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{{Short description|South African rugby team}}
{{Template:Infobox_esl_club | clubname = Sharks
{{About|the provincial union|the United Rugby Championship team|Sharks (rugby union)}}
| image = [[Image:Sharkie.gif|center]]| fullname = ''Sharks''
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
| emblem = [[Shark]]
{{Use South African English|date=June 2015}}
| colours = Black & white
{{Infobox rugby team
| founded = 1890
| teamname = Sharks
| sport = [[Rugby union]]
| image = Sharks rugby union logo.png
| league = [[Currie Cup]]
| imagesize = 195px
| ground = [[Kings Park Stadium]]
| fullname = Sharks
| web = [http://www.sharksrugby.co.za/ sharksrugby.co.za]
| union = KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union
| region = [[KwaZulu-Natal]], South Africa
| countryflag = South Africa
| emblem = [[Shark]]
| colours = Black & white
| founded = 1890
| president = Brian van Zyl
| rugby director = [[Neil Powell]]
| coach = [[JP Pietersen]]
| captain =
| appearances = [[Hugh Reece-Edwards]] (165)
| top scorer = [[Hugh Reece-Edwards]] (1114)
| most tries = [[James Small (rugby union)|James Small]] (51)
| sport = [[Rugby union]]
| league = [[Currie Cup]]
| season = [[2024 Currie Cup Premier Division|2024]]
| position = Champions<br/> 3rd on the log
| ground = [[Kings Park Stadium|Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium]]
| capacity = 54,000
| nicknames = 'The Sharks', 'Natal', 'The Banana Boys'
| url = www.sharksrugby.co.za
| pattern_la1 = _NatalSharksleft17
| pattern_b1 = _NatalSharkskit17
| pattern_ra1 = _NatalSharksright17
| pattern_sh1 = _Canterburyshorts17b
| pattern_so1 = _whiteborder
| leftarm1 =
| body1 =
| rightarm1 =
| shorts1 = FFFFFF
| socks1 = 000000
| current = 2023 Currie Cup Premier Division
}}
}}
The '''Natal Sharks''' are a [[South Africa]]n [[rugby union]] team that participates in the annual [[Currie Cup]] [[tournament]]. They play out of [[Durban]] at ABSA Park Stadium (formerly known as Kings Park). They draw most of their players from the [[KwaZulu-Natal Province]]. The Sharks are the current incarnation of the Natal rugby Union, founded in 1890. The team were known simply as 'the Banana Boys' until the mid-1990s.


'''NB:''' This team should not be confused with the [[Sharks (rugby club)|Sharks]] of the [[Super 14]] competition. Both teams currently play in the same stadium and draw their players from the same area, but are otherwise distinct. For most of Super Rugby history, the Sharks Super Rugby franchise drew players from a larger area than did the Natal Sharks. However, this changed in the 2005-06 close season when the [[Southern Spears]] organisation was created.
The '''Sharks''' (known as the '''[[Hollywoodbets]] Sharks''' for sponsorship reasons) are a South Africa [[rugby union]] team that participates in the annual [[Currie Cup]] tournament. The Sharks are the current representative team of the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union and they draw some of their players from the [[KwaZulu-Natal Province]]. For most of their history, the team was known simply as 'Natal', with a nickname of 'The Banana Boys' or '''{{lang|af|Piesangboere}}''' in Afrikaans, until the mid-1990s when they were re-branded as the Sharks.

The team is the fourth most successful provincial union in the [[Currie Cup]], having won the competition nine 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, 2018 and most recently in 2024.

KwaZulu-Natal Rugby are a minority owner of the [[Sharks (rugby union)|Sharks]] franchise who compete in the [[United Rugby Championship]]. MVM Holdings are the majority owner of the Sharks franchise. They also play in Durban and represent the province of [[KwaZulu-Natal]]. For most of [[Super Rugby]] history, the Sharks Super Rugby franchise drew players from a much larger area than the Sharks provincial union, with the rugby unions of [[Border Bulldogs|Border]], based in [[East London, Eastern Cape|East London]] and [[Eastern Province Elephants|Eastern Province]] from [[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==
==History==
Natal made their first [[Currie Cup]] final appearance in the 1956 season, where they met [[Northern Transvaal]] at home, [[Kings Park Stadium]] in [[Durban]]. Natal went down by just a single point, with Northern Transvaal winning the match nine points to eight.


===Early history===
Natal would not make another finals appearance until the 1984 season, when they met [[Western Province]] at [[Newlands Stadium]] in [[Cape Town]]. Natal lost the match nineteen points to nine. Natal met 1956 final opponents, Northern Transvaal, in the legendary 1990 final in Pretoria, though this time, Natal won the contest, claiming their first ever Currie Cup, with the final score being 18 points to 12. Natal won the match with Tony Watson's famous '9 point try'. With score at 12-9, Right Winger Watson tuched down to make it 13-12 in Natal's favour, but he was fouled upon scoring. Stransky converted to give Natal a 3-point lead, and his successful subsequent penalty gave Natal the six point lead which they held until the final whistle. The victorious side were captained by scrumhalf Craig Jamieson, who led the team on a ticker-tape parade through central Durban later. The victory was especially poignant for being both Natal's first, and for occurring in the Union's Centenary year.
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 [[Cecil (Bill) Payn|Bill Payn]], [[Wally Clarkson]] and [[Philip J. Nel|Philip Nel]], who led [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]] on the country's unbeaten tour of [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] in [[1937 South Africa rugby union tour to Australasia|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 (rugby union)|Western Province]] and [[Golden Lions|Transvaal]].


