The Sharks is a South African professional rugby union team based in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. They compete internationally in the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup, having competed in the Super Rugby competition until 2020. They are centred on the Sharks union, also based in Durban and drawing players from all of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. The team plays its home matches at the Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium in Durban.
Jacob Charles White is a professional rugby union coach and former coach of the South African national team – the Springboks – whom he coached to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 Tri Nations. White also coached the Under-21 Springbok side to victory in the Under-21 World Cup in 2002. He was coach of the Brumbies in the Super Rugby from 2012, but resigned with two years remaining on his contract in 2013 to return to South Africa. On returning to South Africa, he coached the Sharks for a single season, explaining he wanted to seek international opportunities. This arose in a technical role with the Tongan national team. After assisting Tonga in their 3 Test European Tour in 2014, White was announced as Montpellier's new boss, overseeing all coaching aspects for the club.
Bryan Gary Habana OIS is a South African former professional rugby union player. Playing mainly as a wing, he is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. He played for the Golden Lions, the Blue Bulls and Western Province in South Africa, for the Bulls and the Stormers in Super Rugby, and for Toulon in the French Top 14, and won 124 caps for the South Africa national team.
Petrus Fourie du Preez is a South African former professional rugby union player. He played as a scrum half for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup competition and the Bulls in Super Rugby between 2002 and 2011, and for Japanese Top League side Suntory Sungoliath between 2011 and 2016. He represented South Africa between 2004 and 2015, winning 76 caps, playing in three Rugby World Cup tournaments, and winning the 2007 competition.
Ruan Pienaar is a retired South African professional rugby union player who played either as a scrum-half or as a fly-half for the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup.
Jon-Paul Roger "JP" Pietersen is a South African former rugby union player for the Sharks in the Currie Cup. He generally played fullback or wing, but occasionally he played at outside centre. He played in 69 tests for the Springboks.
Christoffel Johannes van der Linde is a South African former professional rugby union player and currently the scrum coach at French Top 14 side Montpellier. He played first class rugby between 2002 and 2015 in South Africa, Ireland, England and France and also made 75 test matches for South Africa, which included winning the 2007 Rugby World Cup. His usual playing position was prop.
Herman Meyer Bosman is a South African former professional rugby player, who last played for the Stade Français, in France. He is a flyhalf (10), but has recently showed great ability in the inside-center position. He has played for the national team of South Africa, the Springboks on 3 occasions in test matches between 2005 and 2006. He played his last test to date on 15 July 2006 against Australia in Brisbane. Throughout his career, Bosman won three Currie Cup trophies, two outright and drawing another in 2006, also finishing as runner-up twice with the Sharks.
Waylon Michael Murray is a rugby union player. He has retired from professional rugby and is now the director of sport at Kearsney College. He stands 190 cm tall and weighs in at 105 kg and plays the position of centre or wing.
Bismarck Wilhelm du Plessis is a South African former professional rugby union player, who played for the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship and for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup. He played for the Free State Cheetahs in 2003, before moving to the Sharks in 2005 where he spent the bulk of his career, and then to Montpellier in the French Top 14. He is widely acknowledged to be one of the best hookers of his time, both in club and country performances.
Jan Nathaniel du Plessis is a former South African rugby union player, who played as a prop for Montpellier in the French Top 14 and the Lions in Super Rugby. He played for the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup and the Cheetahs in Super Rugby until 2007, when he joined Durban-based side the Sharks, where he played until 2015. He won 70 caps for South Africa between 2007 and 2015.
Morné Steyn, is a South African former professional rugby union player who played as a fly-half for the Bulls and played for the South Africa national team, up until his retirement from international test rugby in October 2021.
Patrick Jonathan Lambie is a retired South African professional rugby union player who last played for Racing 92 in the French Top 14. He announced his retirement in January 2019 due to multiple concussions.
Coenraad Victor Oosthuizen, nicknamed 'Coenie' or 'Shrek', is a professional rugby union player for Sale Sharks in the English Premiership. He previously represented the Free State Cheetahs and Sharks in the Currie Cup, the Cheetahs and Sharks in Super Rugby and also was chosen for the Springboks squad in 2010, 2011 and 2012, making his test debut in the first test against England in Durban in 2012.
Demetri Catrakilis is a South African former professional rugby union player. He played for Premiership side Harlequins, Top 14 side Montpellier, for the Stormers and the Southern Kings in Super Rugby and Pro 14, for Western Province in the Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup competitions and for the UCT Ikey Tigers in the Varsity Cup. His regular playing position was fly-half.
Jacobus Meyer Reinach is a South African professional rugby union player who plays for the Top 14 side Montpellier and South Africa national team. His playing position is scrum-half and he is the son of former Springbok winger Jaco Reinach. He was the member of the victorious Springbok team who won at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, Yokohama.
Johannes Lodewikus Goosen is a South African professional rugby union player. He plays as a fly-half, full-back or centre for the Bulls and the Blue Bulls, competing in the United Rugby Championship and the Currie Cup.
Willem Jacobus le Roux is a South African professional rugby union player. He is a versatile back-line player who generally plays as a fullback or wing, though earlier in his career he played mostly as a fly-half. He plays for the South Africa national team and for the Blue Bulls in the United Rugby Championship. He was born in Stellenbosch. He is known for his vision, try assisting and ability under the high ball. He is widely regarded as one of the best fullbacks of his generation.
Pieter-Steyn de Wet is a South African rugby union player for Floirac in the French Fédérale 1. His usual position is fly-half.
Handré Pollard is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the South Africa national team and Leicester Tigers in England's Premiership Rugby. His regular playing positions are fly-half, where he started for South Africa in their 2019 Rugby World Cup Final win, and inside-centre. He has previously played for the Bulls and Blue Bulls in his native South Africa, Osaka Red Hurricanes in Japan and Montpellier in France. He is one of 43 players who have won the Rugby World Cup on multiple occasions, 24 of whom are South Africans.
