Currie Cup Finals since 1939
South Africa’s provinces have competed for a trophy since 1889. Since 1892 that trophy has been the Currie Cup. Playing Finals have been more recent and continuous since 1968. It is the big event of the domestic season.
There have been 47 Currie Cup finals since 1939, the year of the very first Final. The Blue Bulls, formerly Northern Transvaal, have won most of them and will have another crack in Durban on Saturday.
There have been Currie Cup Finals at ten different venues. Loftus Versfeld has played host to most – 16 in all, of which the Blue Bulls (Northern Transvaal) have won 13 and losing to Western Province in 1983, Natal in 1990 and Free State in 2005. Loftus Versfeld has been kind to them. Mind you it has not been as kind as Newlands has been to Western Province. Western Province have lost a Currie Cup final there only once and that was the first one, way back in 1939.
Natal have won the Currie Cup Final four times, but only one of those victories has been at home. Their home record is not as good. They have played in five Finals at home and won just once.
Natal’s only home victory was over Western Province, in 1995. That afternoon it poured with rain, which was supposed to have suited Western Province from the winter-rain area. In fact Natal simply outplayed them. The weather conditions almost made it an away match for Natal.
Playing at home is an advantage, but not a remarkable one. Of the 47 Currie Cup Finals so far, the home teams have won 26, four have been drawn and the visitors have won 17. That’s OK, for it seems that the visitors have a chance.
The Currie Cup finals have all happened in my lifetime and everyone has been special. Saturday’s in Durban will again be special. It will be one of those “Do you remember” matches
Currie Cup Final results
The first Currie Cup Final was played in 1939, at Newlands when Transvaal beat Western Province.
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 Cheetahs, 42-33 in Pretoria
2005: Cheetahs vs Blue Bulls, 29-25 in Pretoria
2006: Cheetahs vs Blue Bulls, 28-28 in Bloemfontein
2007: Cheetahs vs Lions, 20-18 in Bloemfontein
* 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: 47
Number of Times in a Final:
Blue Bulls: 29
Western Province: 22
Lions: 18
Natal: 11
Free State: 11
Boland: 1
Falcons: 1
Griqualand West: 1
Number of victories:
Blue Bulls: 22 (including four draws)
Western Province: 12 (including two draws)
Lions: 8 (including a draw)
Natal: 4
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)
Highest individual score: 26 (Derick Hougaard, 2002)
Most team tries: 7 (Transvaal 1994)
Most appearances: 11 (Burger Geldenhuys, Naas Botha)
Most penalty goals by a player: Thierry Lacroix – 6 in 1995
Most conversions by a player: Gavin Johnson – 6 in 1994
Most dropped goals by a player: Naas Botha – 4 in 1987
Before 1939 and in 1959, 1964 and 1966 the Currie Cup was decided at a tournament or on a league system.
The total number of times each province has won the Currie Cup is as follows:
Western Province: 32 (four times shared)
Blue Bulls: 22 (four times shared)
Golden Lions: 9 (once shared)
Natal: 4
Griqualand West: 3
Free State: 4 (once shared)
Border: 2 (twice shared)
