105-465: The Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy is a Rugby Union trophy contested between the Blues and Highlanders as a part of some regular season Super Rugby fixtures between the two sides. The trophy is awarded in memory of Gordon Hunter , who had been head coach of both teams prior to his passing in 2002. Hunter was held in high regard and in 2020, Highlander's coach Aaron Mauger noted that he gave players
210-677: A 25–24 loss to the Cheetahs. This was followed by four consecutive losses against the Lions , Hurricanes , Waratahs and Chiefs, 3 of which they picked up a losing bonus point. Their first win of the season came against the Brumbies at Eden Park with a 16–14 victory, ending the Blues 9 game losing streak. This was followed by consecutive losses against the Highlanders and Crusaders, picking up
315-579: A bonus point against the Highlanders. This was followed by a strong 41–24 win against the Force . Their next game against the Rebels was their final away game of the season, they lost 42–22, ending the season with no away wins, having only won two away games in the last three years. Their final four games were all at home with high hopes of finishing the season on a high. They won the first game 23–18 against
420-405: A gutsy Sharks performance that culminated in an edgy 14-9 victory. It was the fifth Currie Cup title, and like the 1995 final, a French connection in the guise of Frédéric Michalak would again be involved for The Sharks and, with quality young players such as Ruan Pienaar , Rory Kockott , Beast Mtawarira , JP Pietersen , Bismarck du Plessis , Keegan Daniel and Ryan Kankowski in their ranks,
525-404: A heavy round-robin defeat to Northern Transvaal playing on their minds as they traveled north to face the same opponents in the final. Despite Natal's great season, the men from Pretoria were heavily favoured to win, particularly in front of a partisan home crowd that had become accustomed to Currie Cup success. And with match-winning flyhalf Naas Botha at the helm, it was widely accepted that
630-538: A masterstroke by naming regular lock Steve Atherton on the flank just minutes before kick-off. It resulted in what was arguably Natal's heaviest-ever scrum and laid the platform for the Durban side to put the required pressure on Blue Bulls scrumhalf Robert du Preez and Botha. That 1990 victory was the catalyst for further Currie Cup success, as McIntosh set about ensuring continuity that culminated in Natal being labelled
735-788: A minority owner of the Sharks franchise who compete in the United Rugby Championship . MVM Holdings are the majority owner of the Sharks franchise. They also play in Durban and represent the province of KwaZulu-Natal . For most of Super Rugby history, the Sharks Super Rugby franchise drew players from a much larger area than the Sharks provincial union, with the rugby unions of Border , based in East London and Eastern Province from Port Elizabeth included in
840-603: A miserable season. Crushing losses to the Hurricanes (42–24) and Crusaders (54–17) in the last two rounds illustrated how far the team´s performances had collapsed from coach Tana Umaga´s first, relatively respectable season in charge, and emphasized the need for structural reform at the club. A reshuffle resulted in Umaga being demoted to an assistant coaching role, and the appointment of former All Black, Crusaders assistant and Tasman Mako head coach Leon MacDonald as new Blues coach
945-590: A number of provincial unions, with the Blues representing the Auckland , Counties Manukau and Thames Valley unions, while the neighbouring Waikato Chiefs representing the Waikato , Bay of Plenty , King Country , Northland and North Harbour unions. As the amount of international representatives in the Auckland region was thought to be unfair, it was split up between The Blues and The Chiefs. During this era,
1050-579: A packed Ellis Park in Johannesburg , defeating The Sharks and emerge 2011 Currie Cup champions. It was a similar scenario in 2012 when The Sharks managed, again, to reach the Currie Cup final, hosting it again as they had succeeded in 2008 and 2010. All the signs suggested that they would emulate those feats, but sadly it was Western Province who broke their own 11-year trophy drought in a tight final at Kings Park, with Juan de Jongh dancing through
1155-537: A part of regular season fixtures between the two sides. The trophy is awarded in memory of Gordon Hunter , who had been head coach of both teams prior to his passing away in 2002. The team's primary home ground is Eden Park , located in the central Auckland suburb of Kingsland. The stadium has a capacity of 50,000. In addition to hosting Blues home matches, the ground is the home of the Auckland Rugby Football Union and Auckland Cricket , and
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#17327915692891260-457: A semi-final against the Sharks in Durban. The travel and form of the opposition were too difficult to overcome, however, with the Blues losing 34–18 to the eventual runners-up. The 2008 season, the final under coach David Nucifora , saw the team finish the season with an 8–5 record and a sixth-place finish on the ladder. In 2009, Pat Lam was appointed as coach, however the team was not able to make significant improvements under his leadership for
1365-455: A stunning semi-final victory over Free State , thanks to two tries from Des McLean and one each from Derek la Marque and Claassen. The "Banana Boys" gave a good account of themselves in the 1984 final, but Western Province were too good, winning 19-9 at Newlands in Cape Town . For much of the 1980s, Natal was written off as a B-Section team punching above their weight. It was not until
