Sharks (Currie Cup)

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Sharks
Full nameSharks
UnionKwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union
Emblem(s)Shark
Founded1890
RegionKwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Ground(s)Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium (Capacity: 54,000)
PresidentBrian van Zyl
Director of RugbyNeil Powell
Coach(es)Joey Mongalo
Most capsHugh Reece-Edwards (165)
Top scorerHugh Reece-Edwards (1114)
Most triesJames Small (51)
League(s)Currie Cup
2023Semi-Finals
2nd on the log
Team kit
Official website
www.sharksrugby.co.za
Current season

The Sharks (known as the

KwaZulu-Natal Province
. For most of their history, the team was known simply as 'Natal', with a nickname of 'The Banana Boys' or Piesangboere in Afrikaans, until the mid-1990s when they were re-branded as the Sharks.

The team is the third most successful provincial union in the Currie Cup, having won the competition eight times. Natal won its first Currie Cup in 1990, the same year the union celebrated its centenary. Since then the Sharks have won the Currie Cup in 1992, 1995, 1996, 2008, 2010, 2013 and most recently in 2018.

KwaZulu-Natal Rugby are a minority owner of the

Port Elizabeth included in the Sharks franchise. In 2013 the Southern Kings
functioned on its own, but has since been abolished and continue to supply a large contingent of players to the Sharks franchise.

History

Early history

The Natal Rugby Union, renamed the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union (KZNRU) in 1999 was formed in 1890, but it took 66 years for the union to enjoy its first Currie Cup final. In the interim, the province did produce its fair share of quality players, including Springboks

1937. Whilst the 1920s and 30s saw Natal improve from one of the weakest unions in the Currie Cup to becoming a more competitive mid-table team, the team still struggled against the quality of sides such as Western Province and Transvaal
.

1920-1990: The years of pain

Natal did not enjoy any success prior to the 1960s, although legendary coach

went on to win the Currie Cup again that year, but Natal was the only side to get the better of them.

1981-1985: Relegation to Section B

During the 80s, Natal could call on players of the calibre of

Western Province were too good, winning 19-9 at Newlands in Cape Town. For much of the 1980s, Natal was written off as a B-Section team punching above their weight. It was not until the arrival of legendary coach Ian McIntosh from Zimbabwe
and the return to the A-Section in 1987 that they started to lay the foundations for success in the 1990s.

1986-1990: Return to Section A and first Currie Cup title

After arriving in 1986, McIntosh quickly made his mark in Durban and spent the late 1980s building a squad and recruiting players he felt would serve the greater good of Natal Rugby. That culminated in a dream

eighth man Andrew Aitken. McIntosh produced a masterstroke by naming regular lock Steve Atherton on the flank just minutes before kick-off. It resulted in what was arguably Natal's heaviest-ever scrum and laid the platform for the Durban side to put the required pressure on Blue Bulls scrumhalf Robert du Preez
and Botha.

Logo of Natal Rugby Union prior to 1995

1990-1999: Team of the Decade and the rise of the Sharks

That 1990 victory was the catalyst for further Currie Cup success, as McIntosh set about ensuring continuity that culminated in Natal being labelled the "team of the ‘90s" a decade later. During this time, the province also recruited wisely, with the likes of Du Preez, fullback

hooker John Allan, eighth man Gary Teichmann, prop Adrian Garvey, wing Cabous van der Westhuizen and scrumhalf Kevin Putt were all household names and either current or future Springbok stars. Making the most of a memorable World Cup year which saw the Springboks claim a historic first world title, McIntosh also recruited Frenchmen Olivier Roumat and Thierry Lacroix to bolster what was already a highly talented squad. It proved a masterstroke, with the big lock and flyhalf playing important roles in the 1995 final victory over Western Province in Durban. The final score was 25-17, with the Sharks able to celebrate a third Currie Cup success in six years. With the likes of legendary fullback Joubert now entering their prime, along with a new crop of Sharks heroes in the form of flank Wayne Fyvie and prop Robbi Kempson, further success followed in 1996 with the Natal securing their first back-to-back Currie Cup titles. Such was their dominance in that year that McIntosh's side was able to travel away to Ellis Park and convincingly beat Transvaal 33-15, with Joubert grabbing the man-of-the-match award with a stunning two-try performance. It was surprising, then, that the team from Durban had to wait until 1999 to contest another final, with the likes of Western Province, Free State Cheetahs and the Northern Transvaal once again coming into their own towards the end of the 1990s. But it was Transvaal, now renamed the Golden Lions, that would cause Natal Currie Cup heartache, as they pitched up in Durban and handed the four-time champions a 32-9 hiding in the 1999 final, with Lions fullback Thinus Delport scoring twice in a match-winning performance. Despite the best efforts of their rising star, under-21 flyhallf Cobus Gomes
who kicked 3 penalties and scored what was arguably the try of the season only to have it reversed due to ill-discipline in the scrum prior to the line break. That signaled the end of an era, with McIntosh, inspirational captain Teichmann, Honiball and Joubert all announcing their retirements.

