Griquas (known as the Windhoek Draught Griquas for sponsorship reasons since April 2022) are a South African rugby union team 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.
 | |||
| Full name | Griquas | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Griqualand West Rugby Union | ||
| Nickname(s) | Poubloues (Peacock Blues) | ||
| Emblem(s) | Oryx | ||
| Founded | 1886 | ||
| 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 | ||
| |||
| Official website | |||
| www | |||
 Current season | |||
History edit
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.[2] 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.[3]
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".[4]
Current squad edit
The following players have been included so far in the Griquas squad for the 2023 Currie Cup Premier Division:[5]
| 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 edit
Major Honours edit
Currie Cup edit
Griquas have won the Currie Cup three times, and have been losing finalists once:
| Season | Winners | Score | Runner-up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18991 | Griqualand West | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 1911 | Griqualand West | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 1970 | Griqualand West | 11–9 | Northern Transvaal | De Beers Stadium, Kimberley |
| 2022 | Pumas | 26-19 | Griquas | Griqua Park, Kimberley |
1 Western Province and Transvaal did not compete.
They were defeated in the semi-finals in 1998, 2019 and 2021.
Vodacom Cup edit
Griquas have won the Vodacom Cup five times, and been defeated in the final three times.
| Season | Winners | Score | Runner-up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Griquas | 33–29 | Blue Bulls | Kimberley |
| 1999 | Golden Lions | 73-7 | Griquas | Johannesburg |
| 2000 | Cheetahs | 44-24 | Griquas | Bloemfontein |
| 2005 | Griquas | 27–25 | Leopards | Kimberley |
| 2007 | Griquas | 57–0 | Golden Lions | Kimberley |
| 2009 | Griquas | 28–19 | Blue Bulls | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
| 2012 | Western Province | 20-18 | Griquas | Griqua Park, Kimberley |
| 2014 | Griquas | 30–6 | Golden Lions | Griqua Park, Kimberley |
Minor Honours edit
- Airlink Cup 2023 [1]
External links edit
- "Official website". Griquas Rugby. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
References edit
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Absa Currie Cup undergoes ultimate makeover". Bulls. 8 August 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
- ^ "Currie Cup Finals History". SuperSport. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
- ^ "Lions storm to victory over Griquas". SuperSport. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
- ^ "Match Centre". SA Rugby. Retrieved 13 March 2023.