1470-610: A two-week suspension. Seven consecutive losses followed, beginning with the Stormers in round four, and finishing with the Hurricanes in round eleven. Growing frustration among fans was evident during this period, with racist remarks directed at coach Pat Lam via social media, talkback radio and the Blues own website. Lam, who is of Samoan descent, received support from a number of former Blues players during this period, including Michael Jones and Eroni Clarke . After beating
1575-435: 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 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,
1680-473: A yet another loss followed against the Hurricanes 27–37. Dominant wins against the Brumbies (40–15) and Waratahs (34–28) showed that the Blues could still be highly competitive, however their last-place conference finish left them outside the qualification pool for the season´s semi-finals, with rival New Zealand franchise the Hurricanes emerging the eventual champions. 2017 again saw the Blues finish bottom of
1785-573: Is a frequent host of All Blacks matches, and hosted the 2011 Rugby World Cup semi-finals, third-place playoff, and final. In addition to Eden Park, Blues home matches are occasionally held at North Harbour Stadium , home of the North Harbour Rugby Union , and Okara Park , home of the Northland Rugby Union . The Blues represent the Auckland , North Harbour , and Northland rugby unions. As of 2021 60% of
1890-421: Is accredited by SA Rugby and backed by a strategic partnership with the Sharks, offers a full-time, three-year course designed for young people with a passion for rugby and a desire to forge a career in the sport. Players such as Keegan Daniel , Ryan Kankowski , Patrick Lambie , Tendai Mtawarira , Lwazi Mvovo , JP Pietersen and François Steyn are all graduates of the programme. The Sharks catchment covers
1995-509: Is believed the NZRU was in favour of dropping players such as Isa Nacewa who are ineligible to play for the All Blacks. Instead, Nucifora excluded All Black Isaia Toeava , who subsequently played for the Hurricanes in 2006. Following the draft fiasco, and the forgettable season which followed, the Blues showed signs of resurgence in 2007, finishing the round robin in fourth place, securing
2100-627: Is selected from the best emerging rugby talent in the Blues catchment area and is composed of Blues contracted players, wider training group members, under 20s, and selected club players. The squad for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season is: Props Hookers Locks Loose forwards Halfbacks (scrum-halves) First five-eighths (fly-halves) Midfielders (centres) Outside backs Notes: 1996 , 1997 , 2003 , 2024 1998 , 2022 2021 1996 , 1997 , 1998 , 2003 , 2007 , 2011 , 2021 , 2022 , 2023 , 2024 2014 2018 Sharks (Currie Cup) The Sharks (known as
2205-724: The Hollywoodbets Sharks for sponsorship reasons) are a South Africa rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The Sharks are the current representative team of the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union and they draw some of their players from the KwaZulu-Natal Province . For most of their history, the team was known simply as 'Natal', with a nickname of 'The Banana Boys' or Piesangboere in Afrikaans, until
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#17327915692892310-496: The 2000 final. But Western Province was too strong at Kings Park in Durban, as The Sharks went down by 25 points to 15. It was a case of deja vu just 12 months later , but this time at Newlands in Cape Town. The score was 29-24 on that occasion, as Western Province enjoyed a period of dominance over their coastal rivals from Durban. The Sharks bounced back to feature in the 2003 final, but a heavy 40-19 Currie Cup final defeat to
2415-697: The Brumbies and were defeated 26–9, and were defeated again by the Hurricanes in Wellington after a bye week. This was followed by two home games against the Waratahs and the Reds , winning both and coming away with a bonus point win against the Reds. They then lost their next two games going down to the Chiefs and the Sharks , picking up a losing bonus point against the Sharks. They returned to Eden park to defeat
2520-611: The Bulls ' first victory at Eden Park . The Blues regained some form again, winning four of the next five games. Beating the Highlanders at home and completing the double over the Hurricanes with a 28–6 win at Eden Park before losing a close game against the Reds . The Blues then defeated both the Stormers and the Rebels before losing 3 games in a row to the Crusaders, Brumbies , and Highlanders respectively. The Blues then travelled to South Africa with two must win games against
2625-483: The Bulls , 48–11 in the semi-final at Eden Park . This result secured a home final, where the Blues comfortably defeated the Sharks 45–21. In 1997, the side improved on their previous season, comfortably topping the table with 50 points after going undefeated in the regular season, the sole blemish on an otherwise perfect season being a draw with Northern Transvaal in a re-match of the previous season's semi-final. The Blues once again easily won their semi-final, defeating
2730-442: The Chiefs . On the morning of 31 October 2012 new coach Sir John Kirwan announced the 2013 Blues squad which included 14 Super Rugby debutants, and Ali Williams taking over as captain. Handed a bye on the first round the Blues started the regular season on 23 February 2013 with a 34–20 away win against the Hurricanes , followed by a 34–15 home win against the Crusaders the next week. Three consecutive losses followed, including