===1920-1990: The years of pain===
Natal were again in the finals only two seasons after their 1990 victory. They won their second Currie Cup title, defeating Transvaal by a single point, winning 14 points to 13 at [[Ellis Park Stadium|Ellis Park]] in [[Johannesburg]]. This was another important victory, because it confirmed that Natal were consistently good performers, and not just one-hit wonders. The Sharks' success in the 1990s continued, with the team making it to the following season final as well. Though they were not able to win back-to-back titles, going down to the mighty [[Transvaal]] 15 to 21 at home.


Natal did not enjoy any success prior to the 1960s, although legendary coach [[Izak van Heerden]] did manage to fashion two unbeaten seasons in '61 and '63, when the Currie Cup competition was not held. The 1956 final saw Natal up against [[Blue Bulls|Northern Transvaal]] and even though it was contested at [[Kingsmead Cricket Ground|Kingsmead]] in Durban, 9-8 was the score in favour of the men from [[Pretoria]]. With so many Springbok test matches in the early 1960s, the Currie Cup was contested only four times in that decade. Natal failed to make an impression, despite being able to call on the likes of Springboks [[Ormond Taylor]] and [[Keith Oxlee]]. But the province did succeed in building its own unique style of exciting rugby, thanks to the foresight and genius of Van Heerden. Van Heerden, who coached Natal from the late 1950s into the 1960s, was ahead of his time, fostering a brand of rugby that placed so much emphasis on ball retention and the interplay of forwards and backs to produce try-scoring opportunities. Nonetheless, Natal saw very little success in the 1970s, until the arrival of [[Wynand Claassen]] from Pretoria in late 1979. What followed was a rare third-place finish in the Currie Cup in 1980, with Claassen receiving inspirational support from [[Wales|Welshman]] [[Roger Gardner]] and former [[Australian national rugby union team|Wallaby]] [[Mark Loane]]. The standout result was a 22-19 defeat of Northern Transvaal – Natal's first win over Northern's at [[Loftus Versfeld]] in 41 years. [[Blue Bulls|Northern Transvaal]] went on to win the Currie Cup again that year, but Natal was the only side to get the better of them.
Natal provided virtually all the players who participated in the Sharks squads of the 1990s in first the Super 10 competition, and its later edition, the Super 12. Durban-based players continue to provide the bulk of the current Super 14 squad. Natal and the Sharks performed inconsistently in the early years of the Southern Hemisphere competition, but earned the respect of Antipodean clubs and reached the final of the second Super 10 competition in 1994. The team developed a particularly intense rivalry with the Auckland Blues, and Sharks-Blues contests are usually one of the highlights of Super rugby. The Blues regularly win these encounters. The team also particularly enjoy defeating Brisbane's Queensland Reds, one of the bottom feeders of the competition, mostly due to a rivalry that dates back to the 1994 Super 10 final, won by Queensland, and the fact that Durban and Brisbane are considered by many to be almost 'twin cities', sharing a similar climate, population size, and relaxed, seaside atmosphere. Natal reached the final of the 1996 Super 12 conmpetition and the Sharks reached the 2001 final.


