The Blue Bulls (known for sponsorship reasons as the Vodacom Blue Bulls) is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament and the United Rugby Championship. They are governed by the Blue Bulls Rugby Union and are based at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, Gauteng province.[1]

Blue Bulls
Full nameBlue Bulls
UnionBlue Bulls Rugby Union
Emblem(s)Barberton Daisy, Bull
Founded1938; 86 years ago (1938)
LocationPretoria, South Africa
RegionPretoria, Gauteng Province
Limpopo Province
Ground(s)Loftus Versfeld (Capacity: 51,762)
Coach(es)Jake White
Captain(s)Marcell Coetzee
League(s)Currie Cup
2023Semi-finalist
4th on log
1st kit
2nd kit
3rd kit
Official website
bullsrugby.co.za
Current season

In 1997 the Northern Transvaal team, representing the Northern Transvaal Rugby Union (NTRU), was renamed, officially taking on their then nickname the Blue Bulls. The NTRU itself became the Blue Bulls Rugby Union and the United Rugby Championship team operated by the union was renamed simply the Bulls.

When Vodacom became the team's major sponsor their name was added. Previously the side was sponsored by ExxonMobil and known as the Mobil Blue Bulls. Their main colour is blue and their emblem a bull's head and horns.[2]

History

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Northern Transvaal

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The team as it is known today has its beginnings in 1938 when the then Northern Transvaal Rugby Union broke away from the Transvaal Rugby Football Union to gain status as an independent rugby union. The new team was named Northern Transvaal and donned light blue jerseys with a red Barberton Daisy emblem. However, in their very first match, they played in the red and gold hooped jerseys of the Pretoria Combined team that often "locked horns" with teams touring South Africa (red and gold being the colors of Pretoria).

Eight years passed before they first lifted the Currie Cup in 1946, when they defeated the Western Province 11–9 at home at Loftus Versfeld thanks to two dropped goals (one off his left foot) by Springbok flyhalf Hansie Brewis; the score was 8–9 to Province (a drop goal counted 4 points in those days). With time running out Brewis, the first true Northerns legend, received the ball in his own twenty-two. With an enormous kick, he tried to get the ball rolling out in the north-eastern corner, but the ball kept rolling and the Western Province full-back, Con de Kock, carelessly waited for it to roll out. When the ball jumped back in field, De Kock noticed Johnny Lourens storming down at full pace and, realising the danger, kicked hastily at the ball but missed it completely. Lourens scooped it up to score the winning try.With their best rugby player being Dean Mcleod and Keegan Botha both scoring 1111 tries.

Six members of the 1946 team later became Springboks: Hannes Brewis, Fonnie du Toit, Jorrie Jordaan, Flip Geel, Fiks van der Merwe, Louis Strydom and Daan Retief. Retief initially played on the wing, but later became a Springbok loose forward. It was a great pity that the Springboks did not play sooner after World War II as many players could have achieved national colours had they been given the opportunity.[citation needed] They included centres, Hannes de Villiers and Attie Botha, as well as the lock Doerie van Deventer.

Northern Transvaal next appeared in the Currie Cup final in the 1954 season against Western Province but this time Western Province ran out winners; after being up 11–0 at half time they eventually won the game 11–8. The match was played at Newlands. In 1956 they played Natal at Kingsmead, the well-known cricket ground in Durban in the final. King's Park rugby stadium had not been built yet. The wind was almost gale force and during this exciting struggle the two fly-halves, Thys van Zyl (Northern Tvl) and the later Springbok Keith Oxlee, kicked a lot. Five minutes before the final whistle flanker, Schalk van Dyk scored a try that allowed Northern Transvaal to win the match 9–8.

1968 saw the start of a golden era for Northern Transvaal rugby. Under the coaching of Buurman van Zyl they played Transvaal in the final, defeating them 16–3 at Loftus Versveld. Many players went on to become Springboks.[3] They were Willem Stapelberg, Alan Menter, Piet Uys, Mof Myburgh, Polla Fourie, Johan Spies, Frik du Preez and Thys Lourens. They defeated Western Province 28–13 in the subsequent season's final. This was the match in which South Africa's player of the century, Frik du Preez, dropped, scored and placed, according to his good friend and teammate, Springbok front ranker, Mof Myburgh.

They faced Griqualand West in the 1970 final, with Griqualand West winning 11-9 thanks to two tries from winger Buddy Swarts. Buurman van Zyl described this as the single most disappointing occasion in his 14 seasons at Northerns. The 1971 team did not lose a single game and was most unlucky to play to a draw against Transvaal in the final, 14-all at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The controversy which surrounded Transvaal's equalising points - a try by prop Theo Sauerman - once again emphasized the necessity of objective referees for Currie Cup finals. Chris Luther kicked a huge penalty that put the game beyond question in injury time and the fans started to run onto the field. The referee ordered them off and indicated that there was still time left. From the restart, Transvaal got possession and after some good support play scored a try. Jannie van Deventer kicked the conversion and Transvaal got a hand on the Cup. This final marked the end of an era for Frik du Preez who announced his retirement from the game.

In 1973 they defeated the Orange Free State 30–22 in the final. This was followed by the 17–15 win over Transvaal in 1974 in a match in which Northerns centre John Knox had a particularly strong game. This match also started a very successful coach and captain combination. Thys Lourens, playing in his fifth final was captain of the side this day. He was to captain Northerns in a further 3 finals and in total play 8 finals - none of them ever on a losing side. A record to this very day.

