Al the reasons I will go through here might also be the reason why the rest off  SA hate the Bulls. For them my message is short and sweet “Cry me a river”


They will find no sympathy from me, if we look at the records and they find that it was achieved against their beloved teams. Yes some ugly records might have been recorded against the Blue Bulls, but because this article is about my joy of being a Bull supporter I WONT mention them. Feel free to mention them in the comments.

History of the Currie Cup.- (Wikipedia)

The competition had its humble beginnings as an inter-town competition in 1884, but when the South African Rugby Board was founded in 1889 it decided to organize a national competition that would involve representative teams from all the major unions. The participating unions were Western Province, Griqualand West, Transvaal and Eastern Province. The first tournament was held in Kimberley and was won by Western Province. As prize they received a silver cup donated by the South African Rugby Board, now displayed at the SA Rugby Museum in Cape Town.

While local unions battled for the Currie Cup from 1892 onwards it would take decades for an annual competition to be established. After years of occasional tournaments, dominated by Western Province, South Africa’s premiere provincial spectacle kicked off in earnest in 1968. That year the Blue Bulls of Northern Transvaal, spearheaded by the legendary lock Frik du Preez, trampled neighbours Transvaal 16-3 in the final, heralding a period of overall dominance that has seen the men from Pretoria win the Currie Cup 18 times and share it on four occasions. This outstanding record is in no small part down to the most influential player to ever star in the competition – fly-half extraordinaire Naas Botha. Dictating play with supreme tactical awareness throughout a career that spanned three decades, Botha single-handedly kicked teams into submission, scoring all the Blue Bulls’ points (including four drop-goals) in 1987 as Transvaal were beaten 24-18 in the final.

The first final was played in 1939. There was a long break before the next time the Currie Cup was contested because of World War 2. The second ever final was played in 1946.

From 1939 there was 48 finals contested and this coming weekend will be 49th time a final will be played. The Blue Bulls ( Northern Transvaal) became a Union in 1938 when we broke away from Transvaal.

Appearances in the final

Blue Bulls 31/49 63.3%

WP 22/49 44.9 %

Lions 18/49 36.7%

Cheetahs 13/49 26.5%

Sharks 11/49 22.4%

Note Saturday’s final #49 is counted in.

The Longest dry streak for the Bulls was the 6 years, between 1992 and 1997. The Lions and Sharks ruled those years with 3 Cups going to the Sharks and 2 to the Lions.

Success rate in Finals

73.3% Bulls lifted the Cup in 22 out of 30 finals played (4 drawn)

54.5% WP lifted the Cup in 12 out of 22 finals played (2 drawn)

44.4% Lions 8 out of 18 (1 drawn)

45.4% Sharks 5 out of 11

33.3% Cheetahs 4 out of 12 (1 drawn)

100% Griquas 1 out of 1

Team records

Biggest win in a final

30 Blue Bulls beat Western Province 39-9 1980 Pretoria

Individual Records

Most Points in a final

26 Derick Hougaard Blue Bulls vs Lions 1 try, 2 drop goals, 5 penalties 2002

24 Naas Botha Blue Bulls vs Golden Lions 4 drop goals, 4 penalties 1987

24 Braam van Straaten Western Province vs Natal Sharks 1 try, 2 conversions, 5 penalties 2001

Drop Goals in a final

4 Naas Botha Blue Bulls vs Golden Lions 1987

3 Gerald Bosch Golden Lions vs Gauteng Falcons 1972

3 Naas Botha Blue Bulls vs Western Province 1985

26 Responses to The Currie Cup and joys of a Bulls Supporter

  • 1

    Dis lekker om n Bul te wees!

  • 2

    Goeie artikel Super! Die Bulle is DIE span. Ons sukses vertel sy eie verhaal! Ek weet daai bergbokke gaan nou weer kom vertel “ons het die meeste CC’s gewen”, maar persoonlik voel ek n veer wat met die CC gebeur het voor die BULLE deelgeneem het. Net soos ek n veer voel oor die 1987 en 1991 WCUP’s toe die Bokke nie daar was nie.

  • 3

    Calling all JANNE! Here is the pool code for Superbru European tours for ALL RT BLOGGERS. Who will make history to become the FIRST RT BLOGGER SUPERBRU CHAMPION?