===1981-1985: Relegation to Section B===
Although they were not finalists of the following 1994 season, the Natal Sharks continued to feature in the 90's and were probably the second best team behind the dominant Lions (winners of three Currie Cup titles and the only South African franchise to win a "Super" title the Super 10 in 1993). Natal luckily won the 1995 Currie Cup, defeating Western Province 25 to 17 at home. They then pulled off back-to-back Currie Cup titles; defeating the [[Golden Lions]] in the 1996 decider, 33 points to 15 at Ellis Park. They made one other final appearance during the decade, against 1996 finalists, the Golden Lions, who defeated the Sharks 32 points to nine in Durban, once again proving their dominance over the Durban side.
During the 80s, Natal could call on players of the calibre of [[Gawie Visagie]], [[Henry Coxwell (rugby union)|Henry Coxwell]], [[Rob Hankinson]] and [[Mort Mortassagne]], but relegation to the B-Section followed in '81. The side made up for this in 1984 by qualifying for the Currie Cup final, despite plying their trade in the B-Section. That was after a stunning semi-final victory over [[Free State Cheetahs|Free State]], thanks to two tries from [[Des McLean (rugby union)|Des McLean]] and one each from [[Derek la Marque]] and Claassen. The "Banana Boys" gave a good account of themselves in the 1984 final, but [[Western Province (rugby team)|Western Province]] were too good, winning 19-9 at [[Newlands Stadium|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===
Following the 1999 final loss to the Golden Lions, the Sharks made it to the 2000 final, where they went down to Western Province 25 to 15 in Durban. They faced Western Province again in the subsequent season final, with Province losing 29 to 24 in Cape Town. The Sharks did not feature in the 2002 final, but faced the Blue Bulls in the 2003 final, who defeated them 40 to 19 in Pretoria. Chokers? Quite possibly.
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 [[1990 Currie Cup Division A|1990 Currie Cup season]], which saw Natal sweep aside just about all before them, with only a heavy round-robin defeat to [[Blue Bulls|Northern Transvaal]] playing on their minds as they traveled north to face the same opponents in the final. Despite Natal's great season, the men from Pretoria were heavily favoured to win, particularly in front of a partisan home crowd that had become accustomed to Currie Cup success. And with match-winning [[Fly-half (rugby union)|flyhalf]] [[Naas Botha]] at the helm, it was widely accepted that the Blue Bulls just had to show up to win. But, in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition, McIntosh's side turned the tables and edged out their more-fancied opponents 18-12, after a match-winning try from flying [[Wing (rugby union)|winger]] [[Tony Watson (rugby union)|Tony Watson]]. The victorious side was captained by [[Scrum-half (rugby union)|scrumhalf]] [[Craig Jamieson (rugby union)|Craig Jamieson]], who led the team on a ticker-tape parade through central Durban later in the week. The victory was especially poignant for being both Natal's first, and for occurring in the union's centenary year. Players from that history-making team included [[Fullback (rugby union)|fullback]] [[Hugh Reece-Edwards]] and [[Centre (rugby union)|centres]] [[Dick Muir]] and [[Jeremy Thomson]]. But the hard work was done upfront by [[Gerhard Harding]], [[Tom Lawton]] and [[Guy Kebble]] in the front row, backed up by the [[Lock (rugby union)|lock]] pairing of [[Andre Botha (rugby union)|Andre Botha]] and [[Rudi Visagie]], [[flanker (rugby union)|flank]] [[Wahl Bartmann]] and [[Number Eight (rugby union)|eighth man]] [[Andrew Aitken (rugby union)|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 (rugby union, born 1963)|Robert du Preez]] and Botha.

[[File:Natal Rugby Union logo.svg|right|thumb|150px|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 [[Andre Joubert]], flyhalf [[Henry Honiball]], centre [[Pieter Muller]] and [[Prop (rugby union)|prop]] [[Ollie le Roux]] all making the trip to Durban to seek greater fortune. Another shrewd acquisition was tireless flanker Bartmann from [[Golden Lions|Transvaal]], and [[1992 Currie Cup|1992]] saw him lead Natal to a second Currie Cup triumph – this time away from home. [[Francois Pienaar]]'s powerful Transvaal unit were defeated 14-13 in the final at [[Ellis Park Stadium|Ellis Park]]. A 21-15 Currie Cup final defeat to the same opponents followed in [[1993 Currie Cup|1993]] – a loss that was made all the more difficult because it took place in front of an expectant home crowd at Kings Park. But the newly branded Sharks were back in the winner's circle just two years later. By now, players such as locks [[Mark Andrews (rugby union)|Mark Andrews]] and Atherton, [[Hooker (rugby union)|hooker]] [[John Allan (rugby union)|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 [[South Africa national rugby union team|Springbok]] stars. Making the most of a memorable [[1995 Rugby World Cup|World Cup year]] which saw the Springboks claim a historic first world title, McIntosh also recruited [[France national rugby union team|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 Currie Cup|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 Currie Cup|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 [[Golden Lions|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 Currie Cup|1999]] to contest another final, with the likes of Western Province, Free State Cheetahs and the [[Blue Bulls|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 Currie Cup|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 [[2001 Currie Cup|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 Currie Cup|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 Currie Cup Premier Division|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]], [[Tendai Mtawarira|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 Currie Cup Premier Division|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 [[Kings Park Stadium|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 Currie Cup Premier Division|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 Currie Cup Premier Division|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 Currie Cup Premier Division|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sharksrugby.co.za/general/content/currie-cup-history |title=Sharks Rugby |access-date=6 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707204653/http://www.sharksrugby.co.za/general/content/currie-cup-history |archive-date=7 July 2014 }}</ref>

==The Sharks brand==

After being informally called the Banana Boys or ''{{lang|af|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 [[Johannesburg]], [[Pretoria]], [[Port Elizabeth]] and [[Cape Town]]. Most of their supporters however live in [[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 [[College Rovers|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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://sharksrugby.co.za/kznru-league-fixtures/|title=KZNRU Tournaments|work=Sharks Rugby|access-date=6 May 2022}}</ref>

[[KwaZulu-Natal]] is also represented by the [[Durban University of Technology]] and the [[University of KwaZulu-Natal]] in the annual [[Varsity Cup]]/[[Varsity Shield]] competitions.

