77-863: The Sharks (known as the Hollywoodbets Sharks as they are their title sponsor) is a South African professional rugby union team based in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal . They compete internationally in the United Rugby Championship and EPCR Challenge Cup , having competed in the Super Rugby competition until 2020. They are centred on the Sharks union, also based in Durban and drawing players from all of KwaZulu-Natal and
154-881: A wing , he is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. He played for the Golden Lions , the Blue Bulls and Western Province in South Africa, for the Bulls and the Stormers in Super Rugby, and for Toulon in the French Top 14 , and won 124 caps for the South Africa national team . Habana was part of the South Africa team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup and
231-532: A 3-year deal. The racecourses will now be known as Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse and Hollywoodbets Scottsville Racecourse. On Monday, 7 October 2019, Hollywoodbets was announced as the naming rights sponsor for Kingsmead Cricket Ground in a 5-year deal, that would see the commitment run until August 2024. In February 2020, Hollywoodbets became the official betting partner to LaLiga in South Africa. The partnership included soccer development and community work across underprivileged parts of South Africa, with
308-557: A brand ambassador for Hollywoodbets. In 2019, rugby twins Akona Ndungane and Odwa Ndungane joined Hollywoodbets as Brand Ambassadors. The pair are actively involved in Hollywood's partnership with the Phaka rugby programme on SuperSport , as well as initiatives through the twin's Ndungane Foundation. In March 2020, former South African Champion jockey Anthony Delpech joined on as a brand ambassador for Hollywoodbets. His main role
385-491: A brand ambassador. Hollywoodbets works with the actress and her Lighthouse Foundation in various community development and bursary projects. In December 2021, radio sports talk show host Robert Marawa was introduced as a Hollywoodbets brand ambassador, and appeared in TV commercials and advertisements for the brand. In February 2022, sports broadcaster Carol Tshabalala , known as South Africa’s "First Lady of Sport", signed as
462-497: A local charity, as well as a local sports team, as part of their Social Responsibility Programme, commonly known as the Hollywoodbets MyCommunity Programme. Included are children's homes, community centers, old-age homes and schools. With regards to community sports teams, they include soccer teams, cricket teams, rugby and other sports. In September 2021, Hollywoodbets announced the launch of
539-604: A mobile platform to bet on. In November 2018, Hollywoodbets went live with its website in Ireland , making its services available to Irish customers. In March 2019, the company went live with its website in the United Kingdom . The company is the current title sponsor of the Hollywoodbets Dolphins cricket team. They started as associate sponsors of the franchise in the 2015/16 season, before becoming
616-531: A poor Super Rugby Campaign and Gary Gold assumed the reigns as Currie Cup coach for 2015, Director of Rugby and the Super Rugby coach for 2016. Towards the end of 2016 Gary Gold left the Sharks and assistant coach Robert du Preez became coach for the 2016 Currie Cup campaign, as well as the Super Rugby coach from 2017. Du Preez would lead the Sharks to the quarter-finals of Super Rugby for three consecutive years, but did not manage to progress beyond that stage. For
693-421: A successful case study in many marketing textbooks. There was initially significant resistance from many quarters. This resistance was ascribed to the traditional attitudes of the rugby-loving stakeholders. However, the strategy was successful and the success of the marketing has been widely acknowledged. Crowd attendances, merchandising, suite holder and season ticket sales have all been very successful. The brand
770-721: A three-year contract. Toulon won the Heineken Cup and Top 14 in 2014 and the European Champions Cup in 2015. Habana was selected for the 2015 Rugby World Cup , where he equalled Jonah Lomu's record of 15 World Cup tries with a hat-trick against the USA. South Africa lost 20–18 in the semi-finals to eventual champions New Zealand and subsequently finished third. Habana was made vice-captain of South Africa in 2016, and brought his career try tally to 67. On 24 April 2018, Habana announced his retirement from all rugby at
847-532: A week later, but this time they were outmuscled 21–6. This kept New Zealand in with a chance of claiming the tournament. Habana played well, making a try-saving tackle on Lachie Turner , but came off at halftime with an injury. He was however declared fit for the visit to New Zealand as the Springboks claimed victory by 32–29, to win their first Tri Nations title since 2004. It was also Habana's first success in that tournament. On 5 December, Habana played on