    Come join my pool in SuperBru End of Year Tours, the ultimate End of Year Tours prediction game! It’s easy – just go to the website and enter the pool code givewaxy to join my pool, RT Europe.

    Website: http://www.superbru.com/endofyear
    Pool code: givewaxy
    Pool name: RT Europe

    6 Days to go!

  • 4

    Op Superrugby klink dit of die hele Vrystaat inbel. moan oor alles.

    daai 2006 draw, wonder hoeveel aande het Gary Botha rongerol , slapeloos omdat hy nie vir Morne laat pale toe skop het nie.

    Ook weer een van JP Nel se mooiste driee gesien.
    2006 moes nooit gedeel word nie.

  • 5

    4@superBul – 71m (ek dink daardie skop was 71m lank, die afrigter moet inelkgeval die skuld dra vir daardie game, Hoougaard was kak, en as die maul nie op hom geval het en Morne Steyn nie opgekom het nie het ons hom verloor) is uit Morne Steyn se kicking range. Ek was teleurgesteld dat die Bulle nie iets probeer doen het om die wedstryd te wen na so lank te speel nie. Sou eerder gesien het hou Morne Steyn so lang skop probeer as ‘n skop vir die kant lyn. Morne Steyn het glo na die wedstryd gese hy sou hom geskop het, 71m ek dink nie so nie.

  • 6

    Lions 56, cheetahs 33. 1994

  • 7

    Skop was op ons eie 10 tree as ek dit nie mis het nie. So 60m. Ek het nog gehoop iemand tik vinning en ons kry 10 tree nader. Hulle het destys gese dit was HM se call.

  • 8

    6 Ed

    hehehe…geluk met daai wen Ed!

  • 9

    6@Ed_the_Lion – Ek onthou nog hoe ek die Leeus in die 90s gehaat het. Ons afrigter was ‘n groot Leeus ondersteuner (hy het die Leeus se Craven week span erens in die 80s afgerig voor hy ons skool afgerig het (hy het foto van die span met onderskrifte in sy kantoor gehad dis hoe ek dit geweet het)). Die afrigter was so groot Leeus fan gewees, dat ek ‘n gruwelrige haat vir die Leeus ontwikkel het!

  • 10

    You know, I became a Bulls supporter just at the right time….Percy hung up his hoops, I got a Bulls jersey and what happens……. they win the super 14 title and are going to lift the Currie Cup on Saturday!!!! RESULT!!

  • 11

    10@carol – I hope the Bulls win the Cup on Saturday, but I won’t wrote of the Cheetahs with Brussow and their front-row. Morne Steyn’s defense better be good on Saturday because J-L Potgieter will test him! His 62% of tackles made in the Currie Cup is unacceptable.

  • 12

    Hi Chaps…I see GBS is enjoying a night on the town, best bib and tucker escorting Handbriekie to the Awards Ceremony!!
    Will his hangover be big, bigger or enormous tomorrow, because as sure as eggs is eggs he will be fragile tomorrow!!
    To coin a phrase – Hehehehehehe!!!

  • 13

    vanStraaten – Those Cheetahs would not have made it this far if they were not worthy opponents!!
    Will be a great match I hope….needs to be a good spectacle for the health of the sport!

  • 14

    ~write not wrote

  • 15

    Moet se vanaand se Superrugby was een van die bestes hierdie jaar.

    ja die kwota suurgat WP ondersteuners het wel gebel met Nico weer die kersie op die drol, kan nie n koek naby hom bring nie.

    Maar die video footage was lekker herineringe. Aai daar is mooi oomblike en so paar hartseer oomblike ook.

    Ek verlang sommer weer na JP , almal van die ander spanne kan hom maar haat maar hy het bleddie mooi driee vir sy CV.

  • 16

    Blou Willem
    As iemand hier in Tshwanetoria my vra wat Saterdag gaan gebeur, is my standaardantwoord: “Julle Bloues gaan halftyd ver en gemaklik voorloop. Dan gaan julle almal tien minute in die tweede helfte huis toe verkas vir die aand se partytjie.

    En dis dan dat ons spul Cheetahs wat nie binne kon plek kry nie en daar by Affies in die oranje tent gaan kuier, ons kans gaan waarneem en gaan inglip. En wat dán gaan gebeur, wil ek nie op skrif sit nie, ek hou dit vir ’n verrassing!”