{{anchor|Duikers}}{{anchor|Wildebeest}}{{anchor|Sharks XV}}

==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 [[COBRA Rugby Tens|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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://sharksrugby.co.za/2021/05/07/womens-rugby-is-back/|title=Sharks Women|work=Sharks Rugby|date=7 May 2021|access-date=6 May 2022}}</ref>

==The Sharks Academy==

The Sharks Academy claims to be the oldest rugby youth academy in South Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sharks Academy About|url=https://sharksacademy.co.za/about}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sharks Academy Graduates|url=https://sharksacademy.co.za/rugby}}</ref>

==The Sharks Region==
{{Image label begin|image=South Africa Provinces showing KZ.png|caption=The geographical area covered by The Sharks|width=250|float=right}}
{{Image label end}}

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==
==Current squad==

{| class="toccolours" style="border-collapse: collapse;"
The following players have been included so far in the Sharks squad for the [[2024 Currie Cup Premier Division]]:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%; width:70%"
|-
|-
! colspan="100%" | Sharks Currie Cup squad
|valign="top"|
|- valign="top"
* [[BJ Botha]]
|
* [[Deon Carstens]]
'''Props'''
* [[Sangoni Mxoli]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Dian Bleuler]]
* [[Jan Toit van Jaarsveld]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Phatu Ganyane]]
* [[Robbie Harris]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} '''[[Ntuthuko Mchunu]]'''
* [[JC Strauss]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Mawande Mdanda]]
* [[Kees Lensing]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Khwezi Mona]]
* [[Danie Saayman]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} '''[[Trevor Nyakane]]'''
* [[Jody Jenneker]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Ig Prinsloo]]
* [[Skipper Badenhorst]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Braam Reyneke]]
* [[Odwa Ndungane]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Kabous Bezuidenhout]]
* [[Cedric Mkhize]]

* [[Brett Hennessey]]
'''Hookers'''
|width="25"|&nbsp;
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Dan Jooste]]
|valign="top"|
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Kerron van Vuuren]]
* [[Bismarck du Plessis]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Bryce Calvert]]
* [[Louwtjie Louw]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Ethan Bester]]
* [[Steven Sykes]]
* {{Flagicon|RSA}} [[Fez Mbatha]]
* [[Werner Cronje]]
* {{Flagicon|SCO}} '''[[Dylan Richardson]]'''
* [[Johan Snyman]]

* [[Nikolai Blignaut]]
'''Locks'''
* [[Alistair Hargreaves]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Meno Barnard]]
* [[Johan Ackermann]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Reniel Hugo]]
* [[Johann Muller]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Coetzee le Roux]]
* [[Wouter Moore]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Reinier Viljoen]]
* [[Beast Mtawarira]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Hennie Sieberhagen]]
* [[Dusty Noble]]
* {{Flagicon|RSA}} [[Gerbrandt Grobler]]
* [[JP Pietersen]]
* {{Flagicon|RSA}} [[Corne Rahl]]
|width="25"|&nbsp;
* {{Flagicon|RSA}} [[Emile van Heerden]]
|valign="top"|


||

'''Loose forwards'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} '''[[Phepsi Buthelezi]]'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Nick Hatton]] ([[Captain (sports)|c]])
* {{Flagicon|Zimbabwe}} '''[[Tinotenda Mavesere]]'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Siya Ningiza]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Jannes Potgieter]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Matt Romao]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Bathobele Hlekani]]
* {{Flagicon|DRC}} [[Emmanuel Tshituka]]
* {{Flagicon|DRC}} [[Vincent Tshituka]]
* {{Flagicon|RSA}} [[James Venter]]

'''Scrum-halves'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Bradley Davids]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Tiaan Fourie]]
* {{Flagicon|RSA}} '''[[Jaden Hendrikse]]'''

'''Fly-halves'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Lionel Cronjé]]
* {{Flagicon|Namibia}} '''[[Tiaan Swanepoel]]'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Chris Horak]]
* {{Flagicon|RSA}} [[Siya Masuku]]

||

'''Centres'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Diego Appollis]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Muller du Plessis]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} '''[[André Esterhuizen]]'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Murray Koster]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Alwayno Visagie]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Lilelihle Bester]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Jurenzo Julius]]
* {{Flagicon|RSA}} '''[[Francois Venter]]'''

'''Wingers'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Eduan Keyter]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Yaw Penxe]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Jaco Williams]]
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Scott Nel]]
* {{Flagicon|RSA}} [[Eduan Keyter]]
* {{Flagicon|RSA}} '''[[Makazole Mapimpi]]'''

'''Fullbacks'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} '''[[Aphelele Fassi]]'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Hakeem Kunene]]
* {{Flagicon|RSA}} '''[[Jordan Hendrikse]]'''

|-
| colspan="100%" style="text-align:center;" | <small>([[Captain (sports)|c]]) Denotes team captain, '''Bold''' denotes internationally capped.</small>
{{notelist|group="Squad"}}
|}

