Griquas (rugby union)

Last updated

Griquas
Griquas Rugby Union logo.svg
Full nameGriquas
UnionGriqualand West Rugby Union
Nickname(s)Poubloues (Peacock Blues)
Emblem(s)Oryx
Founded1886
Region Northern Cape Province, South Africa
Ground(s) Griqua Park (Capacity: 11,000 [1] )
Coach(es) Pieter Bergh
Captain(s) Niel Otto
League(s) Currie Cup
2023 7th
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Kit body Griquaskit16.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm Griquasright16.png
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Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks Griquassocks15.png
Kit socks long.svg
1st kit
Kit left arm Griquasleft16b.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body Griquaskit16b.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm Griquasright16b.png
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Kit socks Griquassocks15.png
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2nd kit
Official website
www.griquasrugby.co.za
Rugby football current event.svg Current season

Griquas (known as the Suzuki Griquas for sponsorship reasons) [2] are a South African professional rugby union team based in Kimberley in Northern Cape, that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. Their home ground is Griqua Park in Kimberley and they draw their players mostly from Northern Cape Province. They have won the Currie Cup three times – in 1899, 1911 and 1970 – and the Vodacom Cup a joint-record five times.

Contents

History

The rugby team was established in 1886 in the then British colony of Griqualand West. Five years later, during the 1891 British Lions tour to South Africa, Griqualand West played the British Lions in Kimberley. Although they lost 3–0, the British presented the team with the Currie Cup, as they thought that Griqualand West produced the best performance out of the provincial games on their tour. [3] The Currie Cup became South Africa's domestic prize, and Griqualand West first won it in 1899. Griqualand West subsequently won the Currie Cup again in 1911. After the introduction of official annual championships in 1969, Griqualand West won the final the next season, defeating Northern Transvaal 11–9 to claim their third title. Since then, Griquas have not won the Currie Cup. [4]

The majority of Griquas supporters hail from the Northern Cape province of South Africa, most notably in and around Kimberley, where the team plays their home games. Their traditional rivals are Western Province, a rivalry that stems back to the earliest days of the Currie Cup, when Griqualand West were a dominant force in South African rugby. Since the 1970s, a friendly rivalry has also developed with neighbours the Free State Cheetahs in what has become known as the 'central derby'. Griquas are nicknamed the "Peacock Blues". [5]

Current squad

The following players have been included so far in the Griquas squad for the 2023 Currie Cup Premier Division: [6]

Griquas Currie Cup squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Loose forwards

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

Wingers

Fullbacks

(c) Denotes team captain and Bold denotes internationally capped.

    Honours

    Major Honours

    Minor Honours

    Finals

    Currie Cup

    Griquas have won the Currie Cup three times, and have been losing finalists once:

    SeasonWinnersScoreRunner-upVenue
    1899 1Griqualand Westn/an/an/a
    1911 Griqualand Westn/an/an/a
    1970 Griqualand West11–9 Northern Transvaal De Beers Stadium, Kimberley
    2022 Pumas 26-19Griquas Griqua Park, Kimberley

    1 Western Province and Transvaal did not compete.

    They were defeated in the semi-finals in 1998, 2019 and 2021.

    SA Cup

    Griquas have won the SA Cup one time.

    SeasonWinnersScoreRunner-upVenue
    2024Griquas46–24 Pumas Kimberley

    Vodacom Cup

    Griquas have won the Vodacom Cup five times, and been defeated in the final three times.

    SeasonWinnersScoreRunner-upVenue
    1998Griquas33–29 Blue Bulls Kimberley
    1999Golden Lions73-7Griquas Johannesburg
    2000Cheetahs44-24Griquas Bloemfontein
    2005Griquas27–25 Leopards Kimberley
    2007Griquas57–0 Golden Lions Kimberley
    2009Griquas28–19 Blue Bulls Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
    2012Western Province20-18Griquas Griqua Park, Kimberley
    2014Griquas30–6 Golden Lions Griqua Park, Kimberley

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    References

    1. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    2. ↑ "Suzuki Griquas Rugby Union". Suzuki Griquas. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
    3. ↑ "Absa Currie Cup undergoes ultimate makeover". Bulls. 8 August 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
    4. ↑ "Currie Cup Finals History". SuperSport. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
    5. ↑ "Lions storm to victory over Griquas". SuperSport. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
    6. ↑ "Match Centre". SA Rugby. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
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