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#1732798015780924-505: A week to bet on (fixed odds betting on lotto draws). Other products offered include Habanero, YGG, PariPlay, Pragmatic Games, Aviator, JetX, Scratch Cards, Betgames Africa, Ezugi, Evolution, Live Instant Win, Jika Sports, and Golden Race. Hollywoodbets was ranked number 8 on the list of the Top 50 Gaming Sites Worldwide published by iGaming Business Magazine in March 2019. Hollywoodbets’ name
1001-411: A winning Currie Cup final in 2012. Habana was selected for the 2011 Rugby World Cup and played the first game which South Africa won against Wales 17-16 thanks to tries from François Steyn and Hougaard. They were then victorious against Fiji and Namibia before beating Samoa just 13–5 in which Habana scored a ninth minute try. South Africa however were then knocked out of the tournament by Australia in
1078-729: Is now internationally recognised and the branding strategy is reaping dividends for all its stakeholders. As a result, since the mid-1990s the Sharks have become one of the most well-recognised and popular unions in the South African rugby landscape. The Sharks are well supported across South Africa, with sizable fan bases in all major cities including Johannesburg , Pretoria , Port Elizabeth and Cape Town . Most of their supporters however live in KwaZulu-Natal Province , particularly in and around Durban and Pietermaritzburg . Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium in Durban
1155-490: Is the home ground of The Sharks. It is locally known as "The Shark Tank". It currently has a capacity of 54,000. In addition to being the home of the Sharks, it is also used during the Currie Cup for the Sharks . The ground was originally built in 1968, but have been worked on numerous times. A major upgrade occurred for the 1995 Rugby World Cup . When the Super Rugby franchise system was launched in South Africa in 1998,
1232-600: Is to assist in managing the Hollywood Syndicate, the horse racing ownership arm of Hollywoodbets. In April 2020, former South African cricketer Mike Procter joined on as a brand ambassador for Hollywoodbets. Work was done in conjunction with the Mike Procter Foundation, as well as Ottawa Primary School in Durban, where Procter runs the physical education programme. In 2020, South African-born actress Nomzamo Mbatha joined Hollywoodbets as
1309-597: The 1997 tour . After the Lions series came the Tri-Nations. New Zealand beat Australia in the opening game 22–16, so the pressure was on South Africa to claim a victory over the All Blacks in their opener at Bloemfontein . They did this with a 28–19 win. They played the All Blacks at Durban the following week. This was Habana's 50th test and South Africa won 31–19 with Morné Steyn scoring all 31 points. This
1386-656: The All Blacks at Newlands was also a win for South Africa. In the second match against Australia in Perth , Habana scored two tries in the 22–19 win. The All Blacks won the last match of the series, a thrilling 31–27 win for the New Zealanders at Carisbrook . Although South Africa did not win the series, Habana had established himself on the international stage, finishing as the tournament's joint highest try-scorer with New Zealands' Doug Howlett and Joe Rokocoko . In
1463-753: The COSAFA Cup , the COSAFA Women’s Championship , the COSAFA Women’s Champions League and the COSAFA Beach Soccer Championship. On 3 August 2023, Hollywoodbets was announced as the new title sponsor of the Sharks Rugby team . The Hollywoodbets logo will feature prominently on the front and back of The Sharks jerseys across all competitions. Every Hollywoodbets branch in South Africa supports
1540-572: The Cats , went to Canberra for the final, which they lost against the Brumbies . In 2002 the Sharks missed the finals after finishing 10th on the season table. The following season they came 11th. 2004 was a better season for the team, coming in at 7th after the regular season. However, in 2005 saw them slump to 12th. In 2006, the Super 12 was expanded and became the Super 14. In the first Super 14 season
1617-566: The Eastern Cape . The team plays its home matches at the Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium in Durban. In 1993–1995 South Africa was represented in the Super 10 by their three top unions (top three teams from the previous years Currie Cup). Natal (as they were called then) qualified in 1993 and 1994. Natal were runners-up in 1994 after having lost to Queensland 21–10 in the final. In 1996 and 1997 South Africa
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#17327980157801694-622: The Stormers , they were not given much of a chance after having crossed the Indian for the second time in as many weeks, but again they prevailed 26–19. Having beaten the Crusaders in the other semi-final, the Chiefs claimed home ground advantage for the final. After travelling over the Indian yet again (the third time in three weeks, 55 000 km travelled in total) to Hamilton , the Sharks met