==Springboks (past and present)==

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Cameron Christian]]
* [[Alf Walker (rugby union)|Alf Walker]]
* [[Bill Payn]]
* [[Bertram van der Plank]]
* [[Bill Zeller (rugby union)|Bill Zeller]]
* [[Taffy Townsend]]
* [[Wally Clarkson]]
* [[Phil Nel]]
* [[Jacko Tod]]
* [[Ebbo Bastard]]
* [[Pat Lyster]]
* [[Cecil Moss]]
* [[Roy Dryburgh]]
* [[Keith Oxlee]]
* [[Ormond Taylor]]
* [[Don Walton]]
* [[Trix Truter]]
* [[Snowy Suter]]
* [[Tommy Bedford]]
* [[Rodney Gould (rugby union)|Rodney Gould]]
* [[Hannes Viljoen]]
* [[Piston van Wyk]]
* [[Ian McCallum (psychiatrist)|Ian McCallum]]
* [[Derek van den Berg]]
* [[Wynand Claassen]]
* [[Rudi Visagie]]
* [[Lood Muller]]
* [[Hugh Reece-Edwards]]
* [[Wahl Bartmann]]
* [[Robert du Preez (rugby union, born 1963)|Robert du Preez]] (scrumhalf)
* [[John Allan (rugby union)|John Allan]]
* [[André Joubert]]
* [[Steve Atherton]]
* [[Henry Honiball]]
* [[Guy Kebble]]
* [[Gary Teichmann]]
* [[Joel Stransky]]
* [[Adrian Garvey]]
* [[Jeremy Thomson]]
* [[James Small (rugby union)|James Small]]
* [[Pieter Muller]]
* [[Johan Ackerman]]
* [[Deon Kayser]]
* [[Warren Brosnihan]]
* [[Mark Andrews (rugby union)|Mark Andrews]]
* [[Wayne Fyvie]]
* [[Etienne Fynn]]
* [[Ollie le Roux]]
* [[Warren Britz]]
* [[Warren Britz]]
* [[Conrad Stoltz]]
* [[Jacques Botes]]
* [[Solly Tyibilika]]
* [[AJ Venter]]
* [[AJ Venter]]
* [[Ryan Kankowski]]
* [[Albert van den Berg]]
* [[Keegan Daniel]]
* [[André Snyman]]
* [[Jaco Gouws]]
* [[Robbi Kempson]]
* [[Scott Mathie]]
* [[Percy Montgomery]]
* [[Sandile Nxumalo]]
* [[Ricardo Loubscher]]
* [[Ruan Pienaar]]
* [[Stefan Terblanche]]
* [[Henno Mentz]]
* [[Lukas van Biljon]]
* [[Trevor Halstead]]
* [[Craig Davidson (rugby union)|Craig Davidson]]
* [[John Smit]]
* [[Shaun Sowerby]]
* [[Deon Carstens]]
* [[Solly Tyibilika]]
* [[Butch James]]
* [[Butch James]]
* [[Henno Mentz]]
|width="25"|&nbsp;
* [[Brent Russell]]
|valign="top"|
* [[Scott Spedding]]
* [[BJ Botha]]
* [[Johann Muller (rugby union)|Johann Muller]]
* [[Steve Meyer]]
* [[Francois Steyn]]
* [[Ruan Pienaar]]
* [[Bradley Barritt]]
* [[JP Pietersen]]
* [[François Steyn|Francois Steyn]]
* [[Grant Rees]]
* [[Gcobani Bobo]]
* [[Ryan Kankowski]]
* [[Craig Burden]]
* [[Tendai Mtawarira]]
* [[Waylon Murray]]
* [[Odwa Ndungane]]
* [[Andries Strauss]]
* [[Bismarck du Plessis]]
* [[Jannie du Plessis]]
* [[Adrian Jacobs]]
* [[Adrian Jacobs]]
* [[Okkie Vermeulen]]
* [[Waylon Murray]]
* [[Carl Bezuidenhout]]
* [[Keegan Daniel]]
* [[Bobby Skinstad]]
* [[Patrick Lambie]]
* [[Willem Alberts]]
|}
* [[Lourens Adriaanse]]
* [[Lwazi Mvovo]]
* [[Marcell Coetzee]]
* [[Pieter-Steph du Toit]]
* [[Stephan Lewies]]
* [[Cobus Reinach]]
* [[Jean-Luc du Preez]]
* [[Curwin Bosch]]
* [[Dan du Preez]]
* [[Louis Schreuder]]
* [[Lukhanyo Am]]
* [[Makazole Mapimpi]]
* [[André Esterhuizen]]
* [[Thomas du Toit]]
* [[Akker van der Merwe]]
* [[Robert du Preez (rugby union, born 1993)|Robert du Preez]] (fly-half)
* [[S'busiso Nkosi]]
* [[Jaden Hendrikse]]
* [[Ox Nché]]
* [[Aphelele Fassi]]
* [[Jean Deysel]]
* [[Grant Williams (rugby union)|Grant Williams]]
* [[Roy McLean]] former fly-half, also played for SA cricket team, the [[South Africa national cricket team|Proteas]].
{{div col end}}

