2003 Currie Cup
The 2003 Currie Cup was the 2003 season of the South African domestic rugby union competition, the Absa Group Limited, Absa Currie Cup premier division, played from 26 July 2003 – 1 November 2003. The 2003 Currie Cup saw the implementation of a new format for the tournament with the Cup being split into two divisions, the Premier Division and a lower division. The Premier Division consisting of the top six provincial teams and the lower division consisting of eight teams for a total of 14 teams participating in the Currie Cup. The teams in the divisions played matches among themselves with top teams progressing to the finals. The finals were played at Loftus Versfeld Stadium where the Blue Bulls beat the 40–19 to win the cup. This was the second in a streak of three consecutive Currie Cup wins for the Blue Bulls between 2002 and 2004. The Blue Bulls' Ettienne Botha scored two tries in the final. This equalled the record for tries scored in a Currie Cup final at the time. Te ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Ocean; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini; and it encloses Lesotho. Covering an area of , the country has Demographics of South Africa, a population of over 64 million people. Pretoria is the administrative capital, while Cape Town, as the seat of Parliament of South Africa, Parliament, is the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein is regarded as the judicial capital. The largest, most populous city is Johannesburg, followed by Cape Town and Durban. Cradle of Humankind, Archaeological findings suggest that various hominid species existed in South Africa about 2.5 million years ago, and modern humans inhabited the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Golden Lions
The Golden Lions (), currently known as the Fidelity ADT Golden Lions for sponsorship reasons, are a South African professional rugby union team based in Johannesburg who compete in the annual Currie Cup. The team is governed by the Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU), and was originally known as Transvaal (after Transvaal Province), before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. The GLRU also operates the associated United Rugby Championship franchise , which also draw players from Griquas. History The Transvaal Rugby Football Union, with its headquarters in Johannesburg, was formed in 1889 after delegates from different clubs in the region decided to form a united rugby union to look after the well-being of the clubs. Prominent clubs involved in the process were Pirates, Wanderers, Pretoria, Potchefstroom and Kaffrarians. The first elected president was Bill Taylor (born 1858) ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Vodacom Park
The Free State Stadium (), currently known as the Toyota Stadium for sponsorship reasons and formerly known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein in the Free State of South Africa, used mainly for rugby union and also sometimes for association football. It was originally built for the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and was one of the venues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The primary rugby union tenants of the facility are the Free State Cheetahs, which participate in South Africa's domestic competition, the Currie Cup. Previously, the Cheetahs represented the Free State and Northern Cape provinces in the international Pro14 competition. Until their sale before the start of the 2021–22 South African Premier Division, the primary association football tenant was Bloemfontein Celtic, who played in South Africa's domestic Premier Soccer League. Notable matches 1995 Rugby World Cup The stadium was one of the host venues for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It hosted first-round matc ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Newlands Stadium
The Newlands Stadium is located in Cape Town, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all-seater venue. Various sports teams used the stadium as their home base, including: * Stormers in Super Rugby * Western Province (rugby team), Western Province in the Currie Cup The city's soccer clubs Ajax Cape Town FC, Ajax Cape Town, Santos Football Club (South Africa), Santos and the dissolved club Vasco da Gama (South Africa), Vasco da Gama occasionally hosted matches at the Newlands Stadium. History The Western Province Rugby Union, Western Province Rugby and Football Union decided to buy the ground the stadium stands on in 1888. The first official match at Newlands took place on 31 May 1890 when Stellenbosch defeated Villagers in front of a crowd of about 2,400 people. The following year the stadium hosted its first rugby test when the British Lions toured South Africa. The first permanent concrete stands were erected on the grounds in 1919. Late ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Witbank Stadium
Witbank Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in eMalahleni, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches and served as the home stadium of Mpumalanga Black Aces F.C. It was also the home stadium of Mpumalanga's rugby team, the , before they relocated to Mbombela Mbombela, formerly Nelspruit, is a city in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province. Located on the Crocodile River (Mpumalanga), Crocodile River, the city lies about by road west of the Mozambique border, east o .... The stadium was initially known as the Johann van Riebeeck Stadium until 2000, before sponsorship deals saw its name changed to @lantic Park and Witbank Mica Stadium. When these sponsorship deals ended, it was known as the Puma Stadium before becoming the Witbank Stadium. References Soccer venues in South Africa Rugby union stadiums in South Africa Sports venues in Mpumalanga Emalahleni Local Municipality, Mpumalanga {{SouthAfrica-sports-ve ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pumas (Currie Cup)
