2001 Vodacom Cup
# 2001 Vodacom Cup

The 2001 Vodacom Cup was the 4th edition of this annual domestic cup competition. The Vodacom Cup is played between provincial rugby union teams in South Africa from the Currie Cup Premier and First Divisions, as well as an invitational team, the Welwitschias from Namibia.

## Competition

There were 15 teams participating in the 2001 Vodacom Cup. These teams were divided into two sections of equal strength; Section X with eight teams and Section Y with seven teams. Teams would play all the other teams in their section once over the course of the season, either at home or away.

Teams received four points for a win and two points for a draw. Bonus points were awarded to teams that score four or more tries in a game, as well as to teams losing a match by seven points or less. Teams were ranked by points, then points difference (points scored less points conceded).

The top four teams in each section qualified for the Vodacom Top Eight competition, while the bottom four teams in Section X and the bottom three teams in Section Y qualified for the Vodacom Shield competition. For both the Vodacom Top Eight and Vodacom Shield competitions, all points already scored against teams that progressed to the same competition were carried forward. Teams then played once against the teams that qualified from the other section, with the top four teams in each competition advancing to the quarter-finals.

In the quarter-finals, the teams that finished first in each competition had home advantage against the teams that finished fourth and the teams that finished second in each competition had home advantage against the teams that finished third. The winners of these quarter finals then played each other in the semi-finals, with the higher placed team having home advantage. The two semi-final winners then met in the final for each competition.

## Teams

### Changes from 2000

* The Northern and Southern Sections were scrapped and replaced with two sections of equal strength; Sections X and Y.

### Team Listing

The following teams took part in the 2001 Vodacom Cup competition:

Section X :

| Team | Stadium/s |
| - | - |
| Boland Cavaliers | Boland Stadium, Wellington |
| Falcons | Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park |
| Golden Lions | Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg |
| Griffons | North West Stadium, Welkom |
| Natal Wildebeest | Absa Stadium, Durban |
| Natal Wildebeest | Woodburn Stadium, Pietermaritzburg |
| Mighty Elephants | Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth |
| Free State Cheetahs | Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein |
| Welwitschias | Independence Stadium, Windhoek |

Section Y :

| Team | Stadium/s |
| - | - |
| Blue Bulls | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
| Western Province | Newlands Stadium, Cape Town |
| Leopards | Olën Park, Potchefstroom |
| Griquas | Griqua Park, Kimberley |
| Pumas | @lantic Park, Witbank |
| Border Bulldogs | Waverley Park, East London |
| SWD Eagles | Outeniqua Park, George |
| SWD Eagles | D'Almeida Stadium, Mossel Bay |

## Pool Phases

### Tables

**Section X**

2001 Vodacom Cup Section X Table :

| | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Tries For | Tries Against | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Natal Wildebeest | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 216 | 160 | +56 | 26 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
| 2 | Boland Cavaliers | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 313 | 165 | +148 | 46 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 26 |
| 3 | Golden Lions | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 270 | 185 | +85 | 34 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 26 |
| 4 | Free State Cheetahs | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 242 | 172 | +70 | 30 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 21 |
| 5 | Mighty Elephants | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 255 | 190 | +65 | 32 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 19 |
| 6 | Griffons | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 169 | 152 | +17 | 17 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 17 |
| 7 | Falcons | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 219 | 232 | -13 | 27 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 8 | Welwitschias | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 95 | 523 | -428 | 13 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| The top 4 teams qualified for the Vodacom Top Eight. The bottom 4 teams qualified for the Vodacom Shield. Points breakdown: *4 points for a win *2 points for a draw *1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less *1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match ||||||||||||||

**Section Y**

2001 Vodacom Cup Section Y Table :

| | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Tries For | Tries Against | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Blue Bulls | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 242 | 140 | +102 | 38 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 27 |
| 2 | Griquas | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 205 | 185 | +20 | 20 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 19 |
| 3 | SWD Eagles | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 170 | 161 | +9 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | Western Province | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 195 | 194 | +1 | 25 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 16 |
| 5 | Leopards | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 150 | 167 | -17 | 14 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
| 6 | Border Bulldogs | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 120 | 185 | -65 | 10 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| 7 | Pumas | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 153 | 203 | -50 | 16 | 29 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| The top 4 teams qualified for the Vodacom Top Eight. The bottom 3 teams qualified for the Vodacom Shield. Points breakdown: *4 points for a win *2 points for a draw *1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less *1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match ||||||||||||||

## Vodacom Top Eight

### Table

2001 Vodacom Top Eight Table :

| | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Tries For | Tries Against | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Blue Bulls | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 150 | 117 | +33 | 41 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 34 |
| 2 | Boland Cavaliers | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 194 | 109 | +85 | 41 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 23 |
| 3 | Griquas | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 131 | 100 | +31 | 27 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 21 |
| 4 | Free State Cheetahs | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 135 | 112 | +23 | 27 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 20 |
| 5 | Natal Wildebeest | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 91 | 111 | -20 | 18 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| 6 | Western Province | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 123 | 129 | -6 | 17 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 14 |
| 7 | SWD Eagles | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 79 | 169 | -90 | 16 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 8 | Golden Lions | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 95 | 151 | -56 | 22 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
| The top 4 teams qualified for the Vodacom Top Eight semi-finals. Points breakdown: All results from the pool phases were brought forward. *4 points for a win *2 points for a draw *1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less *1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match ||||||||||||||

### Winners

* 2001 Vodacom Top Eight
* CHAMPIONS
* Blue Bulls
* 1st title

## Vodacom Shield

The Welwitschias withdrew from the Vodacom Shield due to financial constraints.

### Table

2001 Vodacom Shield Table :

| | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Tries For | Tries Against | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Griffons | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 105 | 89 | +15 | 15 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 2 | Mighty Elephants | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 80 | 86 | -6 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 3 | Border Bulldogs | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 110 | 91 | +20 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| 4 | Leopards | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 63 | 85 | +22 | 16 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| 5 | Falcons | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 97 | 105 | -8 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| 6 | Pumas | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 107 | 106 | +1 | 15 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| The top 4 teams qualified for the Vodacom Shield semi-finals. Points breakdown: All results from the pool phases were brought forward. *4 points for a win *2 points for a draw *1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less *1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match ||||||||||||||

### Winners

* 2001 Vodacom Shield
* CHAMPIONS
* Griffons