2835-462: The Crusaders , a match which promised a great deal due to Auckland's traditional sporting rivalry with Canterbury. The Crusaders ultimately won the match by 20–13, putting an end to the Blues' dominance of the competition. From 1999 – 2002 the Blues' onfield performance was poor, missing the playoffs every season, finishing at an all-time low of 11th on the ladder in 2001 with just four wins for
2940-478: The Lions in round twelve, the Blues suffered the biggest defeat in club history with a 59 – 12 loss away to the Crusaders, which was followed by losses at home to the Highlanders and table-topping Chiefs . The Blues finished the season on a high note, with wins against the Western Force and Brumbies . On 17 July, Pat Lam was released. On the same day, Sir John Kirwan was appointed as head coach for
3045-661: The Malaysia Tens . Until 2009, a second senior-tier provincial team was called the Natal Wildebeest, which competed against the Transvaal Rooibokke and later in the Vodacom Cup . In 2010, this team was brought into the professional Sharks set-up and renamed a Sharks XV. This team competes annually in the Vodacom Cup / Currie Cup qualification competitions. On 7 May 2021 the Sharks announced
3150-614: The Murray Cup . An annual 16 team knock out tournament featuring 8 Premier Division teams and 8 First Division teams. The Murray Cup was founded in 1890, and is named after Sir TK Murray. Murray was appointed in June 1890 as the first President of the Natal Rugby Union, which today is known as the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union. He presented the union with its first trophy, The Murray Cup. Other KZNRU tournaments and trophies include:
3255-790: The New South Wales Waratahs 26 – 13 to secure a semi-final against the Queensland Reds in Brisbane, which they lost 30–13. The 2011 season also marked the departure of Kurtis Haiu , who was diagnosed with a bone tumour in April. Following his diagnosis, he took an indefinite break from rugby to focus on his health. 2012, the team's fourth season under coach Pat Lam , saw the arrival of former Hurricanes icons, and 2011 Rugby World Cup winners, Ma'a Nonu and Piri Weepu . The regular season began on 24 February against
Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-524: The New Zealand national team , the All Blacks, and Frank Halai as the team's top try scorer scoring 10 tries in his debut season. They signed international super star Benji Marshall for the 2014 season (only to return to league with the Dragons halfway through it) and Ma'a Nonu for two seasons starting in 2014. The Blues 2014 season started with coach Sir John Kirwan announcing six new players to
3465-635: The Sharks 55–36 at Eden Park and again securing a home final. The 1997 final was a more hard-fought encounter than the previous year's, with the Blues defeating the ACT Brumbies 23–7. By the end of the 1990s the number of international representatives from the Blues region had decreased. This led the Blues and the Chiefs to arrange a swap, where the Chiefs would represent the Thames Valley and Counties Manukau provincial unions in exchange for
3570-466: The Sharks and the Cheetahs , unfortunately losing both and ending the Blues chances of making the play-offs. Ali Williams played his 100th game for the Blues against the Sharks . The Blues returned to New Zealand with a last home game against the already play-off qualified Chiefs . Despite a red card to Kane Barrett for stomping in the 23rd minute, the Blues played a remarkably strong game, taking
3675-663: The Sharks Women team would take part in the South African Women's Premier Division following the failure of the 2020 season to launch during the Covid pandemic and its effect on local rugby in South Africa. The Sharks Academy claims to be the oldest rugby youth academy in South Africa. The Academy runs a 'gap year' style programme for overseas players, specifically aimed at school leavers. The academy, which
3780-651: The "Colonials" in their victory against the "Home-borns" in Kimberly. The trophy found its way to Pietermaritzburg and in 1957 the first KwaZulu-Natal club to win the cup was University of Natal (Durban campus). Since 2013 the Moor Cup has also acted as the qualification process for all non-university Kwa-Zulu Natal clubs to gain entry to the SARU Community Cup, the premier club rugby competition in South Africa for non-university teams. The KZNRU also hosts
3885-509: The "team of the ‘90s" a decade later. During this time, the province also recruited wisely, with the likes of Du Preez, fullback Andre Joubert , flyhalf Henry Honiball , centre Pieter Muller and prop Ollie le Roux all making the trip to Durban to seek greater fortune. Another shrewd acquisition was tireless flanker Bartmann from Transvaal , and 1992 saw him lead Natal to a second Currie Cup triumph – this time away from home. Francois Pienaar 's powerful Transvaal unit were defeated 14-13 in
3990-428: The 1970s, until the arrival of Wynand Claassen from Pretoria in late 1979. What followed was a rare third-place finish in the Currie Cup in 1980, with Claassen receiving inspirational support from Welshman Roger Gardner and former Wallaby Mark Loane . The standout result was a 22-19 defeat of Northern Transvaal – Natal's first win over Northern's at Loftus Versfeld in 41 years. Northern Transvaal went on to win
4095-531: The 1990s and their emergence as a dominant force in the Currie Cup. Perhaps their most long-standing rivalry is that of their old foes Northern Transvaal/Blue Bulls. The Sharks first-ever Currie Cup final victory came against Northern Transvaal in Pretoria in 1990 and since then the two teams have played out a number of classic encounters including the 2007 Super Rugby Final in Durban where the Bulls were victorious by