In 1975 Northerns travelled to Bloemfontein to play against Free State. 2 hours before kick-off an extraordinary rainstorm flooded the field and the players, despite playing in sunshine for most of the match, were unrecognizable within the first ten minutes after the start. The match was closely contested with the conditions playing a strong equalising hand. In the dying seconds of the game with the score level at 6-all, Northerns centre Christo Wagenaar put in a chip kick that was collected brilliantly by right winger Pierre Spies (father of current Springbok and Bulls eight-man, also Pierre) who scored in the corner. Keith Thorresson added the two extra points to a try that was to become legendary and Northern ran out 12-6 winners. Northern Transvaal defeated the Orange Free State in the 1977 (27-12) and 1978 (13-9) finals as well. 1977 saw the emergence of a young 19-year-old that was to become one of the games greats - Naas Botha. The 1978 final was one that was donned the Free State backs against the Bulls forwards. Northerns ran out victors by scoring two fantastic tries by the backs, one of them by Naas Botha. They were runners-up with Western Province in 1979 after two fantastic drop goals by Naas Botha late in the second half. They won the 1980 final against Province in one of the most one-sided finals of all-time scoring five tries to nil and winning by 30 points, a record! In 1981 they defeated Free State 23–6 at Loftus in what was marked an unsatisfactory final. Returning from New Zealand, Northerns fielded all 10 their Springboks except Theuns Stoffberg. Free State did not field their 4 Springboks hoping that Northerns would not do the same and improve their chances of getting a rare victory. Although not in the same line as 1980, the match was still very one-sided. This marked the end of an era for Northerns, since their highly respected coach, Buurman van Zyl, died early in 1982. Another shock was the loss of Springbok flyhalf Naas Botha to America where he tried out American Football. South African rugby was to see a domination by Western Province for the following 5 seasons.

Despite not being able to achieve any success during this time (except for a Lion Cup final victory over Free State in 1985), they still managed to reach the final on 3 occasions being runners-up to Western Province in the 1982, 1983 and 1985 finals. 1983 also saw the first time they lost a final on home ground.

1987 saw the return of the Cup to Pretoria. Under the coaching of John Williams and captaincy of Naas Botha (returning at the end of 1984 after his stint in America) they defeated Transvaal in the final with a legendary performance by the captain, who scored all 24 points with 4 penalties and 4 drop goals. In the 1988 final they defied all odds by beating Western Province and drew with Province again in 1989 at Newlands. This was the one finals victory that has always eluded the team and to this day The Bulls have never managed to win a final at Newlands against their greatest rivals. They were runners-up to the Sharks in the 1990 final at Loftus but won the cup back in 1991 by defeating Transvaal. Northerns, Province and Free State ended tied second after Transvaal on the 1991 Currie Cup log. Due to points difference, Province and Northerns had to slug it out in a first semi-final on a Tuesday afternoon and managed to do so by winning 34–21. On the Saturday they had to play Free State in the second semi-final and after trailing at one stage 11–0 in the first half and with about 20 minutes to go by 20–9, they managed to turn around the match and run out victors 27-23 - fullback (and old Grey College learner) Gerbrand Grobler being the hero with 6 penalties and a conversion! The following Saturday Northern easily won the final 27–15. They also managed to win the Lion Cup (for a second time) with a record victory of 62–6 over The Sharks.

The rest of the 1990s was a dismal period for Northerns. They lost a lot of players to Transvaal, most notably Uli Schmidt - a legend in his own right and son of former Springbok and Northerns flanker Louis Schmidt (often called the first Blue Bull). Other players included Gavin Johnson, Rudolf Straeuli, Theo van Rensburg, Heinrich Rodgers, Johan Roux, Gerbrand Grobler and Hannes Strydom. The biggest upset came when two Northern Transvaal stalwarts for many years, Ray Mordt and Kitch Christie accepted offers from Transvaal boss Louis Luyt to coach. Christie, after being asked to leave by the Northerns administration halfway through the 1990 season, moulded the players into a great unit and achieved success in 1993 and 1994 at Currie Cup level before becoming Springbok coach to win the World Cup in 1995. Most of the players who followed him would represent his Transvaal side before doing duty at a national level. Without doubt one of the darkest periods in Northern Transvaal's history!

Lion Cup

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Northern Transvaal participated in the Lion Cup between 1983 and 1994. The Lion Cup was a domestic rugby union knock-out competition held in South Africa. Northern Transvaal tasted success in the competition on three occasions, winning the competition in 1985, 1990 and 1991. They also finished as runners-up three times in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Northern Transvaal claimed the Lion Cup 62–6 against Natal in 1991 which is one of the biggest victories ever in a final.

Currie Cup / Central Series

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The Northern Transvaal rugby team participated in the Currie Cup / Central Series from 1986 to 1994. The competition saw the top Currie Cup teams play the Currie Cup Central A teams, with the Currie Cup team with the best playing record awarded the Percy Frames Trophy. Northern Transvaal was the most successful team, claiming six consecutive titles between 1987 and 1992.[citation needed]

Super 10

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Prior to the professional Super Rugby competition, Northern Transvaal competed in the Super 10, which was a tournament featuring ten teams from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Tonga and Western Samoa, which ran from 1993 to 1995. The top three teams from the previous Currie Cup season qualified for each of the Super 10 tournaments.

Northern Transvaal competed in the 1993 season, where they were grouped in Pool B alongside Transvaal, New South Wales, North Harbour and Waikato. Transvaal finished at the top of the pool, with Northern Transvaal finishing third, behind New South Wales. Northern Transvaal did not qualify for the 1994 or 1995 Super 10 seasons.

Northern Transvaal played four fixtures in the 1993 Super 10:

Name Change: Northern Transvaal became Blue Bulls

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Logo of Northern Transvaal prior to 1997, still used on the jersey

The team had been known informally as the Blue Bulls since the 1940s and from 8 June 1963 in a newspaper cartoon by Victor Ivanoff had been portrayed as such.[4] Their name officially changed to the Blue Bulls at the end of 1997 season and in 1998 after 6 years of not reaching the final and some very heavy defeats at Currie Cup level, the Bulls, captained by another legend, Joost van der Westhuizen, managed to reach the final for a record 24th time after the come-back of the century in the semi-final against a star-studded Sharks outfit. The Bulls' triumph was nothing short of remarkable. After André Joubert's second try early in the second half, which stretched the Sharks' lead from 10–3 to 17–3, even their coach, Eugene van Wyk, believed that they had no chance. But whatever Bulls captain Van der Westhuizen told his team while Gavin Lawless was setting up for the conversion of Joubert's second try, it made them realise that it was now or never. Suddenly, they started playing with new life and new direction. Franco Smith scored a couple of penalties and then prop Piet Boer dived over for a try. The last 12 minutes with the score on 17-all, were dramatic. First, flanker Nicky van der Walt put the Bulls ahead with a magnificent try following Van der Westhuizen's brilliant opportunistic play and great ball skills. And the last nail went into the Sharks coffin when the Bulls were awarded a penalty try for an early tackle by André Joubert on Grant Esterhuizen in the in-goal area. The following Saturday they defeated Western Province 24–20 at Loftus. With only a few minutes left on the clock, Province must have thought they won it when their Springbok-winger Chester Williams went over in the corner, but referee André Watson ruled the pass from Robbie Fleck forward.