1771-560: The 2007 IRB Awards, held in Paris on 21 October. The 2008 season wasn't Habana's greatest. Although he kept his spot in the Springboks side, he failed to make an impact like he did in the previous year. He only scored two tries in the whole year, one against the All Blacks in their 19–8 loss and one against England in the 42–6 win. The team struggled to adapt to new coach Peter de Villiers incoherent model for an expansive game, and thus
1848-579: The 2009 Tri-Nations title it would be Habana's first tournament win meaning he would have won every tournament in professional southern hemisphere rugby. South Africa then won their first away-game and their 4th match out of 4 in the Tri Nations with a 32–25 victory over the Wallabies at Subiaco Oval in Perth . Habana scored 2 of the 4 tries. The Springboks would take on the Wallabies in Brisbane
1925-503: The 2020 season, du Preez stepped down and Sean Everitt was appointed head coach, with David Williams (backline and attack) and Brent Janse van Rensburg (forwards) as his assistants. On 28 November 2022 the Sharks played in a 0–35 home defeat to the Welsh side Cardiff . This marked the first time in franchise history the Sharks had failed to score a single point in a home game. Something the provincial Currie Cup side had also never done in
2002-741: The 4 top franchises in the newly renamed United Rugby Championship . Due to the pandemic still causing problems for international travel another temporary regional tournament was announced, called the Pro14 Rainbow Cup . The South African sides competed in the 'Rainbow Cup SA'. The Sharks finished second behind the Bulls who went on to lose against the European leg winners, Benetton Treviso . The Sharks played their first official URC game against Munster in Ireland on 25 September 2021. In 2021 it
2079-490: The Blue Bulls. Following the 2005 Super 12 season , Habana was, as expected, included in the 2005 Springboks squad. He played on the left wing in South Africa's opening match of 2005 against Uruguay , whom the Springboks defeated 134–3, with Habana scoring two tries. South Africa then hosted France for a two test series; drawing the first 30-all, and winning the second 27–13, with Habana scoring two tries in both games. In
2156-418: The Bulls a dramatic 20–19 victory over the Sharks. The try was especially hard to take for Sharks fans as it was debated if Habana should have even been on the field after dangerously tackling fullback Percy Montgomery in the air, in the opening minutes of the game. Habana later admitted in an interview that, despite not intending to cause Montgomery harm, he should have been sent off for the challenge. Habana
2233-542: The Chiefs for the final , but the fairytale was not to be, and they were defeated 37–6 by the Chiefs, who claimed their first ever Super Rugby title. The Sharks did manage to win the South African Conference and trophy once in 2014. However, after the then Director of Rugby Jake White left the club to take up a coaching role at Montpellier he left his assistant coach Brad McLeod-Henderson in charge of
2310-479: The Coastal Sharks (as the team was now styled) won 7 of their 11 games, and finished in their best position yet, third place. They were however defeated by the Crusaders in the semi-finals. The following season the Sharks missed the finals, finishing 7th. In 2000 the Sharks finished last in the final standings. However the next season they came second – at the time their best ever finish – and after defeating
2387-588: The Currie Cup, the Blue Bulls made it to the final, which was played at home at Loftus Versfeld, against the Free State Cheetahs . The Cheetahs, somewhat underdogs, won the final. In November of that year, Habana earned caps for South Africa against Argentina, Wales and France, scoring two tries in the Welsh match. Habana was named to the five-man shortlist for 2005 IRB World Player of the Year, and
Sharks (rugby union) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2464-602: The Hollywood Foundation. The Hollywood Foundation will operate as a "fully-fledged non-profit organisation that plays an active role in the communities within which it operates." The Foundation works on projects focussing on welfare, education, sports, arts and culture as well as investing in SMMEs . The Hollywood Bunny Bar branches, under the Hollywoodbets banner, currently consists of 8 branches located in
2541-435: The Lions were more fired up and led 19–8 with 20 minutes to go before Habana burst through their defence and scored one of his most memorable tries. The Springboks went on to win after his Bulls teammate Morné Steyn kicked a last gasp penalty from 53 metres (58 yd). Habana was rested for the final test, a game which South Africa would rather forget as they lost 28–9 but with their series win they gained revenge after losing
2618-736: The Sharks for the forthcoming season, once again as head coach, with Powell returning to the role of Director of Rugby. Stat source: https://all.rugby Hollywoodbets Hollywoodbets is a sports betting company based in South Africa . It is also known as Hollywood Sportsbook. It currently operates in South Africa, Mozambique, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The company offers betting via its website, mobisite, call centre, and USSD. It has retail branches in South Africa and Mozambique . Hollywoodbets offers betting on horse racing, football/soccer, cricket, rugby, tennis, motorsport and more. Hollywoodbets offers over 2400 Lucky Numbers draws
