Stormers v Bulls - Who are the real frontrunners?

STAT ATTACK: As we build up to another mouthwatering clash between South Africa’s biggest domestic rivals – the Stormers and Bulls, @rugby365com takes a trip down memory lane exploring the great history between these two proud unions.

Established in 1938, the then Northern Transvaal (Bulls) Rugby Union broke away from the Transvaal Rugby Football Union (Lions) to gain independence.

Their first Currie Cup win in 1946 came against what would turn out to be their greatest domestic rival – Western Province as they lifted the coveted trophy in an 11-9 victory over the Capetonians.

These two sides still battle it out year in and out in the domestic competition, with the Bulls having more recent success with back-to-back Currie Cup titles in 2020 (played in 2021 due to the global pandemic) and 2021, with Western Province’s last title coming in 2017.

This rivalry got a new twist in 1996 when the birth of the then Super 12 (Super Rugby) came into effect as Northern Transvaal beat Western Province 35-7 at Newlands in their first meeting of the competition and effectively finishing third on the table behind the Blues and Reds, with the Auckland-based side winning the inaugural title.

The two sides rebranded to the Northern Bulls (later just Bulls) and Western Stormers (later just Stormers)  in 1998 where the Cape side’s dominant run over their rivals started with a 35-18 victory, and that chokehold continued until 2005 when the Bulls sealed an emphatic 75-14 win at Loftus against the Stormers.

In the following five years, the Bulls would continue that dominance in their golden era which saw them win three Super Rugby titles, including a Final against the Stormers in 2010 where they claimed their third championship.

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Since then the results in Super Rugby have been a semi-one-sided affair, with the Stormers winning 13 out of the 19 meetings – the last result being a 13-0 win for the Capetonians before the season got called off due to the global pandemic in early 2020.

The Bulls gained some dominance when Jake White took the reigns in 2020, with South African teams not being able to travel. The Bulls had a four-match streak over their rivals in Super Rugby Unlocked, the SA Preparation Series and the baby of what is now known as the URC – the Rainbow Cup.

As history has shown, the momentum swung once again when the two sides met for the first time in the URC at Loftus.

The Bulls looked set to win the match with minutes to spare before a linebreak by Seabelo Senatla set Paul de Wet up for what would be the match-winning score in 2022.

This would mark the start of a seven-match streak the Stormers had over the Bulls, including the inaugural URC Final at the Cape Town Stadium which the hosts clinched by 18-13.

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The streak ended in their last meeting at Loftus Versfeld where Jake White’s Bulls emerged winners by 40-22 to record their first URC victory over the Stormers in 2024.

There could be another momentum swing when these sides clash again this weekend, with the Bulls in a comfortable third place on the URC table with two games in hand, while the Stormers languish in 12th place with one match in hand.

If history taught us anything, log position and form count for little when these two giants of South African Rugby meet, and it will be no different when they lock horns once again at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

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Played: 46
Stormers wins: 27
Bulls wins: 18
Draw:1
Average score: Stormers 22-23 Bulls