The Pumas () are a
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 O ...
n professional
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
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
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
, 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 22–21 at the
Mbombela Stadium in
Mbombela.
They eventually finished 7th.
Super Rugby
In 2020, the Pumas were invited to play in the
Super Rugby Unlocked competition. A list of players who represented the side in the competition can be found
here.
Honours
Major Honours
* Currie Cup Premier Division
** Champions (1)
2022
** ''Runner-up: (1)
2023''
* Currie Cup First Division
** Champions: (3)
2005,
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
,
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
** ''Runner-up: (1)
2012''
* SA Cup:
** Champions: (1)
2025
So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
** ''Runner-up: (1)
2024''
* Vodacom Cup
** Champions: (1)
2015
** ''Runner-up: (1)
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
''
* SuperSport Rugby Challenge
** Champions: (1)
2018
** ''Runner-up: (1)
2019''
Minor Honours
* Airlink Cup 2023
"PUMAS BEAT WELWITSCHIAS 81 - 8 IN AIRLINK CUP"
https://nbcnews.na, 22 May 2024
* '' Toyota Challenge:'' runner up 2024
Current squad
The following players were included in the Pumas squad for the 2023 Currie Cup Premier Division:
References
External links
Official website
Pumas statistics on supersport.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pumas (Rugby Team)
Rugby union teams in South Africa
Sport in Mpumalanga
Mbombela
Super Rugby teams