Currie Cup Winners: 1939-2015
The first competition was in 1890. The trophy was presented by the SA Rugby Board, and Western Province were the winners. Then came the British, backed by England, in 1891 with the Currie Cup. The first time it was in provincial competition was in 1892.
Before 1939 and in 1957-59, 1964 and 1966 the Currie Cup was decided at a tournament or by way of logs. In 1939 there was a final, as there has been every year since 1968.
Northern Transvaal (Blue Bulls) is the only Currie Cup winner formed after the start of the Currie Cup – in 1938 in fact when they were given independence from Transvaal
Currie Cup Winners Down the Years
1890: Western Province (pre-Currie Cup)
1892: Western Province
1894: Western Province
1895: Western Province
1897: Western Province
1898: Western Province
1899: Griquas
1904: Western Province
1906: Western Province
1908: Western Province
1911: Griquas
1914: Western Province
1920: Western Province
1922: Transvaal
1925: Western Province
1927: Western Province
1929: Western Province
1932: Western Province & Border
1934: Western Province & Border
1936: Western Province
The next seven were all decided by finals
1939: Transvaal
1946: Northern Transvaal
1947: Western Province
1950: Transvaal
1952: Transvaal
1954: Western Province
1956: Northern Transvaal
1957-59: Western Province
1964: Western Province
1966: Western Province
From now on they are all finals.
1968: Northern Transvaal
1969: Northern Transvaal
1970: Griquas
1971: Northern Transvaal & Transvaal
1972: Transvaal
1973: Northern Transvaal
1974: Northern Transvaal
1975: Northern Transvaal
1976: Free State
1977: Northern Transvaal
1978: Northern Transvaal
1979: Western Province & Northern Transvaal
1980: Northern Transvaal
1981: Northern Transvaal
1982: Western Province
1983: Western Province
1984: Western Province
1985: Western Province
1986: Western Province
1987: Northern Transvaal
1988: Northern Transvaal
1989: Western Province
1990: Natal
1991: Northern Transvaal
1992: Natal
1993: Transvaal
1994: Transvaal
1995: Natal
1996: Natal
1997: Western Province
1998: Blue Bulls
1999: Lions
2000: Western Province
2001: Western Province
2002: Blue Bulls
2003: Blue Bulls
2004: Blue Bulls
2005: Free State
2006: Blue Bulls & Free State
2007: Free State
2008: Natal Sharks
2009: Blue Bulls
2010: Natal Sharks
2011: Golden Lions
2012: Western Province
2013: Sharks
2014: Western Province
2015: Golden Lions
Number of Titles
33 Western Province, including 4 shared
23 Blue Bulls, including 4 shared
10 Golden Lions, including 1 shared
7 Sharks
4 Free State, including 1 shared
3 Griquas
2 Border, both shared
Changed Names
Northern Transvaal to Blue Bulls
Transvaal to Golden Lions
Natal to Sharks
Eastern Transvaal to Falcons/Valke
Currie Cup Finals, 1939-2012 results
The first Currie Cup Final was played in 1939, at Newlands when Transvaal beat Western Province. The Sharks, a.k.a. Natal) are back in the Final for the third year in a row and will be playing the Western Province for the fifth time in a Currie Cup Final.
The venue for finals was originally decided by the age of the union, then by where the previous final had been played and now by position on the Currie Cup log.
The 1947 Final was at Newlands because Western Province was an older union than Transvaal. The 1950 Final was in Johannesburg because the previous one had been at Newlands. This year's Final will be at Newlands because Western Province ended higher on the Currie Cup log than the Sharks did, which was decided only at the last league match.
