SARFU CEO, Rian Oberholzer, believes the new Bankfin Currie Cup format will go a long way towards bridging the gap between the traditionally big unions and those located in smaller centres.

"The day is very near when we won't talk of 'smaller' unions any longer," said Oberholzer. "We will merely have a broader base of quality players who play in smaller stadia. This format will serve to motivate the so-called smaller provinces to achieve Top Eight status on a regular basis."

The Kavaliers have done this in the very competitive Section X of the competition and also - among others - by beating the Golden Lions and picking up a full house of five league points, and losing by five points only against the highly rated Natal Sharks.

The Eagles have beaten two of the qualifying teams in Section Y and start off with one point more on the Top Eight log than the Lions. They have also scored four more tries than they have conceded, and are one of only three teams in the Top Eight with a positive points difference. The others are Fedsure WP and the Sharks.

The Kavaliers should also be commended for fielding many more black players than required and their run-up to the Top Eight series is just reward for their dedication to the development of local talent.

In the Bankfin Cup competition it is significant that the Blue Bulls - competing in Section Y - will start the Bankfin Cup with less league points than the Border Bulldogs, one of the so-called smaller unions who will start the competition with three points more than the Bulls.

The Bulls, traditionally one of the powerhouses of South African rugby, have had a disappointing run in their section but hopefully they will use the Bankfin Cup to build for next season.