2695-407: The Sharks narrowly missed the finals, missing out on a 4th-place finish on points difference . In 2007 they were top of the table and became the first South African side to host a Super 12 or 14 final. The Sharks fought hard in the final but lost to the Bulls after a try by Bryan Habana . In 2011 the Super Rugby competition was expanded again to feature an additional team from Australia changing
2772-477: The Sharks to their first Currie Cup title since 1996 when they defeated the Blue Bulls in Durban. He repeated that feat in 2010 when his team beat Western Province in the Kings Park final. Following their Super Rugby Final's appearance in 2012, the Sharks produced a lacklustre season in 2013, finishing 8th on the combined log and 4th of 5 teams in the South African division. Plumtree's final season as Sharks coach
2849-654: The South African provinces of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and Western Cape. These branches are famous for their authentic Durban curries, and won the award for Best Bunny Chow in 2014 after winning the Bunny Chow Barometer Challenge 2014. In 2016, former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana soccer player Jerry Sikhosana was named as a brand ambassador for Hollywoodbets. In 2017, former Kaizer Chiefs , Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Brian Baloyi also joined as
2926-645: The Spears (and later Southern Kings ) franchise and the Sharks were effectively affiliated with one provincial union only, namely KwaZulu-Natal. The Sharks squad for the 2024–25 United Rugby Championship is: Props Hookers Locks Loose forwards Scrum-halves Fly-halves Centres Wingers Fullbacks The Sharks were coached by Former Springbok coach Ian McIntosh between 1996 and 1999, with Hugh Reece-Edwards as his assistant. In 2000, Reece-Edwards took over as coach with Jake White and Allister Coetzee as assistants. All three were replaced
3003-481: The Springbok backline failed to find attacking impetus throughout that season. The Springboks had a poor year, only winning two of their six games in the 2008 Tri Nations but came back at the end of the year to win all of their Tour Matches against Wales , Scotland and England . Habana had a mixed super 14 season. He was quiet on attack, but was a rock on defence, later he found his attacking form and finished
3080-478: The Super Rugby side. After a disastrous 2015 season finishing 11th, McLeod-Henderson left the Sharks and was replaced by Gary Gold . Gold only lasting one year at the team, however the Sharks managed a four-year run of quarter final finishes between 2016 and 2019. The Sharks lead the 2020 season on 24 points having played 7 games with the Crusaders and Brumbies both on 23 points having played 6 games. The season
3157-453: The competition to the Super Rugby tournament. The 2012 season saw the Sharks struggle in the first few weeks, but a run of good form saw them lose only one of their last seven games to sneak into the playoffs in 6th position. They had to travel to Suncorp Stadium , Brisbane , Australia for the qualifier against The Reds , whom they beat 30–17 to reach the semi-finals. They then had to travel another 11 000 km back to Cape Town to face
Sharks (rugby union) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3234-516: The cover defence, regathered the ball and scored near the corner flag. To score the second, he intercepted the ball after Argentina had gone blindside off a scrum, running nearly the length of the field to dot the ball down under the posts. He was a part of the world cup winning side contributing to the defeat of England in the 2007 final. Habana was awarded the IRB Player of the Year Award at
3311-671: The duration of the season, covering the Africa T20 Cup, 3 Day Cup and 50 Over competition. Hollywoodbets came on board as the title sponsors of the Murray Cup in 2018. This is a rugby knock-out competition involving clubs from the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union . Hollywoodbets became the title sponsors of the Phaka rugby show on Supersport in February 2019. Hollywoodbets’ new sponsorship relationship with
3388-571: The end of the Super Rugby Campaign. Venter was soon appointed as the Director of Rugby for the 2013 Currie Cup campaign, with coaches Brad McLeod-Henderson (forwards) and Sean Everitt (backs) assuming the day-to-day coaching responsibilities. Following the end of the Sharks' successful 2013 Currie Cup campaign, Venter stepped down as Director of Rugby. Former Springboks' coach Jake White , looking to return to coaching in South Africa,