The 1998 side was not a side with great names except maybe for Joost van der Westhuizen and Ruben Kruger (who missed the final with injury), but most certainly the one that has showed the most character and guts in the history of the union. As Kruger described it after the final: "The team's success could be ascribed to the fact that the Light Blue jersey made every player's heart beat faster."

2002 was the start of the Heyneke Meyer and Anton Leonard era. They defeated the Golden Lions 31–7 at Ellis Park thanks mainly to heroics by a 19-year-old Derick Hougaard who scored a try, 2 drop goals and 5 penalties for a record 26 points. The following season they defeated the Sharks 40–19 in the final with most of the team doing duty at the 2003 World Cup. The Blue Bulls then won the 2004 final, defeating the Cheetahs by 42–33. This match saw one of the finest individual tries scored in a final. Ettiene Botha received the ball just inside the Free State half and skipped and dummied his way past a legion of defenders - epitomising the great Mannetjies Roux against the Lions of 1962 - to score a brilliant try next to the posts. A player that surely would have achieved higher honours, he died in a motor car accident the following year.

Free State eventually won the Cup (the first time since 1976) in the following final by beating the Bulls in their own backyard. This was only the third time ever that the Bulls had lost a final at fortress Loftus (1983 and 1990 being the other years). The Blue Bulls shared the 2006 Currie Cup with the Free State Cheetahs with the score remaining locked at 28-all after twenty minutes of extra time.

Northern Transvaal competed in all the years of Super 12 competition but were never very successful. In 1996 they managed to reach the semi-final but suffered a heavy defeat to the Auckland Blues by 48–11. From 1997 to 2002 The Bulls did not reach the final on a single occasion, at times ending last in the competition. 2003 saw them ending fifth and 2004 to 2006 saw them reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1996, but every time away from home. In 2007 they reached the final for the first time and also became the first South African team to win the Super Rugby competition by beating fellow South Africans, The Sharks, in a humdinger final in Durban. Down by 13–19, they kept the ball alive after the final hooter, taking it through various phases which eventually led to a try by Springbok winger Bryan Habana. Derick Hougaard added the conversion and The Bulls won by 20–19. The Blue Bulls have a positive winning record against all the South African domestic sides including their arch rivals, Western Province.

Rivalries

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Through the years the rivalry between the Blue Bulls and Western Province has become legendary, and a clash between these two sides is one of the Currie Cup's biggest rivalries.[5] The first time that the two sides met in an actual Currie Cup final was in 1946, which was also Northern Transvaal's first final contest. The match was played at Northern Transvaal's home ground at Loftus Versfeld, and saw the Western Province go down 11 to 9.

After meeting in numerous other finals following 1946, it would not be until the 1982 season, when the Western Province would defeat Northern Transvaal in a Currie Cup final. In the 1980s the two sides met in six Currie Cup finals, with the Western Province winning three of them and one being drawn. One of the most recent Currie Cup seasons when both sides made it to the final was the 1998 season: The Blue Bulls beat the Western Province by four points, 24 to 20, at Loftus Versfeld.

In recent years, the great rivalry between the Blue Bulls and Western Province has faded. It has been many years since the decades that these two teams dominated the Currie Cup competition and new rivalries have come to the foreground. Many Blue Bull fans actually agree that the rivalry has shifted towards Free State, especially after both teams qualified for the Currie Cup final for the third consecutive year in 2006. Statistics have shown that Loftus Versfeld currently experiences more incidents of bad behaviour during Bulls home games against Free State and the Sharks, than during any other games in the season, including those against Western Province.[6]

The team has one of the largest support bases, averaging over 38,000 to Super rugby games and 26,000 in the Currie Cup competition. Most of the Bulls support is concentrated in Pretoria and the Limpopo Province, however the Bulls also have significant support in Johannesburg, Mpumulanga Province, the North West Province and in Aliwal North.

Notable players

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Through the years Northern Transvaal/Blue Bulls have produced many great players that captured the imagination of the rugby public.

Lucas Strachan was a brilliant Springbok flanker and one of members of the legendary 1937 Springboks that won a series in New Zealand. He was the first of the truly great Springbok rugby players produced by the Blue Bulls. And after his playing days, he achieved fame as both coach and selector. He will also be remembered for his enthusiastic team talks and witty speeches. Northern honoured him by naming the club rugby trophy in Pretoria after him - teams compete for the Lucas Strachan Shield.

Hannes Brewis was one of the best South African fly-halves of all time and played in 10 tests between 1949 and 1953 and never on the losing side. Brewis who was renowned for his speed and deadly drop goals, was a great playmaker that graced the Light Blue side when they won the Currie Cup in 1946. In his playing career, he was regarded as probably the best fly-half in world rugby, and together with Fonnie du Toit, he formed the legendary halfback pair both at national and international level.

Tom van Vollenhoven the brush-cut wing who appeared on the scene in 1955, was the kind of player who captured the imagination every time he touched the ball. His try for the Light Blues against the Junior Springboks in 1955, when he beat one player after another in spectacular a zigzag run of almost 80 metres, is still lauded as the try of all tries. This got him into the Springbok side against the 1955 British Lions of Robin Thomson and in the second test scored a hat trick of tries. He would probably have been one of the greatest heroes if he had not gone off to play professional rugby league in England so early in his career.