4200-466: The 1990s. But it was Transvaal, now renamed the Golden Lions, that would cause Natal Currie Cup heartache, as they pitched up in Durban and handed the four-time champions a 32-9 hiding in the 1999 final, with Lions fullback Thinus Delport scoring twice in a match-winning performance. Despite the best efforts of their rising star, under-21 flyhallf Cobus Gomes who kicked 3 penalties and scored what
4305-431: The 2013 and 2014 seasons. In August, the Blues' full coaching staff for the 2013 season was announced, with Sir Graham Henry taking on a role as technical advisor and defensive coach, Mick Byrne appointed forwards and kicking coach, and Grant Doorey appointed skills and backline coach. The 2013 season saw an all new Blues team with many players leaving, including Ma'a Nonu to the Highlanders and Gareth Anscombe to
Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy - Misplaced Pages Continue
4410-543: The 2021 season in 3rd place, in the 6 team NZ based competition. The Blues participated in the first Super Rugby Pacific season in 2022, and finished first in the 12 team round robin. In round 9 they scored their first win in Christchurch over the Crusaders since 2004, winning 27–24 at Orangetheory Stadium . In round 15 they beat the Warratahs 20–17, by a Zarn Sullivan drop goal after the 80 minute mark. This marked
4515-518: The Blue Bulls in Pretoria followed and that was to signal the start of a barren period for the province. It was not until 2008 , with New Zealander John Plumtree in charge, that The Sharks were able to break the curse and once again claim Currie Cup glory. Northern Transvaal, by now renamed the Blue Bulls, were their opponents in the final, and this time the Kings Park faithful were treated to
4620-419: The Blue Bulls just had to show up to win. But, in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition, McIntosh's side turned the tables and edged out their more-fancied opponents 18-12, after a match-winning try from flying winger Tony Watson . The victorious side was captained by scrumhalf Craig Jamieson , who led the team on a ticker-tape parade through central Durban later in the week. The victory
4725-558: The Blues lost the area colloquially referred to as South Auckland , (excluding those portions of the South Auckland to the north of Manurewa ). Thus, the Blues traded a portion of South Auckland for the Northern portion of the Auckland region and Northland , and still do not represent the entire Auckland region . Generally supporters in the South Auckland region identify as Blues supporters even though they are technically in
4830-547: The Blues played the majority of their home matches at Eden Park , with round robin fixtures occasionally held at Growers Stadium in Pukekohe . The Blues tasted immediate success, winning the Super 12 back-to-back in 1996 and 1997. In 1996 the side won eight of eleven round robin matches and finished the regular season in second place (behind the Queensland Reds on 41 points. They then went on to defeat Northern Transvaaal, now
4935-509: The Blues representing the Northland and North Harbour unions in addition to Auckland . Although in the seasons leading up to the trade North Harbour and Northland had outperformed Counties Manukau and Thames Valley in provincial rugby (thus potentially widening the already sizeable gap between the Blues' and Chiefs' on-field performance), it enabled both teams to represent unions in closer geographical proximity. Because of this trade,
5040-416: The Blues squad, with the inclusion of 11 new players after losing 12 players including Ma'a Nonu and Piri Weepu , who both played over 100 super rugby games. The Blues season started with a loss to the Chiefs , going down 23–18, picking up a losing bonus point. This was followed by an unsuccessful tour of South Africa, going down to the Stormers and Cheetahs , coming away with a single bonus point from
5145-427: The Blues to their first final since 2003, where they were defeated by the Crusaders 21–7 in front of a packed out Eden Park. Overall the Blues have dated rivalries with all other New Zealand-based Super Rugby teams (Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders), however a notable trophy is contested between the Blues and Highlanders. The Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy is contested between the Blues and Highlanders as
5250-538: The Blues were unable to mount much of a challenge that season. Due to the COVID 19 Global Pandemic there was no international Super Rugby competition held in 2020 – with the competition instead delivered via 3 local conferences ie. Australia, NZ and South Africa. In the NZ Conference, Super Rugby Aotearoa, the Blues had a significantly improved season, winning five of their seven games and claiming fourth position at
5355-620: The Blues won the competition in its first two seasons, 1996 and 1997, and again in 2003 and 2024. Additionally, the team were finalists in 1998 and 2022, and semi-finalists in 2007, 2011 and 2023. They won a Trans Tasman competition in 2021. Along with New Zealand's other Super Rugby sides, the Blues were established by the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) to take part in the newly formed Super 12 competition which, involved teams from South Africa and Australia in addition to New Zealand. Each of New Zealand's five sides represented
