Sanlam Boland Kavaliers have already shaken the South African rugby landscape. Now, under the watchful eye of head coach Hawies Fourie, they’re laying the groundwork to ensure their fairy-tale return to the Currie Cup Premier Division in 2025 isn’t a one-season wonder.
After an astonishing run that saw them topple heavyweights like the Cheetahs en route to Premier Division qualification, Boland have become more than just underdog darlings – they’re a team reborn. In a candid chat with Octafield, Fourie offered insight into the grind of pre-season and how the Kavaliers are shaping up for a massive 2025 campaign.
“We’re in Week 5 of our pre-season for the Currie Cup, and it’s going well so far,” said Fourie. “We had a bit of flu issues in the middle, but luckily all the guys are ready now. We had a good week’s training last week and started well again today.”
It’s been a busy camp in Wellington. With one eye on the challenges that the Premier Division will throw their way, the coaching staff is methodically blending intensity, recovery, and tactical fine-tuning. And Fourie was quick to highlight the return of some key names.
“Ameer Hendricks, Marlyn Williams, and Taine-Randall Booysen are back from injury and will be back on the field soon. We look forward to having them. During the SA Cup, we were really stretched and played with only one specialist lock – Michael Benadie – so having reinforcements is massive for us.”
Fourie also shed light on the strategy behind their match preparations. The Kavaliers faced Kenya in a friendly three weeks ago, and though it was early days in the pre-season, he felt the outing was vital.
“I wanted to give all the new guys and players in the high-performance programme a run. We needed to see where we stand.”
And it doesn’t stop there. This week is packed with stern tests.
“We’ve got friendlies against Western Province on Friday and Griquas on Sunday. Two good challenges. We’re going to play with a big squad and give all the contracted players a run in both games. It will be interesting to see how much we’ve improved.”
The focus? Set pieces, kicking game, and defence – the bread and butter of any side with serious Premier Division ambitions.
“We’ve worked a lot on our set pieces, our kicking game, and our defence. Hopefully, we’ll see the results over the weekend.”
The Kavaliers know that 2025 won’t be a walk in the vineyards. But under Fourie’s calm and calculated leadership, this is a team not just preparing for survival – they’re planning to compete.
As the faithful in Wellington and across the Cape’s winelands brace for a long-awaited return to rugby’s top table, the buzz is real. Boland are back, and they’re not here to make up the numbers.
Sanlam Boland Kavaliers – 2025 Currie Cup Fixtures
📅 Sunday, 27 July
🆚 Toyota Cheetahs
⏰ 15:00
📍 Home
📅 Sunday, 3 August
🆚 Suzuki Griquas
⏰ 15:00
📍 Away
📅 Sunday, 10 August
🆚 Fidelity ADT Lions
⏰ 15:00
📍 Home
📅 Sunday, 17 August
🆚 Vodacom Bulls
⏰ 15:00
📍 Home
📅 Friday, 22 August
🆚 Airlink Pumas
⏰ 17:00
📍 Away
📅 Saturday, 30 August
🆚 Hollywoodbets Sharks
⏰ 17:10
📍 Away
📅 Saturday, 6 September
🆚 DHL Western Province
⏰ 14:45
📍 Away
