Western Province (known for sponsorship reasons as
DHL Western Province) is a South African professional
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
team based in
Newlands
Newlands may refer to:
Places Australia
* Newlands, Queensland, a locality in the Whitsunday Region
New Zealand
* Newlands, Wellington, a suburb of Wellington
South Africa
* Newlands, Cape Town, a suburb of Cape Town
* Newlands, Johannesbur ...
,
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
, that participates in the annual
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup 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 ...
and
Vodacom Cup
The Vodacom Cup was an annual rugby union competition in South Africa. Annual Vodacom Cup competitions were played between its inaugural season in 1998 and 2015 and was contested between February and May each year. The Vodacom Cup was the succes ...
tournaments. Founded in 1883, the team has won multiple titles, a record of 34 Currie Cup titles including the inaugural competition, the Vodacom Cup, the Absa Nite Series, and the Lion Cup. The club has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team.
The Club is nicknamed ''Die Streeptruie'' ("The Striped Jerseys" in Afrikaans) in reference to their legendary blue and white hooped jerseys. These Striped Jerseys were the colours of Malmesbury Rugby Football Club, established in 1881. They are also known simply as "Province" by all South African rugby lovers, while
Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
-speaking supporters also refer to the team by its abbreviation, W.P. (pronounced: "vee pee"
ee" as in "beer".
Western Province were the 2012 Vodacom Cup Champions, having defeated the Griquas in 2012 by 20 points to 18. They also are the 2014 Currie cup champions, having defeated the Lions 19–16 in the final. Western Province is the only South African Team besides the Blue Bulls to have appeared in every final of every competition in South African rugby: the Vodacom Cup, the Lion Cup, the Absa Nite Series, the Currie Cup and the Super Rugby Competitions (as the
DHL Stormers
The Stormers (known for sponsorship reasons as the DHL Stormers) is a South African professional rugby union team based in Cape Town in the Western Cape that competes in the United Rugby Championship, a trans-hemispheric competition that also ...
).
Another accomplishment of Western Province, which no South African team has ever been able to match, is the double victories over the
All Blacks
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...
the first being (10–3) played on 15 August 1928 and again (12–11) on 16 July 1976, while several countries have never been able to beat the All Black team, Province managed this feat. In 2010 province again did a remarkable victory over all of New Zealand's five super unions, this was the first and only time such an accomplishment has been achieved. Province has also beaten the
Wallabies
A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and so ...
17–6 in a thrilling encounter in 1963. Province has also drawn to other countries including England in 1984 with a score of 15 all, however province has beaten the
British and Irish Lions
The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...
numerous times, including three times in 1903 and won another match in 1924, the match then had been regarded as "test" status. The only two teams to have beaten overseas countries as well as combination teams (Lions) are yet again the Blue Bulls and Western Province. Province was unstoppable by any other opposition in the 1980s except for Northern Transvaal. Among the ten Currie Cup trophies in the 1980s 5 went to Province 4 went to Northern Transvaal and 1 was shared, this shows the dominance between the two teams and the constant intense rivalry between the unions.
Since 1983 Western Province has been sponsored by
Adidas
Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
, in 2013 this will mark the 30th Anniversary of the sponsorship and the 130th anniversary of the team itself. In 1983 Province launched their centenary jersey of which 50 only ever came into existence, but this is not the rarest province top, the rarest being a complete maroon kit of which only 15 were ever made, this team played under the WP Presidents XV. The maroon jersey along with the centenary jersey as well as the original Stormers orange tops are the three most sought after Province and or Stormers tops.
Team sponsor DHL has officially renewed their sponsorship with Western Province until 2016, following an emphatic 2012 season.
Western Province currently combines with
Boland Cavaliers
The Boland Cavaliers (Boland Kavaliers in Afrikaans), are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They draw players from the Cape Winelands and West Coast districts of Western Cape Province, an ...
to compete as the
DHL Stormers
The Stormers (known for sponsorship reasons as the DHL Stormers) is a South African professional rugby union team based in Cape Town in the Western Cape that competes in the United Rugby Championship, a trans-hemispheric competition that also ...
in the
United Rugby Championship
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. The current name was adopted in 2021 when the league expanded to include four South Afr ...
competition.
History
The club was established in 1883. The club claimed their first
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup 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 ...
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
The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...
