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Currie Cup

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For the cricket competition originally known as the Currie Cup, see 4-Day Domestic Series.

Currie Cup
Current season or competition:
2021 Currie Cup Premier Division
SportRugby union
Instituted1891
Inaugural season1892
Number of teamsPremier Division: 7
First Division: 8
CountrySouth Africa
HoldersBlue Bulls (2020–21)
Most titlesWestern Province (34) Four shared (4)
Broadcast partnerSuperSport
SABC 2
Setanta Sports Asia
Nine Network
Stan
Related competitionRugby Challenge

The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring (June to October), featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Although it is the premier domestic competition, South African teams also compete in the international Pro14 competitions.

Steeped in history and tradition, the Currie Cup dates back to 1891. The tournament is regarded as the cornerstone of South Africa's rugby heritage, and the coveted gold trophy remains the most prestigious prize in South African domestic rugby.[citation needed]

History

The Currie Cup is one of the oldest rugby competitions,[1] with the first games played in 1889 but it was only in 1892 that it became officially known as the Currie Cup. The competition had its humble beginnings as an inter-province competition in 1884, but when the South African Rugby Board was founded in 1889 it decided to organize a national competition that would involve representative teams from all the major unions. The original participating unions were Western Province, Griqualand West, Transvaal and Eastern Province. The first tournament was held in Kimberley and was won by Western Province. For a prize they received a silver cup donated by the South African Rugby Board, now displayed at the SA Rugby Museum in Cape Town. The story of how the Currie Cup came to be comes from the first overseas rugby team to tour South Africa in 1891, The British Isles, who carried with them a particularly precious bit of cargo. Among the bags, boots and balls was a golden cup given to them by Sir Donald Currie, owner of Union-Castle Lines, the shipping company that transported them to the southern tip of Africa. Sir Donald was clear with his instructions – hand this trophy over to the team in South Africa that gives the best game; and after a spirited display where the unbeaten British Lions narrowly won 3–0, Griqualand West became the first ever holders of the Currie Cup. They then handed the trophy over to the South African rugby board and it became the floating trophy for the Currie Cup competition. The inaugural Currie Cup tournament was thus held in 1892 with Western Province earning the honour of holding it aloft as the first official winners.

The competition missed a few years here and there for reasons such as war and the like, but in 1968 it became a fully fledged annual showpiece. Western Province dominated the competition's early years, and by 1920 the team from Cape Town had already secured the trophy 10 times. Only Griqualand West could halt the rampant WP side and win the trophy in 1899 and 1911. In 1922 the Transvaal won the competition for the first time, however Western Province would continue to dominate the Currie Cup throughout the 1920s and 1930s, winning the trophy a further 4 times and sharing it twice with Border. In 1939 the trophy returned to Johannesburg for only the second time after Transvaal defeated Western Province in Cape Town. This was the first time WP had lost a final at their home ground Newlands. The Currie Cup went into hiatus during the Second World War but resumed in 1946 when Template:Rut Northern Transvaal claimed their first ever trophy by beating Western Province 11–9 in the final at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. The late 1940s and early 1950s were dominated by Transvaal who would win the trophy in 1950 and 1952, however in 1954 the Currie Cup would finally return south following Western Province's narrow 11–8 victory over Template:Rut Northern Transvaal in the final at Newlands in Cape Town.

At the end of the 1980s, South African rugby supporters were treated to two of the most memorable Currie Cup finals. In 1989 winger Carel du Plessis scored a last-minute try as WP managed to draw with Template:Rut Northern Transvaal 16-all, Riaan Gouws missed the conversion which would have given WP its 6th title of the decade a feat which has never been achieved. The following year the Blue Bulls slipped up, though, and Natal sneaked home 18–12, inspired by fly-half Joel Stransky. The 1990s saw further improvement by Natal and the rise of Francois Pienaar's Transvaal. Since the age of professionalism in rugby union in the early 1990s, the Currie Cup has become much more competitive with no team able to carve out an era of dominance like that of WP in the early years or Template:Rut Northern Transvaal in the 1970s and 1980s. All five of the so-called 'big unions' have won the Currie Cup on at least one occasion in the last 20 years; the Golden Lions (formerly Transvaal) have won the trophy 3 times in 1999, 2011 and 2015; Western Province have won the trophy on six occasions in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2012, 2014, and 2017;[2] the Blue Bulls (formerly Northern Transvaal) have won the trophy 6 times in 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2020/21; the Free State Cheetahs have won the trophy 3 times in 2005, 2007 and 2016 and the Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup) have won the trophy 4 times in 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2018. In 2006 the trophy was shared by the Free State Cheetahs and Blue Bulls following their 28-28 all draw in a tense final in Bloemfontein. Whilst these days the competition lags behind Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship (previously the Tri-Nations) in the order of importance, the Currie Cup still holds a special place amongst South African rugby supporters and players, with the trophy very much still the holy grail of the South African domestic rugby scene.[citation needed]