2000-2009: Growing International Influence

With Rudolf Straeuli now at the helm and future Springbok captain John Smit at the forefront of a Sharks revival, they were able to overcome those huge losses and qualify for the 2000 final. But Western Province was too strong at Kings Park in Durban, as The Sharks went down by 25 points to 15. It was a case of deja vu just 12 months later, but this time at Newlands in Cape Town. The score was 29-24 on that occasion, as Western Province enjoyed a period of dominance over their coastal rivals from Durban. The Sharks bounced back to feature in the 2003 final, but a heavy 40-19 Currie Cup final defeat to the Blue Bulls in Pretoria followed and that was to signal the start of a barren period for the province. It was not until 2008, with New Zealander John Plumtree in charge, that The Sharks were able to break the curse and once again claim Currie Cup glory. Northern Transvaal, by now renamed the Blue Bulls, were their opponents in the final, and this time the Kings Park faithful were treated to a gutsy Sharks performance that culminated in an edgy 14-9 victory. It was the fifth Currie Cup title, and like the 1995 final, a French connection in the guise of Frédéric Michalak would again be involved for The Sharks and, with quality young players such as Ruan Pienaar, Rory Kockott, Beast Mtawarira, JP Pietersen, Bismarck du Plessis, Keegan Daniel and Ryan Kankowski in their ranks, the portents for success are clearly present.

2010-2013: Becoming a Force to be Reckoned with

Many of the above-mentioned players, along with some of the stalwarts like John Smit, Stefan Terblanche and Jacques Botes, together with a few new recruits like Willem Alberts and Louis Ludik, and new talent coming through the Sharks Academy made good in 2010 as the team regained the Absa Currie Cup trophy after another successful domestic season. Having finished the pool stages of the tournament at the top of the log, they dispatched of the Blue Bulls in the semi-final and then comprehensively beat Western Province 30-10 in the final - both matches taking place in front of home crowds at The Shark Tank. Young Patrick Lambie was the star of the show, earning the coveted Man of the Match award with his 25 individual points' haul and he, along with Keegan Daniel, Lwazi Mvovo, Willem Alberts and Charl McLeod all went on to gain Springbok honours at the end of the year. The Sharks reached their third final in four years when they finished second on the login 2011, with the Lions finishing top. The Lions had not won a trophy since beating the Sharks in the 1999 Currie Cup final. Despite the odds, a fired-up Lions side emulated the feat of their predecessors of 12 years previously (the Sharks had also suffered a 12-year drought, winning in 1996 and then again in 2008) and ran out winners at a packed Ellis Park in Johannesburg, defeating The Sharks and emerge 2011 Currie Cup champions. It was a similar scenario in 2012 when The Sharks managed, again, to reach the Currie Cup final, hosting it again as they had succeeded in 2008 and 2010. All the signs suggested that they would emulate those feats, but sadly it was Western Province who broke their own 11-year trophy drought in a tight final at Kings Park, with Juan de Jongh dancing through the Sharks defence in the 36th minute to score what would become the match-winning try. The final score was 25-18 in favour of Western Province. However, The Sharks were not to be denied in 2013 when matters were reversed. The final pool match pitted The Sharks and Western Province against one another at Kings Park, the teams one and two on the log. The winner of that match would finish top and thus earn the right to host the final, should they get through. Western Province won 17-13 and finished top of the Currie Cup log, with the Sharks in the second position. Both teams successfully negotiated their way through the semi-finals, Western Province defeated the Golden Lions 33-16 and The Sharks victorious over Free State - 33-22. The 2013 Currie Cup final was held on 26 October 2013 at Newlands in Cape Town. The home side were overwhelming favourites having beaten the Sharks in both pool matches during the season. It was typical derby stuff; a massive clash between the two best teams in the tournament. But it appeared that The Sharks were hungrier. They hit the rucks with greater passion; they smashed Province in the tackles and took their chances to emerge worthy 33-19 victors, holding out against a late, but ultimately ineffective charge from the home side to be crowned 2013 champions - their third title and fifth final in the tournament since 2008.[1]