3465-551: The first South African team to ever win a European trophy, by defeating Gloucester Rugby in the final of the 2023–24 EPCR Challenge Cup at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium . Natal competed in the inaugural Super 10 during the 1993 season. They were in Pool A along with Auckland, Western Samoa, Queensland and Otago. They finished second in the pool on 12 points, behind Auckland on 16. The next season they played in Pool B with New South Wales, Western Samoa, Auckland and Waikato, and finished at
3542-569: The focus on making an impact on the game at grassroots levels. On Sunday, 16 May 2021, Hollywoodbets was announced as the title sponsor of the SAFA National Womens Soccer League , with the tournament being renamed the Hollywoodbets Super League. The Hollywoodbets logo would be shown across the front of all the teams' jerseys for the 2021/22 season. On Friday, 16 July 2021, Hollywoodbets
3619-538: The following year however, as Rudolf Straeuli was appointed coach, with Kobus van der Merwe as his assistant. In 2002, Clinton Isaacs replaced Van der Merwe as Straeuli's assistant. Kevin Putt was appointed as Straeuli's replacement when he was appointed Springbok coach, with Theo Jansen van Rensburg as assistant. Dick Muir replaced Putt in 2006 and pulled in John Plumtree as his assistant. Plumtree took over
3696-501: The game was lost 32–16, Habana came on as a reserve to score a try with his first touch of the ball against the then World Cup holders. The following week Habana was moved into the starting line-up, where he contributed two tries to the 45–10 win over Scotland at Murrayfield . The next week, he was selected in the same position, on the left wing, in that year's final match against Argentina in Buenos Aires . In 2005, he moved to
3773-447: The head coaching position for the 2007 Currie Cup, whilst Muir took time off to add to his qualifications and learn from some of the most successful coaches in rugby history, such as Sir Clive Woodward . Muir took The Sharks to the 2007 Super 14 final at home and was later seconded as an assistant coach to Peter de Villiers with the national side. John Plumtree took over as full-time coach in 2008 where he found immediate success, taking
3850-558: The latest Brand Ambassador for Hollywoodbets. In November 2022, former South African football captain Teko Modise joined Hollywoodbets as their latest brand ambassador. In April 2024, Hollywoodbets announced South African rugby player Eben Etzebeth and his actress wife Anlia Star as the newest brand ambassadors for the company. In 2018 at the Gambling Industry Awards held in South Africa, Hollywoodbets
3927-513: The lead-up to the 2005 Tri Nations , Habana played in two tests against Australia , the first, a loss at Telstra Stadium , and then a 33–20 win at home at Ellis Park , with Habana scoring in the second Test. Habana made his Tri Nations debut on 30 July against the Wallabies at the Bulls' home of Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria . South Africa won the match 22–16. The subsequent match against
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#17327980157804004-670: The left wing for the Barbarians for their 'Final Challenge' against New Zealand. He scored 3 tries as the Barbarians defeated the All Blacks, who had not lost a match in the Northern hemisphere in 2 years. In 2009 Habana moved to Cape Town , to play for Western Province and the Stormers starting in 2010. Habana played for the Stormers in a losing Super Rugby final in 2010, a losing Currie Cup final for Western Province in 2010 and
4081-466: The new name and branding and fans were polarised by the radical proposed change that flew in the face of rugby tradition and convention. After much controversy in the media (which very rapidly brought the proposed brand to everyone's attention) and a very successful season supported by great products and promotions, the Sharks were embraced by all. The Sharks' marketing has been widely acknowledged in marketing and rugby circles as best practice and included as
4158-588: The opening of its first betting branch in Argyle Road, Durban in 2000. This was later followed by the opening of the current flagship branch, Hollywood Park in Springfield Park, Durban . Hollywoodbets currently operates in four countries. South Africa, Mozambique, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Hollywoodbets operates 96 shops across South Africa under a number of gaming licences issued by regulators in Gauteng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal. There are currently two Hollywoodbets branches in Maputo, Mozambique; as well as
4235-424: The professional era. The last game in which the provincial side had failed to score a point at home was in 1972 against England . The following day it was announced that then head coach Sean Everitt would be stepping down with immediate effect, and director of rugby Neil Powell would take over all of the responsibilities. At the end of the 2022–23 season, it was announced that John Plumtree would be returning to
4312-416: The quarter-finals by 11–9. Habana played two tests against England in the June internationals and 5 tests in The Rugby Championship against Argentina , Australia and New Zealand. He scored a hat trick of tries against Australia as well as tries, home and away, against the All Blacks On 11 January 2013, Habana confirmed he would move to French club Toulon at the end of the 2013 Super Rugby season , on
