1991 Lion Cup

The 1991 Lion Cup was the ninth edition of the Lion Cup, the premier domestic rugby union knock-out competition in South Africa.

1991 Lion Cup
Countries	South Africa
Date	24 March – 27 July 1991
Champions	Northern Transvaal (3rd title)
Runners-up	Natal
Matches played	24

Teams

All 25 South African provincial teams took part in this competition. The semi-finalists from the 1990 Lion Cup were put into Group A and the losing quarter finalists into Group B. The remaining teams were divided geographically. Groups C and D contained nine southern teams; the four southern teams with the highest ranking were put into Group C and the other five teams into Group D (where the two lowest-ranked teams, South Western Districts and North Western Cape had to play off in a qualifying game for the Group D spot in Round One). Similarly, Groups E and F contained eight northern teams; the four northern teams with the highest ranking were put into Group E and the other four teams into Group F:[1][2]

1991 Lion Cup teams
Group	Ranking	Team
Group A	1	Northern Transvaal
	2	Western Province
	3	Transvaal
	4	Natal
Group B	5	Far North
	6	Western Transvaal
	7	Eastern Province
	8	Free State
Group C	9	Northern Free State
	11	Western Province League
	12	Griqualand West
	13	North Eastern Cape
Group D	14	Boland
	21	Winelands
	22	Border
	24	South Western Districts
	25	North Western Cape
Group E	10	Eastern Transvaal
	15	Northern Natal
	16	South African Rugby Association
	17	Vaal Triangle
Group F	18	Lowveld
	19	South Eastern Transvaal
	20	Eastern Free State
	23	Stellaland

Competition

This competition was a knock-out competition. A qualifying round was held between the two lowest-ranked teams for the Group D place in Round One. In each of the first three rounds, the lower-ranked teams would have home advantage. In Round One, the teams from Group D hosted teams from Group D, while the teams from Group F hosted teams from Group F. In Round Two, the winners of the eight Round One ties played against each other for a place in Round Three. The winners of the four Round Two matches then joined teams in Group B for Round Three, with the winning teams progressing to the Quarter Finals (where they were joined by the teams from Group A), followed by Semi-Finals and the Final.[1][2]

Fixtures and Results

The fixtures were as follows:

Qualifying Round

	24 March 1991	North Western Cape	6–21	South Western Districts	Upington
			Report[3]

Round One

Northern Section	6 April 1991	Eastern Free State	13–24	Eastern Transvaal	Bethlehem
			Report[4]

Northern Section	6 April 1991	Lowveld	12–15	Northern Natal	Nelspruit
			Report[5]

Northern Section	6 April 1991	South Eastern Transvaal	41–12	Vaal Triangle	Witbank
			Report[6]

Northern Section	6 April 1991	Stellaland	22–18	South African Rugby Association	Mafikeng
			Report[5]

Southern Section	6 April 1991	Boland	38–24	North Eastern Cape	Wellington, Western Cape
			Report[7]

Southern Section	6 April 1991	Border	9–4	Western Province League	East London
			Report[5]

Southern Section	6 April 1991	South Western Districts	6–32	Northern Free State	George
			Report[8]

Southern Section	6 April 1991	Winelands	0–39	Griqualand West	Malmesbury
			Report[5]

Bye/s: Eastern Province, Far North, Free State, Natal, Northern Transvaal, Transvaal, Western Province, Western Transvaal

Round Two

Northern Section	13 April 1991	South Eastern Transvaal	18–3	Northern Natal	Witbank
			Report[9]

Northern Section	13 April 1991	Stellaland	32–24	Eastern Transvaal	Lichtenburg
			Report[9]

Southern Section	13 April 1991	Border	22–25	Northern Free State	East London
			Report[10]

Southern Section	13 April 1991	Boland	22–3	Griqualand West	Wellington
			Report[11]

Bye/s: Eastern Province, Far North, Free State, Natal, Northern Transvaal, Transvaal, Western Province, Western Transvaal

Round Three

	4 May 1991	Boland	21–28	Free State	Wellington
			Report[12]

	4 May 1991	Northern Free State	27–24	Western Transvaal	Welkom
			Report[13]

	4 May 1991	South Eastern Transvaal	32–19	Far North	Witbank
			Report[13]

	4 May 1991	Stellaland	14–67	Eastern Province	Rustenburg
			Report[13]

Bye/s: Natal, Northern Transvaal, Transvaal, Western Province

Quarter Finals

	29 May 1991	Northern Transvaal	22–18	Free State	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
			Report[14]

	31 May 1991	Northern Free State	25–32	Natal	Welkom
			Report[15]

	31 May 1991	Transvaal	59–22	South Eastern Transvaal	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
			Report[15]

	1 June 1991	Eastern Province	27–12	Western Province	Port Elizabeth
			Report[16]

Semi-Finals

	6 July 1991	Northern Transvaal	24–12	Eastern Province	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
			Report[17]

	6 July 1991	Transvaal	11–24	Natal	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
			Report[18]

Final

	27 July 1991	Northern Transvaal	62–6	Natal	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
			[19]

See also

• 1991 Currie Cup
• 1991 Currie Cup / Central Series
• 1991 Currie Cup Central A
• 1991 Currie Cup Central B
• 1991 Currie Cup Central / Rural Series
• 1991 Currie Cup Rural C
• 1991 Currie Cup Rural D

References

1. "WP begin in Junie stryd om beker". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 7 March 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
2. "Vier voorste spanne speel later". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Beeld. 18 October 1990. Archived from the original on 24 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
3. "SWD dring deur". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 26 March 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
4. "Rooi Duiwels swoeg en sweet teen Oos-Vrystaat". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Beeld. 8 April 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
5. "Grens verras teen WP-Liga". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 8 April 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
6. "Rekord vir SOTvl teen Driehoek". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Beeld. 8 April 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
7. "Boland klop NOK in saai wedstryd". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 8 April 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
8. "Noord wen maklik". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Beeld. 8 April 1991. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
9. "Stellaland verras Duiwels". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 15 April 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
10. "Noord klop Grens". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Beeld. 15 April 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
11. "Bolanders wen harde stryd". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 15 April 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
12. "Bolanders laat OVS bloedsweet". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 6 May 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
13. "Eric Herbert skop 23 punte". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 6 May 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
14. "Bloues wen net-net danksy tikkie geluk". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 30 May 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
15. "Transvaal druk elf drieë". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 1 June 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
16. "Moeilike OP trap WP". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 3 June 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
17. "Noorde kan nie tevrede voel". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 8 July 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
18. "Verkeerde taktiek kelder Rooibontes". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 8 July 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
19. "Noorde verander dalk span". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 12 August 1991. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.