The Currie Cup trophy

Teams

Map of South Africa displaying the borders of the 14 teams in the Currie Cup

From 1996 to 2015, the following 14 provincial unions participated in the Currie Cup:

Currie Cup teams
Team Home base Region
Template:Rut Blue Bulls Pretoria The Pretoria metropolitan area and the entire Limpopo province
Template:Rut Boland Cavaliers Wellington Northern and central districts of the Western Cape province
Template:Rut Border Bulldogs East London Eastern districts of the Eastern Cape province
Template:Rut Eastern Province Elephants Port Elizabeth Western districts of the Eastern Cape province
Template:Rut Falcons Kempton Park The East Rand and other municipalities to the east and south of Johannesburg in Gauteng province
Template:Rut Free State Cheetahs Bloemfontein Central and western districts of the Free State province
Template:Rut Golden Lions Johannesburg Johannesburg and the West Rand
Template:Rut Griffons Welkom Northern and eastern districts of the Free State province
Template:Rut Griquas Kimberley The entire Northern Cape province
Template:Rut Leopards Potchefstroom The entire North West province
Template:Rut Pumas Mbombela The entire Mpumalanga province
Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup) Durban The entire KwaZulu-Natal province
Template:Rut SWD Eagles George Eastern districts of the Western Cape province
Template:Rut Western Province Cape Town Cape Town metropolitan area

In 2016 and 2017, the Currie Cup added Welwitschias, a team from Namibia, and in 2019, the Jaguares XV from Argentina.[3][4] From the 2020 the tournament adds a Georgian team.[5]

Champions and Finals

Between 1892 and 1920, the competition was held as a centralised tournament, with the team with the best record crowned as the winner. Between 1922 and 1936 (as well as in three tournaments between 1957 and 1966), the winner was the team with the best record following a round-robin competition. In all the other seasons, a final was played to determine the champion.