    Met dié dat die groot manne op Loftus nie oranje vlae en wit truie wil toelaat nie, kom daar mos nou net vier busse van Bloemfontein af: een vir Naka se span, een vir die o.19’s, een vir die o.21’s en een vir toeskouers. Daar’s nog net een probleempie vir daai laaste bus se passasiers: Die Bulle het laat weet húl kaartjies is vir die B-veld.

    Dik Daan reken daar’s net twee faktore wat tussen die Cheetahs en ’n oorwinning staan en dis die effek wat die lugdruk op Bakkies gaan hê en of Longdroppie Steyn al terug gaan wees van “honeymoon” af.

    Toe Oom Johnny mos hoor die mannetjie is laas Dinsdag getroud, vra hy verbaas: “O, teen wie?” Sjoe, mense, maar om darem so ’n skop oor te sit as jy weet jy staan oor drie dae voor die kansel, dit wil gedoen wees!

    In elk geval, Longdroppie, van my en my maters, baie geluk met die groot stap, maar onthou, ware huweliksgeluk is nie gebou op verbygaande dinge soos die Curriebeker nie, so as jy dink vroutjie gaan Saterdag afgeskeep voel, los eerder die rugby.

  • 17

    Aish Ed, ek was daar!!!! Ollie het nog OFS in sy hare geskeer…

  • 18

    Eish Swanie

    Yip oPPie Krieket stadion nogals

    EEn ding faNNie lEEus

    Jy moet ‘n goeie geheue he om windgat the wEEs!

  • 19

    Super…

    The Currie Cup and joys of a NON-Bulls Supporter

  • 20

    hehehehe Morne

    Yis that was claSSIc!

    pricele$$!

    Eish just imagine Victor gEEing up the team on that!

    :-))

  • 21

    #19……Great motivation for the bulls!!! hope it is up in the changing room, just like they used to put photos up of January when bulls played wp……

  • 22

    Morning folks,

    I know that we’ve weighed up player vs player strenghth and ain’t it a fun thing to do, but I believe that two hidden factors that will plat a cricial role come saturday that have not been fully considered and welcome your input on it.

    1) The inexperience of the Cheetahs. Passion is all good and well but it cost Wp 12 points in 20 minutes in the Newlands semi. Will the Cheetah groentjies make the same mistake

    2) The Bulls and especially their Boks’ levels of fatigue. It been a long, long season. WP comeback had more to do with the Bull Boks running out of steam than anything special that WP created in their second half domination of the Bulls at Newlands. Wynie is optimistic that the extra week’s rest is just what the doctor ordered, but I wonder if the good Prof Noakes agrees with that one…

    So ek hoor graag…

    Groente

  • 23

    My apologies for the shocking grammar, sentence construction etc. Here is an aproved version:

    Morning folks,

    I know that we’ve weighed up player vs player strenghth and ain’t it a fun thing to do. However, I believe that two hidden factors will play a crucial role come Saturday and that maybe these have not been fully considered yet. I welcome your input on these.

    1) The inexperience of the Cheetahs. Passion is all good and well but it cost WP 12 points in 20 minutes in the Newlands semi. Will the Cheetah groentjies make the same mistake?

    2) The Bulls and especially their Boks’ levels of fatigue. It been a long, long season. WP’s comeback in the semi had more to do with the Bull Boks running out of steam than anything special that WP created in the second half. Wynie is optimistic that the extra week’s rest is just what the doctor ordered, but I wonder if the good Prof Noakes agrees with that one…

    So ek hoor graag…

    Groente

  • 24

    LOL check ‘aproved’ in the approved version. Things can only get better today I reckon…

    Loosehead have you booked your ticket/s for Die Boer tonight?

  • 25

    #19 Regte ou Puffer, kyk hoe opgeblaas is hy ! Dink wel die BB gaan saterdag die pyp rook …

  • 26

    moet se BDB daar is min mense wat ek so despise as Oily Hamburger Ollie!!!!!! kon nog nooit die mannetjie verdra nie, in my lewe nog nie so windgat en die eie ek persoon gesien nie, maak nie saak waar hy gespeel het nie, sharks of cheaters

Users Online

Total 93 users including 0 member, 93 guests, 0 bot online

Most users ever online were 3735, on 31 August 2022 @ 6:23 pm