Louis Schmidt played only two tests as Springbok flank, but for the Light Blues this man with the monster moustache, was a true hero who also made his mark as captain. Schmidt, who ran out in 63 games for the Northern Transvaal in the fifties and sixties, is generally regarded "the first Blue Bull". Controversy surrounded his omission from the side after a heavy tackle on Province winger Jannie Engelbrecht resulting in a broken collarbone for the Springbok winger. Schmidt was dropped and never played for the Bulls again.

Frik du Preez is probably the greatest Northerns hero of all heroes. The Springbok lock and flank was not only a dazzling player on the field, but was equally popular off the field. Together with his close friend, Mof Myburgh, both played a total of 109 matches for the Northern Transvaal. Du Preez and Myburgh were inseparable, and Myburgh also proved to be a hero of note. Despite being rather short for a lock, Du Preez's line-out work was practically unequalled and his powerful sprints struck fear in the hearts of his opposition, while he also kicked for posts for the Springboks and Northern Transvaal and put away some magnificent drop goals. How popular he was, even outside Pretoria, is apparent from the fact that he was carried, shoulder high, off the field after his last game at Newlands in Cape Town in a match that Northerns won by 25–14. Frik retired at the end of the 1971 season. Du Preez was nominated by the magazine SA Rugby as the South African player of the century, and was the first South African to be honoured, along with Dr Danie Craven, in the International Hall of Fame in Auckland, New Zealand.

Thys Lourens represented Northern Transvaal in 168 games of which 84 he captained. He played in 8 Currie Cup finals (4 as captain) and was never on a losing side. He was a very resourceful captain and player and highly respected on and off the field. The partnership he established with Brigadier Buurman van Zyl, was the foundation on which the Blue Bulls built their dominance of the Currie Cup scene in the 1970s.

Naas Botha was, without doubt, the most controversial Northerns hero ever, because no-one was ever neutral about him. People either loved him or loved to hate him. Just like his predecessor, Hannes Brewis, Botha was a genius at fly-half and the great points machine. Amongst all true Northerns supporters, he was one of the greatest heroes of all time, however outside Northern Transvaal he was hated, because the supporters of other teams feared him. Botha's popularity was mainly due to his excellence with the boot. He was the greatest match winner SA rugby has ever seen and has a record that speaks for itself. Botha was fetched by Buurman van Zyl from the Tukkies under-20 team, and included him as a 19-year-old in the most successful side of the 1970s. It was also Oom Buurman who chose him as captain of the Blue Bulls in 1980 over many other more senior players like Daan du Plessis, Jan Oberholzster and Louis Moolman. His great claim to fame came on the 1981 tour to New Zealand where he had the local public in canter. He was an absolute genius and his insight into and knowledge of the game and its rules, and his ability to motivate players, made him the ideal player-captain. Botha would probably have rewritten the record books far more often had it not been for apartheid, which robbed him of the opportunity to play regular test rugby. He was both a brilliant kicker and a true strategist. He received the SA Rugby Player of the Year award a record 4 times (1979, 1981, 1985 and 1987).

Uli Schmidt, son of Louis Schmidt, was the prince of hookers and a genius of a player. A medical doctor by profession he was a favourite amongst all Bulls supporters, even when leaving Northerns for arch-enemies Transvaal at the beginning of the 1993 season. Thanks to his fiery performance and expertise he played many times for his province and country and was desperately unlucky to miss out on the 1995 World Cup year due to a neck injury. If he had been able to play test rugby on a regular basis especially during the late 1980s, he would probably have been regarded as one of the world's greatest hookers. Legendary All Black lock, Colin Meads, in fact described Schmidt as the world's best hooker.

Johan Heunis was a true gentleman and probably the best full-back the union had ever produced. Except for the scrum-half, he played and gave outstanding performances in all the backline positions. In 1989, Heunis was nominated as SA Player of the Year. Naas Botha described Heunis as a; " ... ideal team mate in any crisis situation." He was rock solid on defence, very secure under the high-ball and fantastic with ball in hand.

In 1992, a young scrumhalf by the name of Joost van der Westhuizen partnered Naas Botha as the Bulls' halfback combination. Everyone knew he would become something very special, and with time he did. He is one of only a handful of players that have won a World Cup winners medal (1995), and Tri-Nations winners medal (1998) and a Currie Cup winners medals (1998 and 2002). He captained his side in both the Currie Cup finals he played and was later also awarded the captaincy of the Springboks in the 1999 World Cup.

It was not just on the field where Northern Transvaal have there heroes. Off the field heroes are as important as the on-the-field ones.

Professor Fritz Eloff and Brigadier Buurman van Zyl will be remembered as the greatest of all Blue Bulls heroes off the field. Eloff was the chairman of the Northern Transvaal Rugby Union for 26 years, and one of the most acclaimed and respected rugby personalities in South Africa. He was also Deputy Chairman of the South African Rugby Board for 15 years, member of the International Rugby Board for 27 years as well as chairman for a term, and co-chairman of the SA Rugby Football Union (SARFU). During his time at the helm Northern Tranvaal played in 18 finals, winning 11 and drawing 3 times.

Brig. van Zyl remains not only the most successful coach the Blue Bulls have produced to date, but also the most successful Currie Cup coach of all time. He started coaching the Bulls in 1968 and for the following 14 seasons (except 1972 when poor health forced him to take a temporary leave from coaching) he coached Northerns to 12 finals winning 9 times sharing it twice. He lost only once in a final. Springbok and Northern Transvaal lock and later coach, John Williams said, "For him, it was about fitness, motivation and discipline. In his days as coach, Northern Transvaal won many of their matches in the dying minutes of the game."

Williams in his own right a legend was privileged to be able "to drink from the full rugby cup", first as a player and thereafter as coach and administrator. He doesn't know whether his remarkable hat trick is a first for Blue Bull rugby, but he is proud of the fact that, as player, he was on the winning side in Currie Cup rugby three times from 1973 to 1975 and was the Bulls coach when they won the Cup in 1987 and 1988 and shared it with Western Province in 1989. He was part of the Blue Bulls' administration when the team won the cup in 1998.