(recently renamed as the
Free State Cheetahs
The Free State Cheetahs (formerly the Orange Free State), currently named the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, for sponsorship reasons, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by th ...
) in
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State (province), Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legisla ...
. Three years later they won the Currie Cup, sharing with Northern Transvaal at
Newlands Stadium
The Newlands Stadium, referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons,
is located in Cape Town, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all-seater venue.
Various sports teams use the stadium as their hom ...
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. During South Africa's sporting isolation (brought about as a result of the country's
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
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 equaled. (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 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
The Blue Bulls (known for sponsorship reasons as the Vodacom Blue Bulls) is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Blue Bulls Rugby Union and are based at Loftus Versfe ...
(Northern Transvaal).
Western Province won the championship twice in 2000 and 2001, defeating the Sharks on both occasions. 2010 saw the return of the club as they managed to make both the Super Rugby and Currie Cup finals losing on both occasions. After winning the Vodacom Cup and the Super Rugby Conference Cup, Western Province beat the Sharks in Durban to win the Currie Cup in 2012 as well. In 2013 the Province went unbeaten throughout the Currie Cup but lost in the Final. Western Province continued to dominate the Currie Cup by making the 3 finals in as many years and won the 2014 title beating the Lions in a tight fought match. In 2015 the club went on to win their 3rd and unprecedented Super Rugby Conference Cup in 5 years. In the recent times and in terms of competitions won on all levels, Western Province has been the most successful Rugby Union in South Africa over the period 2011-2015.
Team sponsors
*1988–1998 Norwich
*1999–2002 Fedsure
*2003–2005 Investec
*2006–2010 Vodacom
*2011–present DHL
Clothing sponsors
*1970–1982 Maxmore
*1983–2017 Adidas
*2018 Genuine Connection
Name
The name of the club comes simply from the province they represent. 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
The Boland Cavaliers (Boland Kavaliers in Afrikaans), are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They draw players from the Cape Winelands and West Coast districts of Western Cape Province, an ...
) whereas others had to change their entire name. Transvaal for example had to change their name to the
Golden Lions
The Golden Lions (currently known as the Sigma Golden Lions for sponsorship reasons) is a South African professional rugby union team based in Johannesburg who compete in the annual Currie Cup and Rugby Challenge. The team is governed by the ...
. Northern Transvaal were also renamed the
Blue Bulls
The Blue Bulls (known for sponsorship reasons as the Vodacom Blue Bulls) is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Blue Bulls Rugby Union and are based at Loftus Versfe ...
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
Newlands Stadium
![Stormers rugby](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Stormers_rugby.jpg)
Until 2021, the Western Province Rugby Football Union was 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 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. Western Province continued to have the largest crowd attendance of all the local and international Super Rugby Teams.
Cape Town Stadium
The Western Province Rugby Football Union is currently based at Cape Town Stadium.
Honours
Board Trophy (1):
1889
Events
January–March
* January 1
** The total solar eclipse of January 1, 1889 is seen over parts of California and Nevada.
** Paiute spiritual leader Wovoka experiences a vision, leading to the start of the Ghost Dance movement in the ...
Currie Cup (34) (4 Shared): 1892, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1898, 1904, 1906, 1908, 1914, 1920, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1932 (shared), 1934 (shared), 1936, 1947, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1979 (shared), 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989 (shared), 1997, 2000, 2001,
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, 2014, 2017
Lion Cup (3) 1984, 1988, 1989
Currie Cup / Central Series Percy Frames Trophy (1) 1986
SuperSport Rugby Challenge (1) 2017
Vodacom Cup (1) 2012
Bankfin Nite Series
The Bankfin Nite Series was a rugby union competition in South Africa. There were two editions of this competition, in 1996 and 1997. It was sponsored by Bankfin, who also sponsored the Currie Cup competitions. After two seasons, it was succeed ...
(1) 1997
Glasgow Academicals Sevens (1) 1993
Current squad
The following players were included in the Western Province squad for the
2022 Currie Cup Premier Division
The 2022 Currie Cup Premier Division will be the 84th edition of the top tier of the Currie Cup, the premier domestic rugby union competition in South Africa. It will be sponsored by beer brand Carling Black Label and organised by the South Afri ...
:
Finals results
Currie Cup
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.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Western Province (Rugby Team)
South African rugby union teams
Sport in Cape Town
Rugby clubs established in 1883