The Border Bulldogs have suffered their worst season in the three editions of the SA Cup.
This was confirmed after yet another half-century defeat when they collapsed 50-12 to the Valke in their last SA Cup game at the Police Park Stadium in Cambridge on Saturday.
That loss meant the Bulldogs lost all nine of their matches in the campaign and were nowhere near getting promotion to the top-tier Currie Cup Premier Division again.
The SA Cup is used as a tool for promoting to the Currie Cup Premier Division, with the bottom teams then qualifying for the second tier, the First Division, which is expected to kick off either in June or July.
In the three editions of the SA Cup, the Bulldogs are yet to gain a victory, this season leaking an awful negative 496 points differential.
In 2024, they had zero wins with a -458 points difference, and in 2025, they managed to get a mere three points on the log and had a -488 difference.
In the recently ended campaign, the Eastern Cape side, out of their nine games, registered eight 50-plus defeats.
The Valke game was Border’s last chance to salvage any points and the coaches went into it confident that they would get at least something to smile about before going to the First Division.
But that wasn’t to be. From the first minute, like other matches, the opposition enjoyed one-way traffic.
Every time the Valke handled the ball for consistent phases, it resulted in them getting over the line.
The men from Brakpan scored eight five-pointers compared to the Bulldogs’ two.
The Valke’s eighthman Abulele Ndabambi dotted over the line four times, while the other tries came from Mbembe Payi, Dirk Lourens, Mosolwa Mafuma and Sergio Staalmeester, who knocked off five conversions from his boot as well.
Border showed flashes of resistance, finding reward through tries from Sokhana Mpemba and Lonwabo Rawana, but they struggled to contain the visitors.
The East Rand side took a commanding 26-7 lead into the halftime break before pushing on to seal a comprehensive away victory.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with the Valke attacking with intent and accuracy.
The Toyota Cheetahs and Boland Kavaliers booked their places alongside the Griquas and Pumas in next week’s two semifinals.
In doing so, the foursome also qualified for the prestigious 2026 Currie Cup Premier Division.
The Bulldogs, SWD Eagles, Valke, Griffons, EP Elephants and Leopards will play in the First Division as consolation for not getting into the Currie Cup. — Daily Dispatch