Another Bulls coaching legend is Heyneke Meyer. Meyer has coached his side to victories in the 2002, 2003 and 2004 finals, and drew in the 2006 final. He became the first South African coach to achieve success at Super Rugby level when the Bulls beat the Sharks in 2007. Meyer coached the Springboks from 2012 to December 2015.

Home Stadium

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Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, which was first used for sports in 1906, and rugby in 1908, when the site was known as the Eastern Sports Ground. The stadium was later renamed after Mr Robert Loftus Owen Versfeld, the founder of organised sports in Pretoria, and dedicated many years of his life to rugby union. Due to the Bulls exemplary record when playing at home, the stadium is often referred to as "Fortress Loftus" by South Africans. The stadium at its current configuration has a 52,000 all-seater capacity, and is shared with the Bulls.[7] The stadium is expected to receive minor upgrades in the near future as it will be hosting matches at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It will not be the first time this has happened and since 1948 there have been continuous improvements on the stadium:

1972 - Upper Eastern Pavilion 1974 - Lower Southern Pavilion 1977 - Main Pavilion 1984 - Northern Pavilion 1989 - South just as it is today 1995 - East just as it is today

The Blue Bulls represent the Limpopo province in the Currie Cup, the northernmost province in South Africa, as well as part of the Gauteng province, drawing all their players from these two areas. In age group and Women's rugby Limpopo is represented by a sub union called the Limpopo Blue Bulls.

During the 1920s the Pretoria Sub-union had not foreseen the growing need for fields, but in the first part of that decade, the Sub-union, in co-operation with the Municipality, systematically put their existing rugby fields under kikuyu. University and Boys' High followed their example in 1923, so that there were seven grass fields available in that year. The Railway Institute field at Berea Park was similarly grassed in 1924. At the end of 1928 there were ten grass fields in Pretoria. The Pretoria Sub-union also wished to improve the facilities at the Eastern Sports Ground. In 1923 the City Council commenced the building of a concrete stand which could accommodate 2 000 spectators. At the end of 1928, mainly as a result of the All Blacks tour, the Sub-union could show a record financial gain and used the profits to erect the changing-rooms and toilets they had waited for, for so long.

Current squad

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The following players have been included so far in the Blue Bulls squad for the 2023 Currie Cup Premier Division:[8]

Blue Bulls Currie Cup squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Loose forwards

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

Wings

Fullbacks

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

Statistics and Records

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Results per opposition

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The Blue Bulls full Currie Cup playing record against other teams in the professional era since 1996 - 2024.

Currie Cup
Opposition Span Played Won Drawn Lost Win% Points for PPM Aga Best score Worst score 40-49 points 50+ points
Western Province 1996–2024 57 28 2 27 49.12% 1575 27.63 1552 64–29 (2003) 63–26 (2003) 7 3
Free State Cheetahs 1996–2024 54 28 4 22 51.85% 1509 27.94 1452 64–36 (2017) 57–27 (1997) 4 4
Golden Lions 1996–2024 48 28 0 20 58.33% 1415 29.48 1299 54–22 (2017) 62–23 (2013) 6 3
Griquas 1996–2024 46 36 0 10 78.26% 1866 40.57 1151 77–30 (2001) 58–37 (2000) 18 10
Boland Cavaliers 1996–2016 13 12 0 1 92.31% 624 48.00 253 72–16 (2009) 35–26 (2016) Qualification 2 7
Falcons 1996–2016 17 14 1 2 82.35% 673 39.59 316 80–22 (1996) 36–33 (2000) Bankfin Cup 4 4
SWD Eagles 1996–2016 14 13 0 1 92.86% 709 50.64 255 147–8 (1996) 32–36 (1999) 2 5
Griffons 1996–2024 11 9 0 2 81.82% 559 50.82 248 89–31 (1999) 37–43 (2000) Bankfin Cup 1 7
Sharks 1997–2024 50 17 2 31 34.00% 1196 23.92 1283 50–32 (2006) 39–27 (2011) 7 1
Pumas 1997–2024 31 25 0 6 80.65% 1073 34.61 720 66–3 (2006) 63–15 (2023) 6 4
Eastern Province 1997–2016 12 10 0 2 83.33% 503 41.92 325 69–28 (2005) Qualification 50–48 (2002) 5 2
Leopards 1997–2016 15 14 0 1 93.33% 737 49.13 356 92–21 (2011) 51–26 (2016) Qualification 3 6
Border Bulldogs 1997–2016 6 4 0 2 66.67% 235 39.17 131 59–21 (1998) 26–23 (2000) 1 2
Welwitschias 2016–2016 1 1 0 0 100.00% 95 95.00 12 95–12 (2016) Qualification 12–95 (2016) Qualification 0 1
Overall 1996–2024 375 239 9 127 63.73% 12769 34.05 9353 147–8 SWD Eagles (1996) 63–15 Pumas (2023) 66 59
  • All this data includes all playoff matches (quarterfinals, semi-finals and finals)
  • 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2016 Currie Cup Qualification results included.
  • 2000 Bankfin Cup results included.
  • Correct as of 17 September 2024

Records

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Blue Bulls records:[9]

Team Match Records
Record Opposition Venue Season
Biggest win: SWD Eagles Polokwane 1996 147–8
Heaviest defeat: Pumas Pretoria 2023 15–63
Highest score: SWD Eagles Polokwane 1996 147
Most points conceded: Hurricanes Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth 1997 64
Most tries: SWD Eagles Polokwane 1996 23
Player Match Records
Record Player Opposition Venue Season
Most points by a player: Casper Steyn SWD Eagles Pretoria 2000 40
Most tries by a player: Jacques Olivier SWD Eagles Polokwane 1996 7
Most conversions by a player: Willie du Plessis Limpopo Blue Bulls Lephalale 2013 15
Most Currie Cup conversions by a player: Lance Sherrell SWD Eagles Polokwane 1996 14
Most penalties by a player: Jannie Kruger Western Province Pretoria 1996 9
Derek Hougaard Western Province Pretoria 2002 9
Most drop goals by a player: Naas Botha Natal Pretoria N/A 5
Team Season Records
Record Matches Season
Most team points: in 28 matches 1996 1193
Most Currie Cup team points: in 13 matches 1996 783
Most team tries: in 28 matches 2004 142
Player Season Records
Record Player Season
Most points by a player: Casper Steyn 1999 361
Most Currie Cup points by a player: Johan Heunis 1989 268
Most tries by a player: Pierre Spies 1975 25
Most Currie Cup tries by a player: Ettienne Botha 2004 18
Player Career Records
Record Player Seasons
Most appearances: Burger Geldenhuys 1977–1989 184
Most points: Naas Botha 1977–1992 2511
Most tries: Deon Oosthuysen 1986–1994 85