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#17327915692895460-498: The Blues, who were in 2006 forced by the NZRU to include North Harbour captain Rua Tipoki in their squad of 24 players who are 'protected' from the draft. Tipoki was originally to be excluded from the draft due to personal circumstances to stay in Auckland. Andrew Mehrtens had in the past done this with the Crusaders. The NZRU however forced coach David Nucifora to pick Tipoki in his 24-man squad and hence drop another player. It
5565-467: The Chiefs going down 11–8, putting them out of the finals and ending a six-game winning streak at Eden Park for the season. The Blues finished 10th overall and 5th place in the New Zealand conference. Ihaia West , Patrick Tuipulotu , Benji Marshall , and Tom Donnelly all made their Super Rugby debut for the Blues in the 2014 season. The 2015 season started with coach Sir John Kirwan announcing
5670-543: The Chiefs region. In 2000, the Auckland Blues dropped the Auckland prefix from their name, and became known simply as "Blues". The 1998 season saw the Blues again top the points table with 43 points at the conclusion of the round robin, with nine wins and two losses to their credit. They defeated the Otago Highlanders by 37–31 in the side's third consecutive home semi-final, securing a home final against
5775-401: The Crusaders at Eden Park . Following two successive losses to start the season, the side's first victory came away to the Bulls , with starting debutant Gareth Anscombe scoring all of the Blues points in the 29–23 win. In doing so, Anscombe set a team record for most points in a match. In the same match, Rene Ranger became the first Blues player to receive a white card , which resulted in
5880-464: The Currie Cup again that year, but Natal was the only side to get the better of them. During the 80s, Natal could call on players of the calibre of Gawie Visagie , Henry Coxwell , Rob Hankinson and Mort Mortassagne , but relegation to the B-Section followed in '81. The side made up for this in 1984 by qualifying for the Currie Cup final, despite plying their trade in the B-Section. That was after
5985-458: The Currie Cup competition was not held. The 1956 final saw Natal up against Northern Transvaal and even though it was contested at Kingsmead in Durban, 9-8 was the score in favour of the men from Pretoria . With so many Springbok test matches in the early 1960s, the Currie Cup was contested only four times in that decade. Natal failed to make an impression, despite being able to call on the likes of Springboks Ormond Taylor and Keith Oxlee . But
6090-555: The Hurricanes, followed by a bonus point win in Perth against the Western Force . This put them into 8th place on the ladder with two games to play in the regular season before finals, needing to place in the top 6 for a spot in the play-offs. They lost to the Crusaders in Christchurch , therefore to make the finals they needed to win their final game against the Chiefs who were in the same situation. They lost their final game against
6195-751: The New Zealand conference, with an even 7 wins and 7 losses to their credit. The up and down nature of their season was reflected in the margins of both their biggest win – 56–18 in Round 1 over the Rebels – and their heaviest defeat – 48–21 to the Sunwolves in the final round in Tokyo. During the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour, the Blues pulled off a shock win over the British and Irish Lions 22–26 at Eden Park. Rookie Blues winger Reiko Ioane distinguished himself during
6300-559: The Reds in Round 4 was followed by a 24–16 win over the Jaguares in Round 6 (Round 5 being a bye). A week later the Blues lost to the Chiefs by 23–29, but bounced back with wins over the Sharks (23–18), Rebels (36–30) and Kings (34–18). A 43–5 loss to eventual finalists the Lions was followed by a tight 17–13 win over the Force. Another tight game resulted in a 21–26 loss to the Crusaders, while
6405-402: The Sharks able to celebrate a third Currie Cup success in six years. With the likes of legendary fullback Joubert now entering their prime, along with a new crop of Sharks heroes in the form of flank Wayne Fyvie and prop Robbi Kempson , further success followed in 1996 with the Natal securing their first back-to-back Currie Cup titles. Such was their dominance in that year that McIntosh's side
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#17327915692896510-409: The Sharks defence in the 36th minute to score what would become the match-winning try. The final score was 25-18 in favour of Western Province. However, The Sharks were not to be denied in 2013 when matters were reversed. The final pool match pitted The Sharks and Western Province against one another at Kings Park, the teams one and two on the log. The winner of that match would finish top and thus earn
6615-522: The Sharks franchise. In 2013 the Southern Kings functioned on its own, but has since been abolished and continue to supply a large contingent of players to the Sharks franchise. The Natal Rugby Union, renamed the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union (KZNRU) in 1999 was formed in 1890, but it took 66 years for the union to enjoy its first Currie Cup final. In the interim, the province did produce its fair share of quality players, including Springboks Bill Payn , Wally Clarkson and Philip Nel , who led South Africa on
6720-469: The Sharks in both pool matches during the season. It was typical derby stuff; a massive clash between the two best teams in the tournament. But it appeared that The Sharks were hungrier. They hit the rucks with greater passion; they smashed Province in the tackles and took their chances to emerge worthy 33-19 victors, holding out against a late, but ultimately ineffective charge from the home side to be crowned 2013 champions - their third title and fifth final in