==Honours==

* Currie Cup Premier Division
** '''Champions''': (9) [[1990 Currie Cup|1990]], [[1992 Currie Cup|1992]], [[1995 Currie Cup|1995]], [[1996 Currie Cup|1996]], [[2008 Currie Cup|2008]], [[2010 Currie Cup Premier Division|2010]], [[2013 Currie Cup Premier Division|2013]], [[2018 Currie Cup Premier Division|2018]], [[2024 Currie Cup Premier Division|2024]]
** ''Runners-up'': (12) [[1956 Currie Cup|1956]], [[1984 Currie Cup|1984]], [[1993 Currie Cup|1993]], [[1999 Currie Cup|1999]], [[2000 Currie Cup|2000]], [[2001 Currie Cup|2001]], [[2003 Currie Cup|2003]], [[2011 Currie Cup Premier Division|2011]], [[2012 Currie Cup Premier Division|2012]], [[2017 Currie Cup Premier Division|2017]], [[2020–21 Currie Cup Premier Division|2020–21]], [[2021 Currie Cup Premier Division|2021]]
* Vodacom Cup
** ''Runners-up'': [[2006 Vodacom Cup|2006]]
* Vodacom Shield
** ''Runners-up'': [[2002 Vodacom Cup#Vodacom Shield|2002]]


==Finals results==
==Finals results==

===Currie Cup===
===Currie Cup===

{| border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%; border-collapse:collapse;"
The Sharks have won the Currie Cup nine times:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%; width:40%"
|- style="background:#C1D8FF;"
|- style="background:#C1D8FF;"
!Season
! style="width:10%;" | Season
!Winners
! style="width:20%;" | Winners
!Score
! style="width:10%;" | Score
!Runner-up
! style="width:20%;" | Runner-up
!Venue
! style="width:40%;" | Venue
|-
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
| style="text-align:center;" | [[1990 Currie Cup|1990]] || Natal || style="text-align:center;" | 18–12 || {{Rut|Northern Transvaal}} || {{Rus|Loftus Versfeld}}
|[[1956]]
|-
|[[Blue Bulls|Northern Transvaal]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[1992 Currie Cup|1992]] || Natal || style="text-align:center;" | 14–13 || {{Rut|Transvaal}} || {{Rus|Ellis Park Stadium}}
|9 - 8
|-
|[[Natal Sharks]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[1995 Currie Cup|1995]] || Sharks || style="text-align:center;" | 25–17 || {{Rut|Western Province}} || {{Rus|Kings Park Stadium}}
|[[King's Park]], [[Durban]]
|-
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
| style="text-align:center;" | [[1996 Currie Cup|1996]] || Sharks || style="text-align:center;" | 33–15 || {{Rut|Golden Lions}} || {{Rus|Ellis Park Stadium}}
|[[1984]]
|-
|[[Western Province (rugby)|Western Province]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[2008 Currie Cup|2008]] || Sharks || style="text-align:center;" | 14–9 || Blue Bulls || [[ABSA Stadium]], [[Durban]]
|19 - 9
|-
|[[Natal Sharks]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[2010 Currie Cup Premier Division|2010]] || Sharks || style="text-align:center;" | 30–10 || Western Province || [[ABSA Stadium]], [[Durban]]
|[[Loftus Versfeld]], [[Pretoria]]
|-
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
| style="text-align:center;" | [[2013 Currie Cup Premier Division|2013]] || Sharks || style="text-align:center;" | 33–19 || Western Province || {{Rus|Newlands Stadium}}
|[[1990]]
|-
|[[Natal Sharks]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[2018 Currie Cup Premier Division|2018]] || Sharks || style="text-align:center;" | 17–12 || Western Province || {{Rus|Newlands Stadium}}
|18 - 12
|-
|[[Blue Bulls|Northern Transvaal]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[2024 Currie Cup Premier Division|2024]] || Sharks || style="text-align:center;" | 16–14 || Golden Lions||
|[[Loftus Versfeld]], [[Pretoria]]
{{Rus|Ellis Park Stadium}}
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
|[[1992]]
|[[Natal Sharks]]
|14 - 13
|[[Golden Lions|Transvaal]]
|[[Ellis Park Stadium|Ellis Park]], [[Johannesburg]]
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
|[[1993]]
|[[Golden Lions|Transvaal]]
|21 - 15
|[[Natal Sharks]]
|[[King's Park]], [[Durban]]
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
|[[1995]]
|[[Natal Sharks]]
|25 - 17
|[[Western Province (rugby)|Western Province]]
|[[King's Park]], [[Durban]]
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
|[[1996]]
|[[Natal Sharks]]
|33 - 15
|[[Golden Lions]]<sup>1</sup>
|[[Ellis Park Stadium|Ellis Park]], [[Johannesburg]]
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
|[[1999]]
|[[Golden Lions]]
|32 - 9
|[[Natal Sharks]]
|[[King's Park]], [[Durban]]
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
|[[2000]]
|[[Western Province (rugby)|Western Province]]
|25 - 15
|[[Natal Sharks]]
|[[Absa Stadium]], [[Durban]]
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
|[[2001]]
|[[Western Province (rugby)|Western Province]]
|29 - 24
|[[Natal Sharks]]
|[[Newlands Stadium|Newlands]], [[Cape Town]]
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
|[[2003]]
|[[Blue Bulls]]<sup>2</sup>
|40 - 19
|[[Natal Sharks]]
|[[Loftus Versfeld]], [[Pretoria]]
|}
|}