Trophies and honours

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Honours

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Honors
Competition No of titles Runner-up Semi-finalists Years Champions Years Runners-up
Currie Cup 25 9 10 1946, 1956, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2020–21, 2021 (Title shared in 1971, 1979, 1989, 2006) 1954, 1970, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1990, 2005, 2008, 2016
Currie Cup First Division 1 0 0 2000
Lion Cup 3 3 - 1985, 1990, 1991 1987, 1988, 1989
Vodacom Cup / Rugby Challenge 3 6 5 2001, 2008, 2010 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011
Percy Frames Trophy 6 1 - 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991,1992 1994

Minor honours

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Minor Honors
Competition No of titles Runner-up
IBG Challenge Cup (1) 2024 0
Mapungubwe Rugby Cup (1)2024 0

Currie Cup Finals

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Finals

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Season Winners Score Runner-up Venue
1946 Northern Transvaal 11 - 9 Western Province Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1954 Western Province 11 - 8 Northern Transvaal Newlands, Cape Town
1956 Northern Transvaal 9 - 8 Sharks Kings Park, Durban
1968 Northern Transvaal 16 - 3 Transvaal Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1969 Northern Transvaal 28 - 13 Western Province Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1970 Griqualand West 11 - 9 Northern Transvaal De Beers, Kimberley
1971 Northern Transvaal, Transvaal (shared) 14 - 14 Ellis Park, Johannesburg
1973 Northern Transvaal 30 - 22 Orange Free State Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1974 Northern Transvaal 17 - 15 Transvaal Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1975 Northern Transvaal 12 - 6 Orange Free State Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
1977 Northern Transvaal 27 - 12 Orange Free State Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1978 Northern Transvaal 13 - 9 Orange Free State Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
1979 Northern Transvaal, Western Province (shared) 15 - 15 Newlands, Cape Town
1980 Northern Transvaal 39 - 9 Western Province Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1981 Northern Transvaal 23 - 6 Orange Free State Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1982 Western Province 24 - 7 Northern Transvaal Newlands, Cape Town
1983 Western Province 9 - 3 Northern Transvaal Newlands, Cape Town
1985 Western Province 22 - 15 Northern Transvaal Newlands, Cape Town
1987 Northern Transvaal 24 - 18 Transvaal Ellis Park, Johannesburg
1988 Northern Transvaal 19 - 18 Western Province Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1989 Northern Transvaal, Western Province (shared) 16 - 16 Newlands, Cape Town
1990 Sharks 18 - 12 Northern Transvaal Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1991 Northern Transvaal 27 - 15 Transvaal Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1998 Blue Bulls1 24 - 20 Western Province Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
2002 Blue Bulls 31 - 7 Golden Lions² Ellis Park, Johannesburg
2003 Blue Bulls 40 - 19 Sharks Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
2004 Blue Bulls 42 - 33 Free State Cheetahs³ Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
2005 Free State Cheetahs 29 - 25 Blue Bulls Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
2006 Blue Bulls, Free State Cheetahs (shared) 28 - 28 Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
2008 Sharks 14 - 9 Blue Bulls Kings Park Stadium, Durban
2009 Blue Bulls 36 - 24 Free State Cheetahs Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
2016 Free State Cheetahs 36 - 16 Blue Bulls Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
2020–21 Blue Bulls 26 - 19 Sharks Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
2021 Blue Bulls 44 - 10 Sharks Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

1 Northern Transvaal was renamed to the Blue Bulls.
2 Transvaal was renamed to the Golden Lions.
3 The Orange Free State have since been renamed to the Free State Cheetahs.