6825-417: The South African conference leaders the Bulls , however this was their last win of the season going down in their final three games against the Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders. This ended the franchises worst super rugby season, ending in 14th place ahead of the Force, with just 3 from 16 wins for the season. The end of the season was marked by the resignation of coach Sir John Kirwan, who had been with
6930-419: 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 . Over the years the Sharks have developed a number of major rivalries, particularly since
7035-421: The Super Rugby title. As of 2023, the Blues currently hold the trophy, since earning it in 2020's Super Rugby Aotearoa, and defeating the Highlanders 16-9. The following table summarises the results between the two sides since the trophy was first contested in 2002. 2016 was the first season in which the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy could not be contested due to the Blues only playing the Highlanders once - not in
7140-406: The Wylie Cup, the Optimum Cup, the Findlay Cup, the Walker Cup Third Division, Foaden Bowl Fourth Division, the CF Glew Fifth Division, the Keith Parkinson Trophy, the Frank Norris U20 'A' Trophy, the Kings Park Challenge U20 'B' Trophy and the DW Gewde U20 'B' Knock Out competition. KwaZulu-Natal is also represented by the Durban University of Technology and the University of KwaZulu-Natal in
7245-411: The administration of club rugby in the province of KwaZulu-Natal . Well, known clubs in the region include Rovers , Durban Collegians , the University of KwaZulu-Natal (formerly University of Natal ), Varsity College, Amanzimtoti, Durban Crusaders and Westville Old Boys RFC. The senior clubs in the province compete for the Moor Cup , a magnificent trophy presented in 1876 to George Moor, captain of
7350-416: The annual Varsity Cup / Varsity Shield competitions. In addition to the Sharks Currie Cup team, there are also other teams representing the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union in rugby competitions. The Duikers is a club affiliated to the KZNRU that field representative provincial youth and amateur teams, playing in annual matches against the Quaggas (a similar team out of Gauteng) and competing internationally in
7455-472: The arrival of legendary coach Ian McIntosh from Zimbabwe and the return to the A-Section in 1987 that they started to lay the foundations for success in the 1990s. After arriving in 1986, McIntosh quickly made his mark in Durban and spent the late 1980s building a squad and recruiting players he felt would serve the greater good of Natal Rugby. That culminated in a dream 1990 Currie Cup season , which saw Natal sweep aside just about all before them, with only
7560-458: The board since it became a stand-alone organisation in 2013. The current board includes John Hart, Sam Lotu-liga, Richard Dellabarca, Kate Daly, Grant Graham and Brian Wilsher. Andrew Hore took up the top job as CEO of the Blues in October 2019. Hore beat off serious competition from 70 applicants to become Blues CEO and believes glory days can return to the team's home ground of Eden Park . Hore
7665-573: The club is owned (divided 65%, 29% and 6%) by the three unions, through Rugby Holdings Ltd., and 40% by private consortium Better Blues Company Limited. The previous Blues (and Auckland Rugby Football Union ) CEO was Michael Redman, who was formerly CEO of the New Zealand Breakers basketball team. The current board is made up of six members. Don Mackinnon, also a former New Zealand Netball and High Performance Sport NZ director, took over in 2019 as Blues Chairman from Tony Carter who chaired
7770-470: The country's unbeaten tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1937 . Whilst the 1920s and 30s saw Natal improve from one of the weakest unions in the Currie Cup to becoming a more competitive mid-table team, the team still struggled against the quality of sides such as Western Province and Transvaal . Natal did not enjoy any success prior to the 1960s, although legendary coach Izak van Heerden did manage to fashion two unbeaten seasons in '61 and '63, when
7875-399: The country, a strong rivalry also exists between the Sharks and Western Province, and the two teams participate in what's known as the 'coastal derby' when they take on each other. The KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union was founded as the Natal Rugby Union in 1890 and is one of the oldest unions in the country. The KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union is the major shareholder in the Sharks, and is responsible for
7980-463: The courage to "really back themselves", while co-captain at the time, Aaron Smith said he was motivated by the trophy and "we would like nothing more to keep the Gordy Hunter at home". One commentator said that while Hunter "may have been a Southlander by birth...he was an Otago man at heart". The trophy was first played for in 2002 with the Highlanders winning 20-13. Prior to 2011, the trophy
8085-489: The end of the season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the tournament was wholly regionalised, with the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa season and the 2021 Super Rugby AU season replacing the previous 15 side format used from 2018 till 2020. Super Rugby Trans-Tasman followed these tournaments, a crossover competition that featured the five Australian sides playing the five New Zealand sides. The Blues won 4 of their 8 games, finishing
