The Mpumalanga Pumas are unhappy with the 2016 Currie Cup structure because its new format was established after they had agreed to loan out key players during this year's Super Rugby tournament. The Pumas now have to qualify for the Currie Cup premier division minus essential personnel.In November the Pumas concluded loan agreements for tighthead Vincent Koch (Stormers), flank Renaldo Bothma (Sharks), lock Lubulalo Mtyanda (Sharks) and flyhalf Justin van Staden (Bulls). But a month later the SA Rugby Union's general council voted on restructuring the Currie Cup.The Blue Bulls, Free State Cheetahs, EP Kings, Golden Lions, Sharks and Western Province, are all assured of their places in the nine-team Currie Cup premier division later this year. But the Pumas will join seven other unions and Namibia, who have to qualify for three places.The "qualification" portion of the Currie Cup starts in April and runs concurrently with Super Rugby.The principle behind the decision to entrench the six Super Rugby franchises, is that they are compromised during the first phase of the Currie Cup.But that argument doesn't sit well with Pumas president Hein Mentz."I voted against this decision but my hands are tied," Mentz said."The Pumas finished sixth in last year's Currie Cup and when the competition's committee started drafting proposals for the new Currie Cup structure, we believed we would be in the premier division without having to qualify."Before we could vote on the actual structure we had to vote on the distribution of funds."It was resolved that the three 'qualifiers' would earn R2.5-million each in order to compete in the premier division."So, I first had to vote on that and how could I vote against it? Then we got to the vote on the structure and the entrenchment idea. It was a Catch 22."Mentz, though unhappy, is also philosophical about the situation."I'm a realist and winning the Currie Cup won't happen overnight, but we have to set goals. So our goal in 2016 is to finish above one of the entrenched teams, then that will set the cat among the pigeons."..