Limpopo will play in the Vodacom Cup as a separate team for the first time when this 16-team competition kicks off on the second weekend of March.

The region, which is a sub-union of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, has been granted a place in the tournament in its own rights to help foster rugby in South Africa’s far north. They join the 14 provincial unions as well as the returning Pampas XV from Argentina in the tournament, which concludes in mid-May.

The Polokwane-based Limpopo team will play in the North Section of the Vodacom Cup, along with the Vodacom Blue Bulls, MTN Golden Lions, Griffons, Leopards, Ford Pumas, Valke and GWK Griquas, runners up in 2012. They are scheduled to play their mother body Vodacom Blue Bulls in Polokwane on Saturday, 20 April.

The South Section contains defending champions, DHL Western Province, as well as Border Bulldogs, Regent Boland Kavaliers, Eastern Province Kings, Toyota Free State XV, the Sharks XV, South Western Districts and the Pampas XV from Argentina.

Teams will each play seven group matches within their own section. Thereafter the top four teams from each section will progress to the quarterfinal round, which will be contested across the two sections.

Vodacom Cup 2013 fixtures:

Round 1 – 8/9 March:
MTN Golden Lions v Leopards
Ford Pumas v Valke
GWK Griquas v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Limpopo v Griffons
SWD v Toyota Free State XV
Regent Boland Kavaliers v DHL WP
Sharks XV v Border Bulldogs
EP Kings v Pampas XV

Round 2 – 15/16 March: 
Vodacom Blue Bulls v Ford Pumas
Valke v MTN Golden Lions
Leopards v Limpopo
Griffons v GWK Griquas
DHL WP v Sharks XV
Toyota Free State XV v Regent Boland Kavaliers
Pampas XV v SWD
Border Bulldogs v EP Kings

Round 3 – 22/23 March:
Leopards v Valke
MTN Golden Lions v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Ford Pumas v Griffons
Limpopo v GWK Griquas
EP Kings v DHL WP
Sharks XV v Toyota Free State XV
Regent Boland Kavaliers v SWD
Pampas XV v Border Bulldogs

Round 4 – 5/6 April:
Vodacom Blue Bulls v Leopards
GWK Griquas v Ford Pumas
Griffons v MTN Golden Lions
Limpopo v Valke
DHL WP v Border Bulldogs
Toyota Free State XV v EP Kings
SWD v Sharks XV
Regent Boland Kavaliers v Pampas XV

Round 5 – 12/13 April: 
Valke v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Leopards v Griffons
MTN Golden Lions v GWK Griquas
Ford Pumas v Limpopo
Pampas XV v DHL WP
Border Bulldogs v Toyota Free State XV
EP KINGS v SWD
Sharks XV v Regent Boland Kavaliers

Round 6 – 19/20 April:
Ford Pumas v MTN Golden Lions
GWK Griquas v Leopards
Griffons v Valke
Limpopo v Vodacom Blue Bulls
DHL WP v SWD
Pampas XV v Toyota Free State XV
Border Bulldogs v Regent Boland Kavaliers
EP Kings v Sharks XV

Round 7 – 26/27 April: 
Vodacom Blue Bulls v Griffons
Valke v GWK Griquas
Leopards v Ford Pumas
MTN Golden Lions v Limpopo
Toyota Free State XV v DHL WP
SWD v Border Bulldogs
Sharks XV v Pampas XV
Regent Boland Kavaliers v EP Kings

Quarterfinals – 3/4 May:
North 1 v South 4
South 1 v North 4
North 2 v South 3
South 2 v North 3

Semifinals – 10/11 May
Final – 17/18 May