The following are the results of all the Currie Cup Finals played:
1939: Transvaal vs Western Province, 17-6 at Newlands
1946: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 11-9 in Pretoria
1947: Western Province vs Transvaal, 16-12 at Newlands
1950: Transvaal vs Western Province, 22-11 in Johannesburg
1952: Transvaal vs Boland, 11-9 in Wellington
1954: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 11-8 at Newlands
1956: Northern Transvaal vs Natal, 9-8 in Durban
1968: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 16-3 in Pretoria
1969: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 28-3 in Pretoria
1970: Griqualand West vs Northern Transvaal, 11-9 in Kimberley
1971: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 14-14 in Johannesburg
1972: Transvaal vs Eastern Transvaal, 25-19 in Springs
1973: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 30-22 in Pretoria
1974: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 17-15 in Pretoria
1975: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 12-6 in Bloemfontein
1976: Orange Free State vs Western Province, 33-16 in Bloemfontein
1977: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 27-12 in Pretoria
1978: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 13-9 in Bloemfontein
1979: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 15-15 at Newlands
1980: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 39-9 in Pretoria
1981: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 23-6 in Pretoria
1982: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 24-9 at Newlands
1983: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 9-3 in Pretoria
1984: Western Province vs Natal, 19-9 at Newlands
1985: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 22-15 at Newlands
1986: Western Province vs Transvaal, 22-9 at Newlands
1987: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 24-18 in Johannesburg
1988: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 19-18 in Pretoria
1989: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 16-16 at Newlands
1990: Natal vs Northern Transvaal, 18-12 in Pretoria
1991: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 27-15 in Pretoria
1992: Natal vs Transvaal, 14-13 in Johannesburg
1993: Transvaal vs Natal, 21-15 in Durban
1994: Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 56-33 in Bloemfontein
1995: Natal vs Western Province, 25-17 in Durban
1996: Natal vs Transvaal, 33-15 in Johannesburg
1997: Western Province vs Free State, 14-12 at Newlands
1998: Blue Bulls vs Western Province, 24-20 in Pretoria
1999: Lions vs Natal, 32-9 in Durban
2000: Western Province vs Natal, 25-15 in Durban
2001: Western Province vs Natal, 29-24 at Newlands
2002: Blue Bulls vs Lions, 31-7 in Johannesburg
2003: Blue Bulls vs Natal, 40-19 in Pretoria
2004: Blue Bulls vs Free State Cheetahs, 42-33 in Pretoria
2005: Free State Cheetahs vs Blue Bulls, 29-25 in Pretoria
2006: Free State Cheetahs vs Blue Bulls, 28-28 in Bloemfontein
2007: Free State Cheetahs vs Lions, 20-18 in Bloemfontein
2008: Sharks vs Blue Bulls, 14-9 in Durban
2009: Blue Bulls vs Free State Cheetahs, 36-24 in Pretoria
2010: Sharks vs Western Province, 30-10 in Durban
2011: Golden Lions vs Sharks, 42-16 in Johannesburg
2012: Western Province vs Sharks, 25-18 in Durban
2013: Sharks vs Western Province, 33-19 at Newlands
2014: Western Province vs Golden Lions, 19-16 at Newlands
2015: Golden Lions vs Western Province, 32-24 in Johannesburg
* There have been so many changes of names of venues we have given the name of the city where the match was played – except for unique Newlands.
Number of Finals: 55
Number of Times in a Final
Blue Bulls: 31
Western Province: 27
Golden Lions: 21
Sharks: 16
Free State: 12
Boland: 1
Valke: 1
Griqualand West: 1
Number of Victories
Blue Bulls: 22 (including four draws)
Western Province: 13 (including two draws)
Lions: 9 (including a draw)
Sharks: 8
Free State: 4 (including a draw)
Griqualand West: 1
Records
Highest Score: 56 – Transvaal 1994
Lowest Score 3 – Transvaal 1968, Western Province 1969, Northern Transvaal 1983
Lowest winning score: 9 – Northern Transvaal 1956, Western Province 1983
Highest match score: 89 – 1994
Lowest match score: 12 – 1983
Biggest margin of victory: 30 (1980)
Smallest margin of victory: 1 (1956, 1988, 1992)
Most team tries: 7 – Lions in 1994
Most appearances in finals: 11 – Burger Geldenhuys (1977-89), Naas Botha (1977 – 1991)
Highest individual score: 26 – Derick Hougaard, 2002
Most tries by a player: 4 – Ettienne Botha – 2003, 2004
Most penalty goals by a player: 6 – Thierry Lacroix in 1995, Pat Lambie 2012
Most conversions by a player: 6 – Gavin Johnson in 1994
Most dropped goals by a player: 4 – Naas Botha in 1987
Most finals refereed: 7 – André Watson
