Western Province (rugby team)
DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team. The team plays in blue and white hooped jerseys,and its home ground is the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town. They are nicknamed "Die Streeptruie" (The Striped Jerseys) in reference to their legendary blue and white hooped jerseys. These Striped Jerseys were the colours of Malmesbury Rugbyfootball Club, established in 1881.They are also known simply as "Province" by all South African rugby lovers. Afrikaans speaking supporters refer to the team by its abbreviation, W.P. (pronounced: "vee pee"["ee" as in "beer"]) The Western Province also competes as the DHL Stormers in the Super Rugby competition.
History
The club was established in 1883. The club claimed their first Currie Cup title in 1889; they repeated this success just three years later, winning the title again in 1892. Western Province continued to dominate the Currie Cup throughout the 1890s, winning the competition in 1894, 1895, 1897 and 1898. This success continued into the early 1900s, as they won in 1904, 1906 and 1908. The competition still being contested irregularly at this stage, was next won by the Western Province in 1914. They won a further seven times over the next two decades – four times in the 1920s and again three times in the 1930s, sharing two with Border. When the first Currie Cup championship was introduced in 1939, Western Province featured in the final, but lost to Transvaal 17–6 in Cape Town.
After losing the final in 1946 to Northern Transvaal, Western Province won their first final in 1947. The Currie Cup became an annual competition in 1969 and Western Province made it to the final that year, though they lost to Northern Transvaal. The team had to wait another seven seasons before making another final appearance, which they lost against the Orange Free State (recently renamed as the Free State Cheetahs) in Bloemfontein. Three years later they won the Currie Cup, sharing with Northern Transvaal at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town. The next year Province again lost in the final to Northern Transvaal. Northern Transvaal became Western Province's biggest rival during this time. Since 1969, the men from Pretoria have dominated the competition. Prior to this, Western Province had dominated. During South Africa's sporting isolation (brought about as a result of the country's apartheid policy) this rivalry took centre stage and became the climax of the Currie Cup season. The teams met in another six championship finals until the 1990s. In the 1980s Western Province experienced what many described as their "golden years", winning the title outright for five years in a row. This feat is yet to be equalled. (Northern Transvaal had achieved this before but their third victory in the winning streak was shared with Western Province) After drawing 16 all with Northern Transvaal in the 1989 final, their next final appearance would be in 1995, when they were defeated by the Natal Sharks in Durban. They won the Currie Cup in 1997, defeating the Free State Cheetahs, but the following season they lost to the Blue Bulls (Northern Transvaal). Western Province won the championship twice in 2000 and 2001, defeating the Sharks on both occasions. As of 2010[update], they have yet to reclaim the title.
In the 1990s many teams changed their names as a result of pressure by the new ANC government. Previously many teams were named after the provinces they were based in and seeing as these provinces no longer existed, the names were no longer valid. Some teams simply added some form of animal or mascot name (e.g. Boland became the Boland Cavaliers) whereas others had to change their entire name. Transvaal for example had to change their name to the Golden Lions. Northern Transvaal were also renamed the Blue Bulls although this was less of a problem for their supporters as this had been the team's nickname for many years. Western Province is the only union that has never changed its name or added anything to it.
Stadium
The Western Province Rugby Football Union is based at Newlands Stadium. Newlands is commonly referred to as the home of South African rugby. The first official matches played at Newlands were in 1890. The ground has been continually developed over the past century, entirely due to the efforts of the Western Province Rugby Football Union and its administrators. Since the advent of professional rugby, the stadium has taken on various names due to sponsorship of the Western Province side, but is today simply named Newlands, a decision made by former sponsors Investec. Vodacom has since taken over sponsorship of the team and stadium, but chose not to rename the stadium. This decision proved very popular among the faithful supporters who deeply respect the traditions associated with W.P. rugby and Newlands itself. Newlands normally draws the largest average crowds of any stadium in the Super Rugby competition. In 2002 the Stormers welcomed their millionth spectator through the gates. The ground was bought in 1888, and currently has a capacity of 50,900. Currently Western Province have one of the highest supporter bases in South Africa, with the Stormers averaging crowds of 45,000 at home Super rugby games and Western Province averaging crowds of 31,000 in the Currie Cup competition.
Current Squad
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under IRB eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-IRB nationality.
In for 2012
Out for 2012
Finals results
Currie Cup
Season |
Winners |
Score |
Runner-up |
Venue |
1889 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1892 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1894 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1895 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1897 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1898 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1904 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1906 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1908 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1914 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1920 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1925 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1927 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1929 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1932 |
Border/Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1934 |
Border/Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1936 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1939 |
Transvaal1 |
17–6 |
Western Province |
Newlands, Cape Town |
1946 |
Northern Transvaal |
11–9 |
Western Province |
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
1947 |
Western Province |
16–12 |
Transvaal |
Newlands, Cape Town |
1950 |
Transvaal |
22–11 |
Western Province |
Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
1954 |
Western Province |
11–8 |
Northern Transvaal |
Newlands, Cape Town |
1957/592 |
Western Province |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
1969 |
Northern Transvaal |
28–13 |
Western Province |
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
1976 |
Orange Free State |
33–16 |
Western Province |
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein |
1979 |
Western Province |
15–15 |
Northern Transvaal |
Newlands, Cape Town |
1980 |
Northern Transvaal |
39–9 |
Western Province |
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
1982 |
Western Province |
24–7 |
Northern Transvaal |
Newlands, Cape Town |
1983 |
Western Province |
9–3 |
Northern Transvaal |
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
1984 |
Western Province |
19–9 |
Natal Sharks |
Newlands, Cape Town |
1985 |
Western Province |
22–15 |
Northern Transvaal |
Newlands, Cape Town |
1986 |
Western Province |
22–9 |
Transvaal |
Newlands, Cape Town |
1988 |
Northern Transvaal |
19–18 |
Western Province |
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
1989 |
Northern Transvaal |
16–16 |
Western Province |
Newlands, Cape Town |
1995 |
Natal Sharks |
25–17 |
Western Province |
Kings Park, Durban |
1997 |
Western Province |
14–12 |
Free State Cheetahs3 |
Newlands, Cape Town |
1998 |
Blue Bulls4 |
24–20 |
Western Province |
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
2000 |
Western Province |
25–15 |
Natal Sharks |
ABSA Stadium, Durban |
2001 |
Western Province |
29–24 |
Natal Sharks |
Newlands, Cape Town |
2010 |
Natal Sharks |
30–10 |
Western Province |
ABSA Stadium, Durban |
Notes
1 Transvaal are now known as the Golden Lions.
2 Contested over two seasons.
3 Orange Free State were renamed the Free State Cheetahs.
4 Northern Transvaal were renamed the Blue Bulls.
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