals, with each team losing only once in their last five games.

The Highvelders’ only defeats this season came on the road against the Cheetahs and Boland, while on home turf at Ellis Park, they have been a dominant force, as evident in their semi-final win which showcased their lethal attack.

However, the men from the Northern Cape had an equally strong run of form leading into the final league round, winning five consecutive games before their league loss to the Lions. Their victory over the Cheetahs in the semi-final demonstrated their defensive grit and resilience to bounce back.

A look at the history books reveals some interesting facts about the two teams’ past final appearances.

The Lions boast a far more successful history in the competition. They have won the coveted gold cup 11 times and shared it once, while also ending as runners-up on 13 occasions, making them one of the most frequent cup final teams.

The team from the Diamond City have three wins behind their name, the last of which came in 1970, while they were runners up in 2022.

Despite last year’s final appearance, the last time the Lions won the Currie Cup was in 2015, when they had that memorable run of form, with the Highvelders’ also making three Vodacom Super Rugby final appearances during that period.

Griquas, on the other hand, will have to page further back in the history books for their last final triumph, which was 55 years ago. Saturday will be the second final appearance for them in four years since then, following their home loss in 2022 to the Airlink Pumas, who went on to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.

For the Lions, new signing Angelo Davids has made an immediate impact with his prolific try scoring ability, with the speedy wing dotting down four times last week against Boland to double his tally of tries for the season so date, the same number as Griqua speed merchant Gurshwin Wehr.

The final is also the perfect stage for experienced Griquas flyhalf George Whitehead to display his playmaking abilities. The stalwart has been in prolific kicking form as usual, amassing 78 points via his reliable boot to place him top of the points scoring charts heading into the final.

Whitehead’s ability to bring into play the dangerous Griquas strike runners has been a hallmark of their season thus far, along with his steady kicking abilities.

A fascinating match is on the cards, with two strong packs of forwards going into battle, while both teams have exciting backs to finish off promising attacks.

The teams:

Fidelity ADT Lions: 15 Quan Horn (captain), 14 Kelly Mpeku, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Nico Steyn, 8 WJ Steenkamp, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Jarod Cairns, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Dylan Sjoblom, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye (vice-captain), 2 Franco Marais, 1 SJ Kotze. Replacements: 16 Morné Brandon, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Darrien Landsberg, 20 Renzo du Plessis, 21 Haashim Pead, 22 Lubabalo Dobela, 23 Rynhardt Jonker.

Suzuki Griquas: 15 Cameron Hufke, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Zane Bester, 12 Mnombo Zwelenedaba, 11 Gurshwin Wehr, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Caleb Abrahams, 8 Gustav Erlank, 7 Carl Els, 6 Lourens Oosthuizen, 5 Albert Liebenberg, 4 Derik Pretorius, 3 Cebo Dlamini (captain), 2 Janco Uys, 1 Eddie Davids. Replacements: 16 Tiaan Lange, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 IG Prinsloo, 19 Marco de Witt, 20 Phumzile Maqondwana, 21 Thomas Bursey, 22 Tom Nel, 23 Connor Mahoney.

Note: Should the scores be tied at the end of the 80 minutes of play in the Carling Currie Cup final, the match will proceed to extra time, which will consist of two 10-minute halves with a one-minute break in between. The team that scores the most points at the end of this extra period will be declared the winner. However, if the scores are still level after extra time, the result will be decided based on log position from the regular season. Since the Lions finished the league stage in first place (26 points) and Griquas in second (25 points), the Lions would be declared the winners of the 2025 Currie Cup based on their superior log position.

Match information – Carling Currie Cup Premier Division Final:

Fidelity ADT Lions vs Suzuki Griquas

Date: Saturday, 20 September 2025

Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Kick-off: 15h00

Referee: Christopher Allison

Broadcast: SuperSport Rugby

Experienced flyhalf George Whitehead wrote his name in the Carling Currie Cup history books when he kicked the winning points for Suzuki Griquas to defeat the Fidelity ADT Lions 27-25 in yet another dramatic final staged at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon. The hosts held a slight 17-14 advantage at the halfway stage.

