Pumas (Currie Cup)

Last updated

Pumas
Pumas Rugby Union logo.svg
Full namePumas
UnionMpumalanga Rugby Union
Emblem(s)Puma
Founded1969
Region Mpumalanga Province
Ground(s) Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela (Capacity: 43,500 [1] )
Coach(es) Jimmy Stonehouse
Captain(s) Willie Engelbrecht [2]
League(s) Currie Cup
2024 6th
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Team kit
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2nd kit
Official website
pumas.co.za
Rugby football current event.svg Current season

The Pumas are a South African professional rugby union team that competes in the Premier Division of the Currie Cup. The team draws their players from Mpumalanga Province (formerly known as the South Eastern Transvaal) and plays at the Mbombela Stadium in Mbombela, having previously also played at the Puma Stadium in Witbank.

Contents

The Pumas are a well supported team throughout Mpumalanga Province, with large fan bases located in Witbank, Middelburg, Ermelo and Mbombela.

History

Formed in 1969 as South Eastern Transvaal, the Pumas are one of the younger unions in the country. The team won the Currie Cup for the first time in 2022. [3]

In 2006, they were coached jointly by Chris Grobler and Danie Gerber, but failed to win any of their 14 matches, finishing last on the log.

They won the Currie Cup First Division (the second tier competition) in 2005 and 2009, both times earning promotion to the Currie Cup Premier Division.

For their 2010 Currie Cup campaign, the Pumas appointed the seasoned Jimmy Stonehouse as coach. Though considered the underdogs of the Currie Cup competition, on 27 August 2010 the Pumas beat current champions the Blue Bulls 22–21 at the Mbombela Stadium in Mbombela. [4] They eventually finished 7th.

Super Rugby

In 2020, the Pumas were invited to play in the Super Rugby Unlocked competition. [5] A list of players who represented the side in the competition can be found here.

Honours

Major Honours

Minor Honours

Current squad

The following players have been included so far in the Pumas squad for the 2025 Currie Cup Premier Division: [7] [a]

Pumas Currie Cup squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Loose forwards

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

Wingers

Fullbacks

(c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped and ADD denotes an additional player from outside the main squad.
  1. ↑ Llewellyn Classen and Phiko Sobahle were both named in the original Pumas squad, but have since left the team to join the Boland Cavaliers [8] and Sharks [9] respectively.

References

  1. ↑ "Mbombela Stadium | SPRINGBOKS vs WALES tickets information". pumasrugbyunion.com. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  2. ↑ Tshwaku, Khanyiso. "CURRIE CUP PREVIEW - Tournament fights for relevance as big guns withdraw URC stars". News24. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  3. ↑ Schenk, Heinz. "RECAP - Punchy, precise Pumas claim historic first Currie Cup title with 26-19 win over Griquas". Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  4. ↑ "Pumas shock Blue Bulls in Nelspruit". Planet Rugby. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  5. ↑ "Super Rugby Unlocked fixtures announced". SANZAAR. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  6. ↑ "PUMAS BEAT WELWITSCHIAS 81 - 8 IN AIRLINK CUP", https://nbcnews.na, 22 May 2024
  7. ↑ "Profiles". Pumas. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "YOUR @sanlam_boland_cavaliers for the 2025 Carling Currie Cup Premier Division competition". Boland Cavaliers on Facebook. 22 July 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  9. ↑ @SharksRugby (21 July 2025). "HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS XV SQUAD LIST" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 July 2025– via Twitter.
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