4389-413: The season second top try scorer, with 8 tries. This led to the Blue Bulls regaining their title as Champions of the Southern Hemisphere. Habana had targeted the Lions tour as one of the biggest moments of his career, possibly bigger than the World Cup. In a close first test the South Africans defeated the Lions 26–21, but Habana failed to show the form he had displayed in the Super 14. In the second test,
4466-468: The second test. In April 2007 Habana competed against a cheetah in a 100-meter race to help raise awareness of the imminent danger of the cheetah being classified as an endangered species , according to De Wildt officials. He lost, because cheetahs can run 70 mph, instead of 22 mph. Habana's most dramatic act of the 2007 Super 14 season was his last minute try in the final, enabling flyhalf Derick Hougaard to make an easy conversion and giving
4543-399: The show will allow the company to assist development rugby teams who desperately need the support and equipment to be able to grow their talented players. Hollywoodbets sponsored the 2019 COSAFA Cup , which was staged in Durban from 25 May to 8 June 2019. On Thursday, 27 June 2019, Hollywoodbets was announced as the naming rights sponsor for both Greyville and Scottsville racecourses in
4620-409: The team was called the Coastal Sharks and covered the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces, therefore drawing players from the Sharks , Border Bulldogs and Mighty Elephants Currie Cup teams. This lasted until 2005, when the Eastern Cape attempted to launch their own Super Rugby franchise, the Southern Spears . That meant that the Border Bulldogs and Mighty Elephants teams were aligned with
4697-431: The title sponsor of the Durban July Handicap , becoming only the third sponsor in the last 59 years. The sponsorship included an increase in the prize purse for the main race to a record R5 million in stakes. The Hollywoodbets Durban July will take place on Saturday 2 July 2022. In June 2022, the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) signed a one-year title sponsorship agreement with Hollywoodbets for
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#17327980157804774-432: The title sponsors in the 2016/17 season. Hollywoodbets sponsored the KwaZulu-Natal Coastal and KwaZulu-Natal Inland teams for the 2017 Africa T20 Cup. Hollywoodbets KZN Inland went onto win the tournament, after defeating Free State in the final. At the start of the 2018/19 domestic cricket season, Hollywoodbets committed to sponsoring both the KwaZulu-Natal Coastal and the KwaZulu-Natal Inland senior provincial teams for
4851-615: The top of the pool to face Pool A winners Queensland in the final in Durban. Natal lost the game 21 to 10. Natal did not play in the 1995 series. The Sharks' Currie Cup team played in the first Super 12 season, in 1996. After 11 games the Sharks finished fourth in the final standings, enough to get them through to the finals. They defeated Queensland at Ballymore 43 to 25 to get into the first Super 12 championship game. They finished inaugural runners-up, losing to Auckland 45 to 21 in Auckland. The following season Natal finished fourth once again, but lost their semi-final against Auckland. In 1998
4928-425: Was also selected by SA Rugby as 2005 South Africa Player of the Year in 2005. The Springboks endured a poor year in 2006 as they lost four of their six tri nations matches. They also lost to France in the midyear test and lost to Ireland 32–15 – a game in which Habana was averted to centre for the first time in a Springbok shirt. He scored a try. They then lost to England in the first test but gained revenge in
5005-539: Was announced as the principal partner of Brentford Football Club . The Hollywoodbets logo will be shown across the front of the club's home, away and third shirts throughout the 2021/22 Premier League . The initial deal was signed for a period of two years. In December 2021, Hollywoodbets acquired the naming rights to Kings Park Rugby Stadium , the home of the Sharks in Durban. The 52 000-seater arena will be known as Hollywoodbets Kings Park from January 2022. In February 2022, Hollywoodbets took over from Vodacom as
5082-418: Was announced that an American consortium under the name 'MVM Holdings' in partnership with Roc Nation , an entertainment agency owned by rapper JayZ , would buy a 51% majority stake in the Sharks franchise. Roc Nation later aided in the purchase of the English side Saracens by a consortium of investors. After being informally called the Banana Boys or Piesangboere for a substantial length of time it
5159-441: Was awarded best Corporate Social Investment (CSI), Best Sports Betting Campaign for 2018, Best Employer of the Year and Best CEO of the Year (Suren Rampersadh). In 2021, Hollywoodbets was voted as KwaZulu-Natal's Brand of the Year at the Standard Bank KZN Top Business Awards. Bryan Habana Bryan Gary Habana OIS (born 12 June 1983) is a South African former professional rugby union player. Playing mainly as
