The 2026 Pick n Pay Gold Cup is done and dusted with a new name on one of the most beautiful trophies in South African Rugby.

Northam Rhino’s won an epic battle with College Rovers in Durban under the daunting shadows of Kings Park on Sunday.

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On the field was a classic of a match, one of many that we have witnessed all the way to the final. 12 of the 31 matches played saw the winners move into the next round by one score or less. Four of those matches were decided by just a single point.

Off the field is where sponsors, fans and governing bodies should be taking note though.

Grassroots rugby is alive and kicking in South Africa, it’s the lifeblood of our game and this tournament has proved yet again that we should not be forgetting the people and the clubs that got the game to where it is in the country right now.

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I attended games in Groot Brak, Cape Town, Wellington and Durban. Not one of them had a small crowd. Groot Brak was packed to the rafters with standing room only whilst Cape Town, although not packed, was noisy and passionate. Then to a cacophony of sound from the band and fans in the stands of Wellington at Pelikaan Park before the final in front of the TV cameras, hundreds of travelling fans and a gracious, yet defeated, College Rovers fan base.

It reminded me that people live for their Saturdays. Each venue as beautifully diverse as the previous one embracing the honour of being part of this historic competition.

Communities are coming together to support the men that they work with during the week and share the flames of a braai with on the weekend. Children running around in their club colours with ‘Daddy 8’ or ‘Papa 14’ written on their backs with aspirations of following in their footsteps and adorning the first team colours that represent their communities, themselves one day.

A tip of the cap must go to SARU as well for covering much of the cost of this successful tournament. Travel, kit, accommodation, TV cameras and many other costs that we don’t see were covered.

The sponsorship from Pick n Pay was also a clever strategic move from the retail giant as part of their headline sponsorship deal with SARU of the Springboks and Blitzboks. As part of that deal, Pick n Pay acquired the naming rights of the Gold Cup and cited the opportunity to get grassroots rugby and their brand closer to the communities that they already support.

With all of this success comes the next challenge. Can we do it all again next year?

Northam Platinum’s sponsorship was also a major boost and their employees from the Rhino’s certainly paid them back on Sunday with the win but you feel that more is needed across the different regions so that the impact of this tournament can be magnified and grown to the next level. I don’t know if SARU can continue to pick up the bill and I am not going to start speculating but for this competition to grow, I would assume some support would be welcomed with open arms from sponsors.

Don’t for a second think this a slight on the existing structure, far from it. To produce a tournament of this quality is, as already mentioned, no mean feat but this is now the tipping point. The Pick n Pay Gold Cup deserves to be bigger and even better next year because as we watch global competitions, leagues and other trophies become poorly attended because they are devoid of previous quality or simply too boring to watch, here we have a product with guaranteed crowds, brilliant back stories and competitive high level rugby packaged and ready to go. Just to put the icing on the cake it touches every type of community, colour and language in the country and is truly for the people.

I’ve loved every second of. I’ve met some new characters and reconnected with some old ones. Tears and triumph close enough to touch both physically and metaphorically. The clubs have craved the media attention that we were able to bring to you because it attracts sponsors and potential revenue streams to keep them going.

It’s now that the clubs truly need us. It’s the old cliché isn’t it? Get down to your local rugby club on a Saturday and support them. It does make a difference and like any pyramid, of which rugby is one, the base is the most important part, and it needs to be as strong as possible.

It’s not really the clubs that deserve it though, is it? It’s the people. The Chairperson that played there for 20 years and has never left, the gentleman or lady that has cooked the meals for decades as their parents did before them. The ticket money collector, parking attendants, cleaners and that one person we all know and love who opens the kit store and makes sure the tackle pads are ready with inflated balls when the players arrive.

With the professional game constantly under the microscope because of TMO delays, games taking 2 hours to be played and the dilution of once strong tournaments like Super Rugby then club rugby should be seen as one of the shining lights that can lead the way on revival alongside the supersonic school’s system.

Pick n Pay Gold Cup 2026 you have been a blast, and I hope to see you with even more support next season and beyond. I for one don’t see this just as a holiday romance.