Currie Cup Champions and Finals Results
Season Champions Runner-Up Score Final Venue
1892 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1894 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1895 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1897 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1898 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
18991 Template:Rut Griqualand West — — —
1904 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1906 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1908 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1911 Template:Rut Griqualand West — — —
1914 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1920 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1922 Template:Rut Transvaal — — —
1925 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1927 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1929 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1932 Template:Rut Border & Template:Rut Western Province (shared) — — —
1934 Template:Rut Border & Template:Rut Western Province (shared) — — —
1936 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1939 Template:Rut Transvaal Template:Rut Western Province 17–6 Template:Rus Newlands Stadium
1946 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal Template:Rut Western Province 11–9 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
1947 Template:Rut Western Province Template:Rut Transvaal 16–12 Template:Rus Newlands Stadium
1950 Template:Rut Transvaal Template:Rut Western Province 22–11 Template:Rus Ellis Park Stadium
1952 Template:Rut Transvaal Template:Rut Boland 11–9 Wellington
1954 Template:Rut Western Province Template:Rut Northern Transvaal 11–8 Template:Rus Newlands Stadium
1956 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal Template:Rut Natal 9–8 Template:Rus Kings Park Stadium
1957–19592 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1964 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1966 Template:Rut Western Province — — —
1968 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal Template:Rut Transvaal 16–3 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
1969 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal Template:Rut Western Province 28–13 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
1970 Template:Rut Griqualand West Template:Rut Northern Transvaal 11–9 De Beers, Kimberley
1971 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal & Template:Rut Transvaal (shared) — 14–14 Template:Rus Ellis Park Stadium
1972 Template:Rut Transvaal Template:Rut Eastern Transvaal 25–19 Template:Rus Pam Brink Stadium
1973 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal Template:Rut Free State 30–22 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
1974 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal Template:Rut Transvaal 17–15 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
1975 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal Template:Rut Free State 12–6 Template:Rus Free State Stadium
1976 Template:Rut Free State Template:Rut Western Province 33–16 Template:Rus Free State Stadium
1977 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal Template:Rut Free State 27–12 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
1978 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal Template:Rut Free State 13–9 Template:Rus Free State Stadium
1979 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal & Template:Rut Western Province (shared) — 15–15 Template:Rus Newlands Stadium
1980 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal Template:Rut Western Province 39–9 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
1981 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal Template:Rut Free State 23–6 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
1982 Template:Rut Western Province Template:Rut Northern Transvaal 24–7 Template:Rus Newlands Stadium
1983 Template:Rut Western Province Template:Rut Northern Transvaal 9–3 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
1984 Template:Rut Western Province Template:Rut Natal 19–9 Template:Rus Newlands Stadium
1985 Template:Rut Western Province Template:Rut Northern Transvaal 22–15 Template:Rus Newlands Stadium
1986 Template:Rut Western Province Template:Rut Transvaal 22–9 Template:Rus Newlands Stadium
1987 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal Template:Rut Transvaal 24–18 Template:Rus Ellis Park Stadium
1988 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal Template:Rut Western Province 19–18 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
1989 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal & Template:Rut Western Province (shared) — 16–16 Template:Rus Newlands Stadium
1990 Template:Rut Natal Template:Rut Northern Transvaal 18–12 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
1991 Template:Rut Northern Transvaal Template:Rut Transvaal 27–15 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
1992 Template:Rut Natal Template:Rut Transvaal 14–13 Template:Rus Ellis Park Stadium
1993 Template:Rut Transvaal Template:Rut Natal 21–15 Template:Rus Kings Park Stadium
1994 Template:Rut Transvaal Template:Rut Free State 56–33 Springbok Park, Bloemfontein
1995 Template:Rut Natal Template:Rut Western Province 25–17 Template:Rus Kings Park Stadium
1996 Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup)6 Template:Rut Golden Lions3 33–15 Template:Rus Ellis Park Stadium
1997 Template:Rut Western Province Template:Rut Free State Cheetahs4 14–12 Template:Rus Newlands Stadium
1998 Template:Rut Blue Bulls5 Template:Rut Western Province 24–20 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
1999 Template:Rut Golden Lions Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup) 32–9 Template:Rus Kings Park Stadium
2000 Template:Rut Western Province Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup) 25–15 Template:Rus Kings Park Stadium
2001 Template:Rut Western Province Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup) 29–24 Template:Rus Newlands Stadium
2002 Template:Rut Blue Bulls Template:Rut Golden Lions 31–7 Template:Rus Ellis Park Stadium
2003 Template:Rut Blue Bulls Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup) 40–19 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
2004 Template:Rut Blue Bulls Template:Rut Free State Cheetahs 42–33 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
2005 Template:Rut Free State Cheetahs Template:Rut Blue Bulls 29–25 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
2006 Template:Rut Blue Bulls & Template:Rut Free State Cheetahs (shared) — 28–28 Template:Rus Free State Stadium
2007 Template:Rut Free State Cheetahs Template:Rut Golden Lions 20–18 Template:Rus Free State Stadium
2008 Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup) Template:Rut Blue Bulls 14–9 Template:Rus Kings Park Stadium
2009 Template:Rut Blue Bulls Template:Rut Free State Cheetahs 36–24 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld
2010 Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup) Template:Rut Western Province 30–10 Template:Rus Kings Park Stadium
2011 Template:Rut Golden Lions Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup) 42–16 Template:Rus Ellis Park Stadium
2012 Template:Rut Western Province Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup) 25–18 Template:Rus Kings Park Stadium
2013 Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup) Template:Rut Western Province 33–19 Template:Rus Newlands Stadium
2014 Template:Rut Western Province Template:Rut Golden Lions 19–16 Template:Rus Newlands Stadium
2015 Template:Rut Golden Lions Template:Rut Western Province 32–24 Template:Rus Ellis Park Stadium
2016 Template:Rut Free State Cheetahs Template:Rut Blue Bulls 36–16 Template:Rus Free State Stadium
2017 Template:Rut Western Province Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup) 33–21 Template:Rus Kings Park Stadium
2018 Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup) Template:Rut Western Province 17–12 Template:Rus Newlands Stadium
2019 Template:Rut Free State Cheetahs Template:Rut Golden Lions 31–28[6] Template:Rus Free State Stadium
2020–217 Template:Rut Blue Bulls Template:Rut Sharks (Currie Cup) 26–198 Template:Rus Loftus Versfeld