The Sharks brand

After being informally called the Banana Boys or Piesangboere for a substantial length of time it was decided in 1995 that Natal would go ahead with new branding - The Sharks. This brand was conceived, presented and initially executed by Terry Kukle of Tag International Media. The Sharks mascot Sharkie was launched in 1995. To achieve this a substantial budget was allocated to refine this vision that would include the match facilities, the pre-and post-match activities and the team. The local press at first were very hesitant to accept the new name and branding and fans were polarised by the radical proposed change that flew in the face of rugby tradition and convention. After much controversy in the media (which very rapidly brought the proposed brand to everyone's attention) and a very successful season supported by great products and promotions, the Sharks were embraced by all. The Sharks' marketing has been widely acknowledged in marketing and rugby circles as best practice and included as a successful case study in many marketing textbooks.

There was initially significant resistance from many quarters. This resistance was ascribed to the traditional attitudes of the rugby-loving stakeholders. However, the strategy was successful and the success of the marketing has been widely acknowledged. Crowd attendances, merchandising, suite holder and season ticket sales have all been very successful. The brand is now internationally recognised and the branding strategy is reaping dividends for all its stakeholders. As a result, since the mid-1990s the Sharks have become one of the most well-recognised and popular unions in the South African rugby landscape. The Sharks are well supported across South Africa, with sizable fan bases in all major cities including

KwaZulu-Natal Province, particularly in and around Durban and Pietermaritzburg
.

Rivalries

Over the years the Sharks have developed a number of major rivalries, particularly since the 1990s and their emergence as a dominant force in the Currie Cup. Perhaps their most long-standing rivalry is that of their old foes Northern Transvaal/Blue Bulls. The Sharks first-ever Currie Cup final victory came against Northern Transvaal in Pretoria in 1990 and since then the two teams have played out a number of classic encounters including the 2007 Super Rugby Final in Durban where the Bulls were victorious by the narrowest of margins in front of a packed Kings Park Stadium. The Sharks also have a fierce rivalry against Transvaal/Golden Lions. The teams contested a number of finals throughout the 1990s and whilst the rivalry diminished somewhat during the 2000s it was reignited following the Lions defeat of the Sharks in the 2011 Currie Cup Final in Johannesburg. Being the two most successful coastal teams in the country, a strong rivalry also exists between the Sharks and Western Province, and the two teams participate in what's known as the 'coastal derby' when they take on each other.

KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union

The KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union was founded as the Natal Rugby Union in 1890 and is one of the oldest unions in the country. The KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union is the major shareholder in the Sharks, and is responsible for the administration of club rugby in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Well, known clubs in the region include Rovers, Durban Collegians, the University of KwaZulu-Natal (formerly University of Natal), Varsity College, Amanzimtoti, Durban Crusaders and Westville Old Boys RFC.

The senior clubs in the province compete for the Moor Cup, a magnificent trophy presented in 1876 to George Moor, captain of the "Colonials" in their victory against the "Home-borns" in Kimberly. The trophy found its way to Pietermaritzburg and in 1957 the first KwaZulu-Natal club to win the cup was University of Natal (Durban campus). Since 2013 the Moor Cup has also acted as the qualification process for all non-university Kwa-Zulu Natal clubs to gain entry to the SARU Community Cup, the premier club rugby competition in South Africa for non-university teams.