Last year, a long-range penalty goal after the hooter denied the team from Johannesburg a first cup success since 2015, and on Saturday, in a drama-filled finale on a bright Highveld afternoon, Griquas clinched their first title since 1970 when they fought their way back to snatch glory at the death.

This victory ended a 55-year drought for the tenacious Griquas, who were denied in the 2022 final by the Airlink Pumas on their home turf in Kimberley.

The Lions and their supporters thought they had finally got their hands on the coveted trophy when replacement flyhalf Lubabalo Dobela landed a penalty goal with a minute left on the clock, putting them 25-24 ahead after the visitors took the lead a few minutes earlier with their third try.

However, in a dramatic twist of events, Griquas got their hands on the ball after the restart and moments later, despite losing possession, referee Christopher Allison called for a TMO review of an earlier incident, which showed a deliberate slap-down of the ball by a Lions defender.

From the resultant penalty, the ever-reliable Whitehead stepped up to send the ball through the middle of the uprights to break Lions’ hearts for an incredible second time in two seasons, much like the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV did last year at the same ground.

In the first half, the Fidelity ADT Lions fought their way back into the match following a strong start by the men from Kimberley. The Highvelders were pushed back in their own territory by ferocious defence, and the home side made matters difficult for themselves by committing several handling errors.

Suzuki Griquas drew first blood when fullback Cameron Hufke scooped up a loose ball after kicking it ahead from a Lions mistake, to score near the posts and hand his team a 7-0 lead. At that stage, the hosts struggled to get their hands on the ball, and it was no surprise when they opted for a field goal rather than an attacking lineout, which Chris Smith slotted to make it 7-3.

The Lions went ahead 10 minutes later after a great run by wing Kelly Mpeku, who dotted down their first try of the afternoon after a successful counter-attack, started by Smith, who had no difficulty converting to put his side 10-7 ahead.

But Griquas struck back when loose forward Lourens Oosthuizen barged his way over for their second try of the afternoon from a tap penalty, which saw the visitors reclaim the lead at 14-10. In between, the Lions had to repel several attacks from Griquas, with only desperate defence saving them on two occasions.

The Gauteng outfit scored their second try through lanky centre Richard Kriel, who sliced his way through the midfield defence to score near the uprights. Smith’s second conversion handed his team a slight but deserved 17-14 halftime lead.

A Whitehead penalty goal drew the teams level again at 17-all early in the second half, but the Lions scored straight from the restart when outside centre Henco van Wyk caught a favourable bounce to dot down their third try of the afternoon, edging them into a 22-17 lead.

The game was in the balance but the scoreboard stayed unchanged for a while, and with less than 10 minutes to go, Griquas worked their way back into the Lions’ 22m area. Their forwards launched several attacks at the line before the ball was sent backwards, where inside centre Mnombo Zwelendaba ran a hard line to burst over. Whitehead added the extras to regain the lead.

Dylan Maart then showed that his defence is as good as his attacking prowess when he pulled off a brilliant try-saving tackle to stop Angelo Davids in full flight with less than five minutes left on the clock.

A wave of attacks gained the Lions a penalty just outside the Griquas’ 22m area. Dobela, who came on to replace the injured Smith – sent the Ellis Park crown into raptures when he landed the penalty goal to put the hosts 25-24 ahead with less than a minute remaining.

But then disaster struck as Lions lock Ruan Delport was judged to have slapped the ball down deliberately, giving Whitehead the chance to kick the winning points.

Whitehead, Griquas’ ace-kicker and points machine, raised his hands well before the assistant referees lifted their flags as his brilliant strike sailed high through the uprights to earn Griquas their first Carling Currie Cup triumph since 1970, proving once more the magic of the world's oldest domestic rugby competition.

Scorers:

Fidelity ADT Lions 25 (17) – Tries: Kelly Mpeku, Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk. Conversions: Chris Smith (2). Penalty goals: Smith, Lubabalo Dobela.

Suzuki Griquas 27 (14) – Tries: Cameron Hufke, Lourens Oosthuizen, Mnombo Zwelendaba. Conversions: George Whitehead (3). Penalty goals: Whitehead (2)