5236-496: Was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and was never completed. With the Covid pandemic limiting travel, regional Super Rugby tournaments were hosted, with the South African sides taking part in Super Rugby Unlocked . The tournament was heavily affected by the pandemic and several games were cancelled, nonetheless the Sharks managed a third-place finish. It was announced in 2021 that the South African franchises would leave Super Rugby, and that South Africa would be represented by
5313-443: Was decided in 1995 that Natal would go ahead with new branding – The Sharks. This brand was conceived, presented and initially executed by Terry Kukle of Tag International Media. The Sharks mascot Sharkie was launched in 1995. To achieve this a substantial budget was allocated to refine this vision that would include the match facilities, the pre-and post-match activities and the team. The local press at first were very hesitant to accept
5390-520: Was educated at King Edward VII School and Rand Afrikaans University (now known as the University of Johannesburg ). He played outside centre and scrum-half in provincial and age group rugby. He was a member of the South Africa Sevens side in the 2003–2004 World Sevens Series . He made his Currie Cup debut for the Golden Lions in 2004, doing well enough to be voted the country's most promising player that year. That November, he made his Test debut against England at Twickenham aged 21. Though
5467-406: Was inspired by the race track Hollywood Park Racetrack in Los Angeles, USA. Hollywoodbets originally started in 1986 as a small South African based publishing company named Winning Form that handled the publishing and distribution of racecards for South African Horse Racing. Winning Form still publishes racecards for all South African racing. Hollywoodbets entered the bookmaking industry with
5544-523: Was marred by a roster depleted of injuries and perceived tactical challenges. Soon after the Sharks' appointment of former Springbok and Sharks captain John Smit as team CEO in mid 2013, news reports emerged that White had contacted former Springbok Brendan Venter to assume a short-term coaching role for the Sharks. Following days of media reports speculating on Plumtree's job security, the Sharks announced that Plumtree would not be brought back following
5621-631: Was one of the stars of the tournament, his eight tries equalling the record for a single tournament set by Jonah Lomu in 1999. He was subsequently named the 2007 IRB Player of the Year . During the 2015 Rugby World Cup Habana equalled Lomu's career record of 15 tries in World Cups. He is in second place among all time test try scorers , with 67 tries. Habana was born in Johannesburg and named Bryan Gary Habana, after former Manchester United footballers Bryan Robson and Gary Bailey . Habana
5698-874: Was represented in the Super 12 by their four top unions rather than franchises, and Natal qualified and competed both years. They have never won the Super Rugby competition, but have reached the final four times, as Natal in 1996 and as the Sharks in 2001, 2007 and 2012. The side sports many Springbok players, including Aphelele Fassi , Ox Nche , Makazole Mapimpi , Lukhanyo Am , Bongi Mbonambi , most capped Springbok Eben Etzebeth and double Rugby World Cup winning captain Siya Kolisi . They have also featured many international stars including France international Frédéric Michalak and former Australian International Ben Tapuai . Four times Super Rugby runners-up, in May 2024, Sharks finally won their first major honour, and became
5775-581: Was selected on the wing for the Springboks first game of the 2007 Rugby World Cup , where he scored four tries in the 59–7 win over Samoa in Paris . In South Africa's final group game, he scored two tries against the US in Montpellier. He also scored two tries against Argentina in the semifinal, equalling Jonah Lomu 's record of 8 tries in one World Cup. To score the first try, he chipped the defensive line, outran
5852-407: Was soon hired to succeed Venter as the Sharks' Director of Rugby and Super Rugby coach, with McLeod-Henderson and Everitt remaining as his full-time assistant coaches. At the end of 2014 White resigned as Super Rugby coach and Director of Rugby, and former Kobelco Steelers coach Gary Gold was hired as Head Coach and Super Rugby coach for the 2015 Super Rugby Season. McLeod-Henderson resigned after
5929-507: Was the first time they'd beaten the All Blacks in successive games at home in 33 years (South Africa won 3 out of 4 home tests against New Zealand in 1976). The next week they took on Australia in Cape Town . South Africa once again came home with a 29–17 win. This meant they'd won all of their home games in the tournament for the first time since 2005 putting them on course for their first championship win since 2004 . If South Africa take
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