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. 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. 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 appoi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Griquas (rugby)
Griquas (), known as the Suzuki Griquas for sponsorship reasons, 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. History The rugby team was established in 1886 in the then British colony of Griqualand West. Five years later, during the 1891 British and Irish Lions, 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. The Currie Cup became South Africa's domestic prize, and Griqualand West first won it in 1899. Griqualand West subsequently ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Absa Stadium
Kings Park Stadium (known as Hollywoodbets Kings Park for sponsorship reasons since 2022), colloquially known as the Shark Tank, is a stadium located in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct in Durban, South Africa. The stadium was originally built with a capacity of 12,000 and opened in 1958, extensively renovated in the 1980s and then again in time for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It currently has a capacity of 46,000, after renovations reduced the capacity from 54,000 and is the home ground of the . The stadium is also used by Durban-based Premier Soccer League football (soccer) clubs, as well as for large football finals. It was previously also known as the ABSA Stadium (between 2000 and 2010), Mr Price Kings Park Stadium (in 2011 and 2012), Growthpoint Kings Park (between 2013 and early 2017), and Jonsson Kings Park (between 2018 and 2021) due to sponsorship deals. 1995 Rugby World Cup The stadium was used as one of the venues for the 1995 Rugby World Cup held in South Africa. T ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sharks (Currie Cup)
The Sharks (), known as the Hollywoodbets Sharks for sponsorship reasons, are a South African 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 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. Th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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George, Western Cape
George is the second largest city in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre, as well as the administrative and commercial hub and the seat of the Garden Route District Municipality. It is named after the British Monarch George III. The city is situated roughly halfway between Cape Town and Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) on the Garden Route. It is situated on a 10-kilometre plateau between the Outeniqua Mountains to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south. The former township of Pacaltsdorp, now a fully incorporated suburb, lies to the south. George is well-known for being the burial place of former South African Prime Minister and President P. W. Botha. History Early history Prior to European settlement in the late 1700s the area was inhabited by the Khoekhoen tribes: the Gouriquas, Attequas and Outeniquas. Many places in the area, such as the surrounding Outeniqua Mountains, come from Khoekhoen names for these location ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cape Town
Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest city by population, after Johannesburg, and the largest city in the Western Cape. The city is part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality (South Africa), metropolitan municipality. The city is known for Port of Cape Town, its harbour, its natural setting in the Cape Floristic Region, and for landmarks such as Table Mountain and Cape Point. In 2014, Cape Town was named the best place in the world to visit by ''The New York Times'', and was similarly ranked number one by ''The Daily Telegraph'' in both 2016 and 2023. Located on the shore of Table Bay, the City Bowl area of Cape Town, which contains its Cape Town CBD, central business district (CBD), is History of Cape Town, the oldest urban area in the Western Cape, with a signi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It is located approximately 110 km east of the confluence of the Vaal River, Vaal and Orange Rivers. The city has considerable historical significance because of its diamond mining past and the Siege of Kimberley, siege during the Second Boer War, Second Boer War. The British businessmen Cecil Rhodes and Barney Barnato made their fortunes in Kimberley, and Rhodes also established the De Beers diamond company in the early days of the mining town. On 2 September 1882, Kimberley was the first city in the Southern Hemisphere and the second in the world after Philadelphia, in the United States, to install electricity, electric street lighting. The first stock exchange in Africa was built in Kimberley as early as 1881. History Discovery of diamonds In 1866, Erasmus Jacobs found a small brilliant pebble on the banks of the Orange River, on the farm ''De Kalk'' leased from l ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |