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The Currie Cup competition was first played for in 1892.

The 1891 British Lions had awarded a trophy donated by shipping magnate Sir Donald Currie to their best toughest opposition, which was Griquas, on the tour.

The Cup was then presented to the SA Rugby Football Board which in turn decided to use it as the trophy for a national provincial competition.

Between 1892 and 1920, the competition was held as a centralised tournament decided on league points.

From 1922 to 1936 (as well as the competition over three years 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.

The competition accommodated all the SA rugby unions in some of the Currie Cup (Premier) competitions and just the top sides of the previous year(s) in others.

The Currie Cup remains the top provincial competition for SA sides and is still fervently competed for despite being without top players being on national duty over the past years.

The competition has been played in two merit divisions, Premier and First Division, for the past number of years, and the Premier Division is played annually.

Western Province have won the competition 34 times until end 2019, followed by Northern Transvaal/Blue Bulls (23 titles), Transvaal/Golden Lions (11), Natal/Sharks (8), Free State (6), Griquas 3 and Border/Bulldogs (2), with Currie Cup results determining league positions and eventual play-offs.

Since the competition has been competed for annually, the Blue Bulls hve won 21 titles to the WP's 13.

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