The KZNRU also hosts the Murray Cup. An annual 16 team knock out tournament featuring 8 Premier Division teams and 8 First Division teams. The Murray Cup was founded in 1890, and is named after Sir TK Murray. Murray was appointed in June 1890 as the first President of the Natal Rugby Union, which today is known as the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union. He presented the union with its first trophy, The Murray Cup.

Other KZNRU tournaments and trophies include: the Wylie Cup, the Optimum Cup, the Findlay Cup, the Walker Cup Third Division, Foaden Bowl Fourth Division, the CF Glew Fifth Division, the Keith Parkinson Trophy, the Frank Norris U20 'A' Trophy, the Kings Park Challenge U20 'B' Trophy and the DW Gewde U20 'B' Knock Out competition.[2]

Varsity Shield
competitions.

Other teams

In addition to the Sharks Currie Cup team, there are also other teams representing the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union in rugby competitions. The Duikers is a club affiliated to the KZNRU that field representative provincial youth and amateur teams, playing in annual matches against the Quaggas (a similar team out of Gauteng) and competing internationally in the Malaysia Tens.

Until 2009, a second senior-tier provincial team was called the Natal Wildebeest, which competed against the Transvaal Rooibokke and later in the Vodacom Cup. In 2010, this team was brought into the professional Sharks set-up and renamed a Sharks XV. This team competes annually in the Vodacom Cup / Currie Cup qualification competitions.

On 7 May 2021 the Sharks announced the Sharks Women team would take part in the South African Women's Premier Division following the failure of the 2020 season to launch during the Covid pandemic and its effect on local rugby in South Africa.[3]

The Sharks Academy

The Sharks Academy claims to be the oldest rugby youth academy in South Africa.[4] The Academy runs a 'gap year' style programme for overseas players, specifically aimed at school leavers. The academy, which is accredited by SA Rugby and backed by a strategic partnership with the Sharks, offers a full-time, three-year course designed for young people with a passion for rugby and a desire to forge a career in the sport. Players such as Keegan Daniel, Ryan Kankowski, Patrick Lambie, Tendai Mtawarira, Lwazi Mvovo, JP Pietersen and François Steyn are all graduates of the programme.[5]

The Sharks Region

The Sharks catchment covers the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The two main cities from which most of its players are drawn are Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

Current squad

The following players have been included so far in the Sharks squad for the 2023 Currie Cup Premier Division:[6]

Sharks Currie Cup squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Loose forwards

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

Wingers

Fullbacks

(c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped.

Springboks (past and present)

Finals results

Currie Cup

The Sharks won eight Currie Cup competitions:

Season Winners Score Runner-up Venue
1990
Natal 18–12 Northern Transvaal Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1992 Natal 14–13 Transvaal Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
1995 Sharks 25–17 Western Province Kings Park Stadium, Durban
1996 Sharks 33–15 Golden Lions Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
2008
Sharks 14–9 Blue Bulls
ABSA Stadium, Durban
2010 Sharks 30–10 Western Province
ABSA Stadium, Durban
2013 Sharks 33–19 Western Province Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
2018 Sharks 17–12 Western Province Newlands Stadium, Cape Town

The Sharks also finished as runner-up on twelve occasions:

Season Winners Score Runner-up Venue
1956 Northern Transvaal 9–8 Natal Kings Park Stadium, Durban
1984 Western Province 19–9 Natal Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
1993 Transvaal 21–15 Natal Kings Park Stadium, Durban
1999 Golden Lions 32–9 Sharks Kings Park Stadium, Durban
2000 Western Province 25–15 Sharks
Absa Stadium, Durban
2001 Western Province 29–24 Sharks Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
2003 Blue Bulls 40–19 Sharks Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
2011 Golden Lions 42–16 Sharks Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
2012 Western Province 25–18 Sharks Kings Park Stadium, Durban
2017 Western Province 33–21 Sharks Kings Park Stadium, Durban
2020–21 Blue Bulls 26–19 Sharks Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
2021 Blue Bulls 44–10 Sharks Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

References

  1. ^ "Sharks Rugby". Archived from the original on 7 July 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  2. ^ "KZNRU Tournaments". Sharks Rugby. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Sharks Women". Sharks Rugby. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Sharks Academy About".
  5. ^ "Sharks Academy Graduates".
  6. ^ "Match Centre". SA Rugby. Retrieved 13 March 2023.

External links