The Sharks also finished as runner-up on twelve occasions:
===Notes===
<div class="references-small">
<sup>1</sup> Transvaal were renamed the Gauteng Lions; now known as Golden Lions.<br>
<sup>2</sup> Northern Transvaal were renamed the Blue Bulls.<br>
</div>


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%; width:40%"
==External link==
|- style="background:#C1D8FF;"
! style="width:10%;" | Season
! style="width:20%;" | Winners
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:20%;" | Runner-up
! style="width:40%;" | Venue
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[1956 Currie Cup|1956]] || {{Rut|Northern Transvaal}} || style="text-align:center;" | 9–8 || Natal || {{Rus|Kings Park Stadium}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[1984 Currie Cup|1984]] || {{Rut|Western Province}} || style="text-align:center;" | 19–9 || Natal || {{Rus|Newlands Stadium}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[1993 Currie Cup|1993]] || {{Rut|Transvaal}} || style="text-align:center;" | 21–15 || Natal || {{Rus|Kings Park Stadium}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[1999 Currie Cup|1999]] || {{Rut|Golden Lions}} || style="text-align:center;" | 32–9 || Sharks || {{Rus|Kings Park Stadium}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[2000 Currie Cup|2000]] || {{Rut|Western Province}} || style="text-align:center;" | 25–15 || Sharks || [[Absa Stadium]], [[Durban]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[2001 Currie Cup|2001]] || {{Rut|Western Province}} || style="text-align:center;" | 29–24 || Sharks || {{Rus|Newlands Stadium}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[2003 Currie Cup|2003]] || {{Rut|Blue Bulls}} || style="text-align:center;" | 40–19 || Sharks || {{Rus|Loftus Versfeld}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[2011 Currie Cup Premier Division|2011]] || Golden Lions || style="text-align:center;" | 42–16 || Sharks || {{Rus|Ellis Park Stadium}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[2012 Currie Cup Premier Division|2012]] || Western Province || style="text-align:center;" | 25–18 || Sharks || {{Rus|Kings Park Stadium}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[2017 Currie Cup Premier Division|2017]] || Western Province || style="text-align:center;" | 33–21 || Sharks || {{Rus|Kings Park Stadium}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[2020–21 Currie Cup Premier Division|2020–21]] || Blue Bulls || style="text-align:center;" | 26–19 || Sharks || {{Rus|Loftus Versfeld}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[2021 Currie Cup Premier Division|2021]] || Blue Bulls || style="text-align:center;" | 44–10 || Sharks || {{Rus|Loftus Versfeld}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.sharksrugby.co.za/ Official website]
* [http://www.sharksrugby.co.za/ Official website]
* [http://www.sharksworld.co.za/ Sharksworld] - Fan site dedicated to the Sharks rugby teams
* [http://www.sharkssupporterscapetown.co.za/ Cape Town Sharks Supporters Club] - Official website of the Sharks supporters club in Cape Town, South Africa
* [http://www.facebook.com/SharksCapeTown/ Cape Town Sharks Supporters Club on Facebook] - Facebook page of the Sharks supporters club in Cape Town, South Africa
* [http://www.sharkssupportersdurban.co.za/ Durban Sharks Supporters Club] - Official website of the Sharks supporters club in Durban, South Africa
* [http://www.sharkssupporterseastrand.co.za/ East Rand Sharks Supporters Club] - Official website of the Sharks supporters club in East Rand, South Africa
* [http://www.sharkssupportersgauteng.co.za/ Gauteng Central Sharks Supporters Club] - Official website of the Sharks supporters club in Gauteng, South Africa
* [http://www.sharkssupporterspretoria.co.za/ Pretoria Sharks Supporters Club] - Official website of the Sharks supporters club in Pretoria, South Africa


{{Currie Cup}}
{{Currie Cup}}
{{Rugby Challenge}}
{{Vodacom Cup}}
{{Rugby union in South Africa}}
{{Sharks (Currie Cup) squad}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:South African rugby union teams]]
[[Category:Rugby union teams in South Africa]]
[[Category:Sport in Durban]]

[[Category:Sport in KwaZulu-Natal]]
[[fr:Natal Sharks]]
[[Category:1890 establishments in the Colony of Natal]]
[[Category:Rugby clubs established in 1890]]

Latest revision as of 12:01, 29 September 2024

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)JP Pietersen
Most appearancesHugh Reece-Edwards (165)
Top scorerHugh Reece-Edwards (1114)
Most triesJames Small (51)
League(s)Currie Cup
2024Champions
3rd on the log
Team kit
Official website
www.sharksrugby.co.za
Current season

The Sharks (known as the Hollywoodbets Sharks for sponsorship reasons) are a South Africa rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The Sharks are the current representative team of the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union and they draw some of their players from 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 fourth most successful provincial union in the Currie Cup, having won the competition nine 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, 2018 and most recently in 2024.

