web = wprugby.comWestern 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. It was established in 1883, making it the oldest team in the competition. The team wears blue and white jerseys, and play at the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town.

History

1883-1945

The club was established in 1883. The club claimed their first Currie Cup title in 1899; they repeated this success just three years later, winning the title again in 1892. Western Province contiued 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, though two of these were shared with Border. When the first Currie Cup championship was introduced in 1939, Western Province featured in the final, but lost to Transvaal 17 points to six in Cape Town.

1946-present

After losing the final in 1946 to Northern Transvaal, Western Province won their first the 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, lost to Orange Free State in Bloemfontein. Three years later they won the Currie Cup, although they had to share the victory with Northern Transvaal at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town. This rivalry continued, being defeated by Northern Transvaal the following season, the teams met in another six championships until the 1990s. After being defeated by 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 went down to old rivals, now the Blue Bulls (former Northern Transvaal). The Western Province won the championship twice in 2000 and 2001, defeating the Sharks on both occasions.

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	Natal Sharks	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1984	Western Province	19 - 9	Northern Transvaal	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

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.

Records and statistics

Most points in a season

* 619 in 1997 (15 matches)

Most tries in a season

* 84 in 1997 (15 matches)

Largest victory

* 103-9 v Eastern Free State

Most tries by a player

* 51 by Carel du Plessis (also played for Transvaal)
* 51 by Niel Burger

Most tries in a season by a player

* 19 by Carel du Plessis in 1989

Most tries in a match by a player

* 5 by Justin Swart v Northern Free State in 1996
* 5 by Breyton Paulse v Gauteng Falcons in 1997
* 5 by Egon Seconds v Griqualand West in 2004

Most career points

* 1021 by Calla Scholtz

Most points in a season by a player

* 227 by Calla Scholtz in 1988 (14 matches)

External link

* Official website

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Western Province (rugby team): Encyclopedia BETA

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Western Province (rugby team)