8190-449: The end of the year. The Sharks reached their third final in four years when they finished second on the login 2011 , with the Lions finishing top. The Lions had not won a trophy since beating the Sharks in the 1999 Currie Cup final. Despite the odds, a fired-up Lions side emulated the feat of their predecessors of 12 years previously (the Sharks had also suffered a 12-year drought, winning in 1996 and then again in 2008) and ran out winners at
8295-626: The final at Ellis Park . A 21-15 Currie Cup final defeat to the same opponents followed in 1993 – a loss that was made all the more difficult because it took place in front of an expectant home crowd at Kings Park. But the newly branded Sharks were back in the winner's circle just two years later. By now, players such as locks Mark Andrews and Atherton, hooker John Allan , eighth man Gary Teichmann , prop Adrian Garvey , wing Cabous van der Westhuizen and scrumhalf Kevin Putt were all household names and either current or future Springbok stars. Making
8400-486: The following season. MacDonald´s first year in charge saw little in the way of definite improvements to the Blues win–loss record, with only 5 wins from 17 games giving them their sixth consecutive last-place finish in the New Zealand conference. All Black prop Karl Tu'inukuafe and former All Black Ma'a Nonu were recruited from the Chiefs and Toulon, respectively. While their overall standards had improved, their margins of both victory and defeat remaining consistently low,
8505-409: The franchise's 13th straight win, the longest in franchise history. In the quarter-finals, they played the Highlanders, who they beat 35–6, to reach their first semi-final in 11 years. In the semi-finals, they beat the Brumbies 20–19 in a thrilling encounter. Brumbies first-five Noah Lolesio had a match winning drop goal attempt, but this was charged down by Blues prop Ofa Tu'ungafasi , in turn sending
8610-653: The host city of the current holders. Auckland Blues The Blues ( Māori : Kahurangi ; known as the Auckland Blues from 1996 to 1999) are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Auckland , who play in the Super Rugby competition. Like New Zealand's four other Super Rugby teams, the Blues were established by the NZRU in 1996. One of the most successful teams in Super Rugby history,
8715-461: The lead just after half-time but a yellow card to first-five Baden Kerr struck another blow for the Blues. The mounting Chiefs pressure paid off resulting in a Ben Tameifuna try with 17 minutes to go, winning the game for the Chiefs. The Blues walked off the field to a standing ovation from their fans, the first time an Eden Park crowd had been upstanding for a defeat. The Blues finished the season in 10th place, with six players earning call-ups to
8820-418: The match, scoring a try and notably outpacing Lions and England winger Elliot Daly. Blues reserve first-five Ihaia West and All Black centre Sonny Bill Williams also impressed during the match, both scoring tries and West adding a penalty and conversion to a remarkable result against the tourists. 2018 would see the Blues again finish last in their conference, with a poor record of only four wins vs 12 losses in
8925-465: The mid-1990s when they were re-branded as the Sharks. The team is the fourth most successful provincial union in the Currie Cup , having won the competition nine times. Natal won its first Currie Cup in 1990, the same year the union celebrated its centenary. Since then the Sharks have won the Currie Cup in 1992, 1995, 1996, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2018 and most recently in 2024. KwaZulu-Natal Rugby are
9030-461: The most of a memorable World Cup year which saw the Springboks claim a historic first world title, McIntosh also recruited Frenchmen Olivier Roumat and Thierry Lacroix to bolster what was already a highly talented squad. It proved a masterstroke, with the big lock and flyhalf playing important roles in the 1995 final victory over Western Province in Durban. The final score was 25-17, with
9135-467: The narrowest of margins in front of a packed Kings Park Stadium. The Sharks also have a fierce rivalry against Transvaal/Golden Lions. The teams contested a number of finals throughout the 1990s and whilst the rivalry diminished somewhat during the 2000s it was reignited following the Lions defeat of the Sharks in the 2011 Currie Cup Final in Johannesburg. Being the two most successful coastal teams in
9240-608: The pool stages of the tournament at the top of the log, they dispatched of the Blue Bulls in the semi-final and then comprehensively beat Western Province 30-10 in the final - both matches taking place in front of home crowds at The Shark Tank . Young Patrick Lambie was the star of the show, earning the coveted Man of the Match award with his 25 individual points' haul and he, along with Keegan Daniel, Lwazi Mvovo , Willem Alberts and Charl McLeod all went on to gain Springbok honours at
9345-552: The portents for success are clearly present. Many of the above-mentioned players, along with some of the stalwarts like John Smit, Stefan Terblanche and Jacques Botes , together with a few new recruits like Willem Alberts and Louis Ludik , and new talent coming through the Sharks Academy made good in 2010 as the team regained the Absa Currie Cup trophy after another successful domestic season. Having finished
9450-415: The province did succeed in building its own unique style of exciting rugby, thanks to the foresight and genius of Van Heerden. Van Heerden, who coached Natal from the late 1950s into the 1960s, was ahead of his time, fostering a brand of rugby that placed so much emphasis on ball retention and the interplay of forwards and backs to produce try-scoring opportunities. Nonetheless, Natal saw very little success in