Currie Cup Season-by-Season Standings

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Blue Bulls season by season standings in the Currie Cup Premier Division 1996-2021 (professional era)
Season Log Pos P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Notes Top points scorer Pts Top try scorer Tries
2024 2nd 10 7 1 2 384 266 +118 54 37 7 1 38 Semi-final was drawn 40 all after extra time. The Sharks advanced due to scoring more tries in the match 6-4. Semi-Finalists Jaco van der Walt 81 Mpilo Gumede 7
2023 4th 14 7 0 7 399 415 -16 57 53 8 2 38 Lost semi-final 10–39 to Cheetahs Semi-Finalists Johan Goosen 49 David Kriel 7
2022 2nd 12 9 1 2 398 306 +92 56 42 9 0 47 Lost semi-final 19–30 to Griquas Semi-Finalists Chris Smith 54 David Kriel 5
2021 1st 12 7 3 2 334 260 +74 46 30 8 1 49 Beat the Sharks 44–10 in the Final Champions 🏆 25th Johan Goosen 99 Zak Burger, Cornal Hendricks 5
2020–21 1st 12 8 1 3 305 216 +89 32 22 3 2 39 Beat the Sharks 26–19 in the Final. Each team started with the log points from the Super Rugby Unlocked competition. Champions 🏆 24th Morné Steyn 62 Marco van Staden 3
2019 6th 6 2 0 4 143 191 −48 20 25 2 0 10 Did not qualify for Play-offs. Manie Libbok 46 Rosko Specman 5
2018 4th 6 3 0 3 170 179 −9 24 25 4 1 17 Lost semi-final 32–35 to Western Province Semi-Finalists Manie Libbok 68 Ruan Steenkamp 5
2017 4th 12 5 0 7 457 442 +15 63 62 9 3 32 Lost semi-final 27–37 to Sharks Semi-Finalists Tony Jantjies 70 Warrick Gelant 10
2016 7th 14 7 0 7 459 376 +83 65 45 8 2 38 2016 Currie Cup qualification round Joshua Stander 77 Marquit September 8
2nd 8 6 0 2 310 207 +103 40 26 5 1 30 Lost final 16–36 to Free State Cheetahs Runner-up Tian Schoeman 146 Jamba Ulengo 7
2015 2nd 10 8 0 2 342 238 +104 41 26 7 0 39 Lost semi-final 18–23 to Western Province Semi-Finalists Tian Schoeman 135 Jamba Ulengo 11
2014 4th 10 6 0 4 271 235 +36 27 23 3 1 28 Lost semi-final 23–31 to Western Province Semi-Finalists Jacques-Louis Potgieter 125 Bjorn Basson, Sampie Mastriet, Deon Stegmann 4
2013 5th 10 3 1 6 225 253 –28 24 28 2 1 17 Did not qualify for Play-offs. Handré Pollard 62 Francois Venter 4
2012 4th 10 5 0 5 280 291 −11 19 29 1 1 23 Lost semi-final 3–20 to Sharks Semi-Finalists Louis Fouché 137 CJ Stander 5
2011 5th 14 8 1 5 452 368 +84 54 40 5 1 40 Did not qualify for Play-offs. Louis Fouché 126 Bjorn Basson 10
2010 4th 14 9 0 5 437 374 +63 47 39 6 5 47 Lost semi-final 12–16 to Sharks Semi-Finalists Jacques-Louis Potgieter 171 Stefan Watermeyer 6
2009 3rd 14 9 0 5 475 299 +176 56 28 6 4 46 Beat Cheetahs 36–24 in the Final Champions 🏆 23rd Morné Steyn 105 Gerhard van den Heever 11
2008 2nd 14 11 0 3 482 235 +247 61 27 8 1 53 Lost final 9–14 to Sharks Runner-up Morné Steyn 192 John Mametsa 7
2007 4th 14 8 0 6 424 282 +142 54 33 6 1 39 Lost semi-final 6–11 to Free State Cheetahs Semi-Finalists John Mametsa 14
2006 2nd 14 10 0 4 479 284 +195 63 32 8 2 50 Drew 28–28 with Free State Cheetahs Champions 🏆 22nd Morné Steyn 138 Marius Delport 7
2005 Sect X 3rd 6 4 0 2 261 141 +120 38 18 4 1 21 2005 Currie Cup qualifying round
Sect X 1st 8 8 0 0 347 115 +232 46 12 5 0 37 Lost final 25–29 to Free State Cheetahs Runner-up Morné Steyn 118 Akona Ndungane, Pedrie Wannenburg 6
2004 1st 14 11 2 1 545 315 +230 69 38 7 1 56 Beat Free State Cheetahs 42–33 in the Final Champions 🏆 21st Derick Hougaard 188 Ettienne Botha 18
2003 1st 14 11 0 3 538 372 +166 73 44 9 2 55 Beat the Sharks 40–19 in the Final Champions 🏆 20th
2002 Sect Y 2nd 6 4 1 1 185 125 +60 21 14 3 1 22 2002 Currie Cup qualifying round (Points of 3 matches vs the Currie Cup teams retained for Premier Div log)
Premier Div 4th 7 5 1 1 225 136 +89 21 13 2 1 25 Beat the Lions 31–7 in the Final Champions 🏆 19th
2001 Sect Y 3rd 6 4 0 2 231 148 +83 30 13 3 1 20 2001 Currie Cup qualification
Top 8 7th 7 2 0 5 191 187 +4 11 14 2 2 12 Did not qualify for Play-offs.
2000 Sect Y 6th 6 3 0 3 232 228 +4 22 25 3 1 16 2000 Currie Cup qualification Did not qualify for Currie Cup Premier Div. (6 points carried forward to the Bankfin Cup.) Casper Steyn 149 Casper Steyn 6
Bankfin Cup 2nd 5 3 0 2 205 178 +27 25 20 4 2 18 Beat the Mighty Elephants 41–20 in the Bankfin Cup Final Champions 🏆 1st Franco Smith 77 McNeil Hendricks 7
1999 5th 13 8 1 4 483 346 +137 - - 5 2 41 Did not qualify for Play-offs. Casper Steyn 252 Casper Steyn 12
1998 2nd 13 10 0 3 461 231 +230 65 28 7 2 49 Beat Western Province 24–20 in the Final Champions 🏆 18th
1997 5th 13 8 0 5 382 341 +41 39 33 6 2 40 Did not qualify for Play-offs.
1996 Sect B 1st 12 11 0 1 707 207 +500 93 23 - - 22 Lost semi-final 21–31 to Transvaal Semi-Finalists Hannes Venter 13

Third tier of South African Rugby

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Seasons

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Blue Bulls XV results for each season were as follows:

Seasons
Competition Season Section Pos Pl W D L PF PA PD Pts Play-offs Top points scorer Points Top try scorer Tries
SuperSport Rugby Challenge
2019 Northern Section 3rd 7 5 0 2 332 190 +142 25 Did not qualify for Play-offs. JT Jackson 44 Duncan Matthews 6
2018 Northern Section 3rd 8 5 0 3 317 255 +62 27 Quarter-Finalists Earll Douwrie 79 Xolisa Guma 6
2017 Northern Section 2nd 8 5 0 3 376 240 +136 29 Semi-Finalists Tinus de Beer 44 Boom Prinsloo, Franco Naudé 6
20161 No competition
Vodacom Cup
2015 Northern Section 2nd 7 6 0 1 282 114 +168 29 Semi-Finalists Kobus Marais 85 Kefentse Mahlo 6
2014 Northern Section 3rd 7 5 0 2 315 111 +204 26 Semi-Finalists Tian Schoeman 60 Sampie Mastriet 7
2013 Northern Section 2nd 7 5 0 2 435 159 +276 28 Quarter-Finalists Tony Jantjies 79 Sampie Mastriet 9
2012 Northern Section 3rd 6 4 1 1 212 116 +96 21 Semi-Finalists Wesley Dunlop 44 Sampie Mastriet 5
2011 Northern Section 4th 8 3 0 5 197 175 +22 17 Runners-up 🥈 Marnitz Boshoff 87 Sampie Mastriet 5
2010 Northern Section 1st 7 7 0 0 251 136 +63 32 Champions 3rd 🏆
2009 Northern Section 1st 6 5 1 0 180 117 +63 24 Runners-up 🥈 Francois Brummer 158 Rocco Jansen 5
2008 Northern Section 1st 7 5 0 2 279 161 +118 28 Champions 2nd 🏆 Burton Francis 115 Rocco Jansen 14
2007 Northern Section 2nd 6 5 0 1 184 104 +80 23 Runners-up 🥈
2006 Vodacom Cup 3rd 13 9 0 4 383 278 +105 45 Did not qualify for Play-offs.
2005 Section X 1st 7 5 0 2 255 184 +71 28 Semi-Finalists
2004 Vodacom Cup 3rd 6 4 0 2 231 186 +45 22 Runners-up 🥈
2003 Section Y 1st 6 5 0 1 236 133 +103 26 Runners-up 🥈
2002 Section Y 1st 6 5 0 1 260 157 +103 26 Runners-up 🥈
Top Eight 3rd 7 4 0 3 242 240 +2 21
2001 Section Y 1st 6 5 0 1 242 140 +102 27 Champions 1st 🏆
Top Eight 1st 4 4 0 0 150 117 +33 34
2000 Northern Section 3rd 7 5 0 2 265 187 +78 23 Quarter-Finalists
1999 Northern Section 5th 14 7 0 7 416 468 –52 36 Did not qualify for Play-offs.
1998 Sect B 5th 12 4 0 8 303 389 –86 18 Did not qualify for Play-offs.
Bankfin Nite Series 1997 Did not Participate
1996 Did not Participate

Bankfin Nite Series seasons 1996 - 1997

Vodacom Cup seasons 1998 - 2015

SuperSport Rugby Challenge 2017 - 2019

Results per opposition

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The Blue Bulls Vodacom Cup and SuperSport Rugby Challenge results vs different opponents 1998-2019

Added together based on the fact that both competitions serves as the second tier in South African rugby. In some of these fixtures, the Blue Bulls were represented by the Blue Bulls XV.

Vodacom Cup and Rugby Challenge
Opposition Span Played Won Drawn Lost Win% Points for PPM Aga Best score Worst score 40-49 points 50+ points
Golden Lions XV 1998–2019 28 13 0 15 46.43% 827 29.54 872 62–24 (2019) 63–27 (2002) 3 4
Leopards 1998–2019 23 18 1 4 78.26% 805 35.00 566 63–36 (2019) 41–45 (1999) 6 2
Pumas 1998–2019 22 9 1 12 40.91% 613 27.86 635 49–16 (2005) 51–22 (1999) 3 0
Falcons 1998–2019 21 16 0 5 76.19% 823 39.19 462 74–14 (2013) 39–21 (2002) 2 6
Griquas 1998–2019 19 9 0 10 47.37% 542 28.53 550 52–20 (2002) 40–25 (2000) 6 1
Griffons 1998–2019 15 14 0 1 93.33% 631 42.07 299 89–10 (2013) 36–25 (1999) 3 4
Sharks 1998–2017 11 7 0 4 63.64% 316 28.73 258 51–18 (2004) 57–27 (1998) 1 1
Welwitschias 1999–2019 10 10 0 0 100.00% 625 62.50 203 92–7 (2017) 34–58 (2010) 2 7
Western Province 2000–2017 11 6 0 5 54.55% 328 29.82 238 60–33 (2002) 37–35 (2008) 2 1
Boland Cavaliers 2001–2011 9 7 0 2 77.78% 344 38.22 262 50–29 (2002) 45–47 (2002) 4 1
Free State Cheetahs 2001–2015 14 13 0 1 92.85% 526 37.57 382 68–22 (2008) 50–23 (2004) 5 1
Border Bulldogs 2001–2011 7 5 0 2 71.43% 259 37.00 125 52–12 (2001) 33–26 (2005) 0 2
SWD Eagles 2001–2011 5 3 0 2 60.00% 154 30.80 134 46–31 (2002) 33–27 (2008) 1 0
Eastern Province Kings 2006–2013 4 3 0 1 75.00% 138 34.50 117 43–22 (2006) 34–31 (2013) 1 0
Pampas XV 2011–2011 2 0 0 2 0.00% 31 15.50 41 22–27 (2011) 27–22 (2011) 0 0
Limpopo Blue Bulls 2013–2015 3 3 0 0 100.00% 307 102.33 13 114–0 (2014) 13–83 (2015) 0 3
Overall 1998–2019 204 136 2 66 66.67% 7269 35.63 5157 114–0 vs Limpopo Blue Bulls Vodacom Cup 2014 63–27 Vs Golden Lions (2002) 39 33
  • Fixtures as the Blue Bulls XV included.
  • All this data includes all playoff matches (quarterfinals, semi-finals and finals)
  • All fixtures added 1998 - 2019
  • Updated until round seven of the 2019 Rugby Challenge.

References

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  1. ^ "Vodacom Blue Bulls | Vodacom Bulls | Loftus Versfeld Stadium History".
  2. ^ "Vodacom Blue Bulls | Vodacom Bulls | #BullsFamily | News". Vodacom Bulls. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  3. ^ "CURRIE CUP GLORY". bluebull.co.za. Archived from the original on 7 October 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2006.
  4. ^ "Victor Ivanoff: The Russian father of the Blue Bull rugby mascot". Boris Gorelik's page on Academia. 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  5. ^ "The biggest rivalry in South Africa". tiscali.co.uk. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2006.
  6. ^ "Incidents of bad behavior at Loftus Versfeld (Afrikaans)". koerantberigte.media24.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2006.
  7. ^ "Sports stadiums in South Africa". southafrica.info. Archived from the original on 27 November 2006. Retrieved 2 July 2006.
  8. ^ "Match Centre". SA Rugby. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  9. ^ SA Rugby Annual 2014. South African Rugby Union. 2014. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-620-57859-2.
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