In addition to the winners above, Template:Rut Western Province also won the South African Rugby Board Trophy in 1889. This tournament was effectively the precursor to the Currie Cup, which started in 1892.

1 Western Province and Transvaal did not compete.
2 Contested over two seasons.
3 Transvaal were renamed the Gauteng Lions; now known as Golden Lions.
4 Orange Free State were renamed the Free State Cheetahs.
5 Northern Transvaal were renamed the Blue Bulls.
6 Natal were renamed the Sharks.
7 Contested between November and January due to COVID-19 pandemic.
8 Final went to extra-time.

Overall winners

Team Number of wins Notes Most recent
Western Province 34 Four shared 2017
Northern Transvaal/Blue Bulls 24 Four shared 2020/21
Transvaal/Gauteng Lions/Golden Lions 11 One shared 2015
Natal/Sharks 8 2018
Orange Free State/Free State Cheetahs 6 One shared 2019
Griqualand West/Griquas 3 1970
Border/Border Bulldogs 2 Two shared 1934

Since the competition became established as an annual competition in 1968 (see History above).

Team Number of wins Number shared Number runners-up Years won Years shared Year runner-up
Northern Transvaal/Blue Bulls 19 4 8 1968, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1981, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004,2009, 2021 1971, 1979, 1989, 2006 1970, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1990, 2005, 2008, 2016
Western Province 11 2 10 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2012, 2014, 2017 1979, 1989 1969, 1976, 1980, 1988, 1995, 1998, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2018
Natal/Sharks 8 0 10 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2018 1984, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2021
Transvaal/Gauteng Lions/Golden Lions 6 1 11 1972, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2011, 2015 1971 1968, 1974, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1996, 2002, 2007, 2014, 2019
Orange Free State/Free State Cheetahs 5 1 9 1976, 2005, 2007, 2016, 2019 2006 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1994, 1997, 2004, 2009
Griqualand West/Griquas 1 0 0 1970
Eastern Transvaal/Falcons 0 0 1 1972

Records and statistics

  • Most career matches
Name Team/s Seasons Games
Jacques Botes Pumas/Sharks 2002–2014
156
Helgard Müller Free State Cheetahs 1983–1998
142
Rudi Visagie Free State/Natal/Mpumalanga 1980–1996
141
Chris Badenhorst Free State Cheetahs 1987–1999
136
Burger Geldenhuys Blue Bulls 1977–1989
128
André Joubert Free State/Natal 1986–1999
126

Broadcasting rights

  • SuperSport broadcasts live Currie Cup matches in South Africa.
  • Setanta Sports Asia broadcasts live Currie Cup matches in Asia.
  • Sky Sports broadcasts live Currie Cup matches in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
  • WatchESPN airs live Currie Cup matches in the Americas via online streaming.
  • Beginning in 2021, the Nine Network will air Currie Cup matches live in Australia through streaming service Stan. Previously matches were aired on Fox Sports.[7]
  • RugbyPass airs live Currie Cup matches via online streaming in certain countries in Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam), European Economic Area (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Noway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden), and Eastern Europe (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia, & Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine).[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "ABSA Currie Cup Records" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  2. ^ http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/CurrieCup/wp-rock-sharks-to-lift-currie-cup-title-20171028
  3. ^ "Namibia to compete in enlarged Currie Cup". The Namibian. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Rugbybase wil Curriebeker-reeks nou tot 15 spanne beperk". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). 18 August 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  5. ^ https://www.rugbypass.com/news/georgian-rugby-to-enter-team-in-currie-cup/
  6. ^ "Cheetahs beat Lions to bag sixth Currie Cup title". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  7. ^ "Nine agrees to 'landmark deal' with Rugby Australia". wwos.nine.com.au. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  8. ^ http://support.rugbypass.com/
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