9555-462: The remainder of Super 14, missing the playoffs in both the 2009 and 2010 seasons. In 2011 the Super Rugby competition was expanded to 15 teams and adopted a conference format. The Blues had a successful start to the season, defeating the Crusaders by 24–22 at Eden Park . This was followed by a win and a loss on their South African tour, followed by a 22–22 draw against the Western Force in Perth. This
9660-467: The right to host the final, should they get through. Western Province won 17-13 and finished top of the Currie Cup log, with the Sharks in the second position. Both teams successfully negotiated their way through the semi-finals, Western Province defeated the Golden Lions 33-16 and The Sharks victorious over Free State - 33-22. The 2013 Currie Cup final was held on 26 October 2013 at Newlands in Cape Town. The home side were overwhelming favourites having beaten
9765-419: The season at Eden Park , defeating the Crusaders 35–24. They travelled to South Africa for two games against the Sharks and the Lions , losing both games but coming away with a losing bonus point against the Lions. They returned to New Zealand for two home games against the Cheetahs and the Highlanders, both of which they won bringing the up to 6th place on the ladder. The team travelled to Canberra to face
9870-490: The season. The club was able to turn its from around in the 2003 season , topping the ladder with 49 points and 10 wins from 11 matches. The team went on to defeat the ACT Brumbies by 42–21 in the semi-final, before beating the Crusaders 21–17 in the final for the team's third Super Rugby title. The Blues were unable to follow their 2003 success up in 2004 and 2005 however, missing the playoffs in both seasons. The expanded 14 team competition could not have started worse for
9975-508: The squad including three All Blacks with the return of Ma'a Nonu and Tony Woodcock after they both played with the Highlanders for a season, and Jerome Kaino . This also included former National Rugby League (NRL) player Benji Marshall who had previously played with the Wests Tigers for 10 years. The Blues season started with an away loss to the Highlanders , going down 29–21. The next week they played their first home game of
10080-419: 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 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
10185-489: The team for the last three years winning just 17 out of 58 games. The Blues signed former All Black captain Tana Umaga to replace Sir John Kirwan as head coach of the Blues. The Blues endured yet another disappointing year in 2016, although there were some improvements. A close first round win over the Highlanders by 33–31 was followed by successive losses to the Crusaders (28–13) and Hurricanes (19–23). A 25–25 draw with
10290-459: The tournament since 2008. After being informally called the Banana Boys or Piesangboere for a substantial length of time it 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
10395-471: Was able to travel away to Ellis Park and convincingly beat Transvaal 33-15, with Joubert grabbing the man-of-the-match award with a stunning two-try performance. It was surprising, then, that the team from Durban had to wait until 1999 to contest another final, with the likes of Western Province, Free State Cheetahs and the Northern Transvaal once again coming into their own towards the end of
10500-428: 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 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
10605-549: Was arguably the try of the season only to have it reversed due to ill-discipline in the scrum prior to the line break. That signaled the end of an era, with McIntosh, inspirational captain Teichmann, Honiball and Joubert all announcing their retirements. With Rudolf Straeuli now at the helm and future Springbok captain John Smit at the forefront of a Sharks revival, they were able to overcome those huge losses and qualify for
10710-408: Was contested every time the two teams met, but with the introduction of the conference system meaning there are two meetings per regular season, the decision was made that the trophy would only be contested in matches hosted by the holders. While the Blues scored non-trophy-match wins over the Highlanders in the 2013 and 2014 seasons, the Highlanders won both home and away in 2015 on their way to lifting
10815-479: Was especially poignant for being both Natal's first, and for occurring in the union's centenary year. Players from that history-making team included fullback Hugh Reece-Edwards and centres Dick Muir and Jeremy Thomson . But the hard work was done upfront by Gerhard Harding , Tom Lawton and Guy Kebble in the front row, backed up by the lock pairing of Andre Botha and Rudi Visagie , flank Wahl Bartmann and eighth man Andrew Aitken . McIntosh produced
10920-473: Was followed by a seven match winning streak between rounds five and twelve. However, the mid-season winning streak came to an abrupt end with a 37–31 loss to the Queensland Reds in Brisbane, which initiated a four-match losing streak. In the final round-robin match of the season, the Blues defeated the Highlanders by 33–16 at Eden Park , securing the side's first playoff appearance since 2007 and first home playoff match since 2003. The team subsequently defeated
11025-652: Was previously CEO at the Ospreys in Wales before going on to turn around the New South Wales Waratahs and NSW Rugby before deciding it was time to return to New Zealand to the Blues' challenge. The Blues have fielded a development team in competitions such as the Pacific Rugby Cup and in matches against other representative teams for several seasons. Known as the Blues Development XV, the squad
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