Cape Town - South Africa's Limpopo province will get its own provincial rugby team to play in the Vodacom Cup tournament from 2013 onwards.

Rugby in the union falls under the Blue Bulls region and the union's president, Louis Nel, confirmed to the Beeld newspaper that Limpopo will play in the 2013 Vodacom Cup.

"We should get confirmation at SA Rugby's next meeting. It will be a huge boost for rugby in the region," said Nel.

The Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane is expected to be the team's base.

Limpopo boasts a rich rural rugby heritage and has for years had a team represent the province at the annual Craven Week for under-18 players. They are known as the Limpopo Blue Bulls.

An amateur senior team from Limpopo has also represented the province in SA Rugby's provincial amateur competition over the last few years.

Back in rugby's amateur era, the province also had its own senior provincial side when they were known as Far North, but they were dissolved with the advent of professionalism in the game in 1996. Before 1996, South Africa had 26 senior provincial teams, who were then cut down to 14.