Kenya to be called Simba XV!

Cape Town - The Kenyan rugby team to play in this year's Vodacom Cup competition will officially be known as the Tusker Simba XV.

The South African Rugby Union (SARU) on Wednesday confirmed that Kenya will form part of the Vodacom Cup in the place of Argentina’s Pampas XV, who won the competition in 2011.

The Kenyans will play in the South Section of the competition and will be based in Cape Town. Their home ground for the duration of the Vodacom Cup will be confirmed later.

Each section, North and South, will consist of eight teams, who will play within their divisions in the group phase.

The quarter-finals will be cross-section, with the top two teams from each section hosting the third and fourth sides from the other section in the first knock-out round.

The Vodacom Cup kicks off on the weekend 7/8 March with the final scheduled for the weekend of 16/17 May.

Last year’s champions, the Golden Lions, will start their campaign in Potchefstroom against the Leopards XV, while the Simba XV's first game is against the EP Kings.

Vodacom Cup 2014:

North Section

Blue Bulls
Golden Lions
Griffons
Griquas
Leopards XV
Limpopo Blue Bulls
Pumas
Falcons

South Section

Boland Cavaliers
Border Bulldogs
EP Kings
Free State XV
Kenya
Cell C Sharks XV
SWD Eagles
Western Province

Fixtures (home teams named first, kick-off times and venues TBC):

Round 1 - March 7/8

WP v Boland
Free State XV v SWD
Border v Sharks XV
Kenya v EP
Blue Bulls v Griquas
Falcons v Pumas
Leopards XV v Golden Lions
Griffons v Limpopo Blue Bulls

Round 2 - March 14/15

Boland v Free State XV
Sharks XV v WP
EP v Border
Kenya v SWD
Golden Lions v Falcons
Pumas v Blue Bulls
Griquas v Griffons
Limpopo Blue Bulls v Leopards XV

Round 3 - March 21/22

WP v EP
Free State XV v Sharks XV
SWD v Boland
Border v Kenya
Blue Bulls v Golden Lions
Falcons v Leopards XV
Griquas v Limpopo Blue Bulls
Griffons v Pumas

Round 4 - March 28/29

Sharks XV v SWD
EP v Free State XV
Border v WP
Kenya v Boland
Falcons v Limpopo Blue Bulls
Leopards XV v Blue Bulls
Golden Lions v Griffons
Pumas v Griquas

Round 5 - April 4/5

Free State XV v Border
SWD v EP
Boland v Sharks XV
WP v Kenya
Blue Bulls v Falcons
Griquas v Golden Lions
Griffons v Leopards XV
Limpopo Blue Bulls v Pumas

Round 6 - April 11/12

WP v Free State XV
EP v Boland
Border v SWD
Kenya v Sharks XV
Pumas v Leopards XV
Griquas v Falcons
Griffons v Blue Bulls
Limpopo Blue Bulls v Golden Lions

Round 7 - April 25/26

SWD v WP
Boland v Border
Sharks XV v EP
Free State XV v Kenya
Blue Bulls v Limpopo Blue Bulls
Falcons v Griffons
Leopards XV v Griquas
Golden Lions v Pumas

Quarter-finals - May 2/3

North 1 v South 4
South 1 v North 4
North 2 v South 3
South 2 v South 3

Semi-finals - May 9/10

Winner QF1 v Winner QF 4
Winner QF 2 v Winner QF 3

Final - May 16/17

Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2