KwaZulu-Natal Rugby are a minority owner of the Sharks franchise who compete in the United Rugby Championship. MVM Holdings are the majority owner of the Sharks franchise. They also play in Durban and represent the province of KwaZulu-Natal. For most of Super Rugby history, the Sharks Super Rugby franchise drew players from a much larger area than the Sharks provincial union, with the rugby unions of Border, based in East London and Eastern Province from 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

[edit]

Early history

[edit]

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 Bill Payn, Wally Clarkson and Philip Nel, who led South Africa on the country's unbeaten tour of Australia and New Zealand in 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

[edit]

Natal did not enjoy any success prior to the 1960s, although legendary coach Izak van Heerden did manage to fashion two unbeaten seasons in '61 and '63, when the Currie Cup competition was not held. The 1956 final saw Natal up against Northern Transvaal and even though it was contested at Kingsmead in Durban, 9-8 was the score in favour of the men from Pretoria. With so many Springbok test matches in the early 1960s, the Currie Cup was contested only four times in that decade. Natal failed to make an impression, despite being able to call on the likes of Springboks Ormond Taylor and Keith Oxlee. But the province did succeed in building its own unique style of exciting rugby, thanks to the foresight and genius of Van Heerden. Van Heerden, who coached Natal from the late 1950s into the 1960s, was ahead of his time, fostering a brand of rugby that placed so much emphasis on ball retention and the interplay of forwards and backs to produce try-scoring opportunities. Nonetheless, Natal saw very little success in the 1970s, until the arrival of Wynand Claassen from Pretoria in late 1979. What followed was a rare third-place finish in the Currie Cup in 1980, with Claassen receiving inspirational support from Welshman Roger Gardner and former Wallaby Mark Loane. The standout result was a 22-19 defeat of Northern Transvaal – Natal's first win over Northern's at Loftus Versfeld in 41 years. Northern Transvaal 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

[edit]

During the 80s, Natal could call on players of the calibre of Gawie Visagie, Henry Coxwell, Rob Hankinson and Mort Mortassagne, but relegation to the B-Section followed in '81. The side made up for this in 1984 by qualifying for the Currie Cup final, despite plying their trade in the B-Section. That was after a stunning semi-final victory over Free State, thanks to two tries from Des McLean and one each from Derek la Marque and Claassen. The "Banana Boys" gave a good account of themselves in the 1984 final, but 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

[edit]

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 1990 Currie Cup season, which saw Natal sweep aside just about all before them, with only a heavy round-robin defeat to Northern Transvaal playing on their minds as they traveled north to face the same opponents in the final. Despite Natal's great season, the men from Pretoria were heavily favoured to win, particularly in front of a partisan home crowd that had become accustomed to Currie Cup success. And with match-winning flyhalf Naas Botha at the helm, it was widely accepted that the Blue Bulls just had to show up to win. But, in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition, McIntosh's side turned the tables and edged out their more-fancied opponents 18-12, after a match-winning try from flying winger Tony Watson. The victorious side was captained by scrumhalf Craig Jamieson, who led the team on a ticker-tape parade through central Durban later in the week. The victory was especially poignant for being both Natal's first, and for occurring in the union's centenary year. Players from that history-making team included fullback Hugh Reece-Edwards and centres Dick Muir and Jeremy Thomson. But the hard work was done upfront by Gerhard Harding, Tom Lawton and Guy Kebble in the front row, backed up by the lock pairing of Andre Botha and Rudi Visagie, flank Wahl Bartmann and 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

[edit]

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 Andre Joubert, flyhalf Henry Honiball, centre Pieter Muller and prop Ollie le Roux all making the trip to Durban to seek greater fortune. Another shrewd acquisition was tireless flanker Bartmann from Transvaal, and 1992 saw him lead Natal to a second Currie Cup triumph – this time away from home. Francois Pienaar's powerful Transvaal unit were defeated 14-13 in the final at Ellis Park. A 21-15 Currie Cup final defeat to the same opponents followed in 1993 – a loss that was made all the more difficult because it took place in front of an expectant home crowd at Kings Park. But the newly branded Sharks were back in the winner's circle just two years later. By now, players such as locks Mark Andrews and Atherton, 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

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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

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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

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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 Johannesburg, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Most of their supporters however live in KwaZulu-Natal Province, particularly in and around Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

Rivalries

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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

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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]

KwaZulu-Natal is also represented by the Durban University of Technology and the University of KwaZulu-Natal in the annual Varsity Cup/Varsity Shield competitions.

Other teams

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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

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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

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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

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The following players have been included so far in the Sharks squad for the 2024 Currie Cup Premier Division:

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)

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Honours

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Finals results

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Currie Cup

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The Sharks have won the Currie Cup nine times:

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
2024 Sharks 16–14 Golden Lions

Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg

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

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  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".
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