The first Currie Cup Final was played in 1939 (before that the Currie Cup did not have a Final Game), at Newlands when Transvaal beat Western Province. The Sharks (a.k.a. Natal) are back in the Final for the second year in a row and will be playing the Golden Lions (a.k.a. Transvaal) for the fourth time in a Currie Cup Final.

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The venue for finals was originally decided by the age of the union, then by where the previous final had been played and now by position on the Currie Cup log.

The 1947 Final was at Newlands because Western Province was an older union than Transvaal. The 1950 Final was in Johannesburg because the previous one had been at Newlands. This year’s Final will be in Johannesburg because the Golden Lions ended higher on the Currie Cup log than the Sharks did.

Results of all the Currie Cup Finals

1939: Transvaal vs Western Province, 17-6 at Newlands
1946: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 11-9 in Pretoria
1947: Western Province vs Transvaal, 16-12 at Newlands
1950: Transvaal vs Western Province, 22-11 in Johannesburg
1952: Transvaal vs Boland, 11-9 in  Wellington
1954: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 11-8 at Newlands
1956: Northern Transvaal vs Natal, 9-8 in Durban
1968: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 16-3 in Pretoria
1969: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 28-3 in Pretoria
1970: Griqualand West vs Northern Transvaal, 11-9 in Kimberley
1971: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 14-14 in Johannesburg
1972: Transvaal vs Eastern Transvaal, 25-19 in Springs
1973: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 30-22 in Pretoria
1974: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 17-15 in Pretoria
1975: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 12-6 in Bloemfontein
1976: Orange Free State vs Western Province, 33-16 in Bloemfontein
1977: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 27-12 in Pretoria
1978: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 13-9 in Bloemfontein
1979: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 15-15 at Newlands
1980: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 39-9 in Pretoria
1981: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 23-6 in Pretoria
1982: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 24-9 at Newlands
1983: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 9-3 in Pretoria
1984: Western Province vs Natal, 19-9 at Newlands
1985: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 22-15 at Newlands
1986: Western Province vs Transvaal, 22-9 at Newlands
1987: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 24-18 in Johannesburg
1988: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 19-18 in Pretoria
1989: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal, 16-16 at Newlands
1990: Natal vs Northern Transvaal, 18-12 in Pretoria
1991: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal, 27-15 in Pretoria
1992: Natal vs Transvaal, 14-13 in Johannesburg
1993: Transvaal vs Natal, 21-15 in Durban
1994: Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 56-33 in Bloemfontein
1995: Natal vs Western Province, 25-17 in Durban
1996: Natal vs Transvaal, 33-15 in Johannesburg
1997: Western Province vs Free State, 14-12 at Newlands
1998: Blue Bulls vs Western Province, 24-20 in Pretoria
1999: Lions vs Natal, 32-9 in Durban
2000: Western Province vs Natal, 25-15 in Durban
2001: Western Province vs Natal, 29-24 at Newlands
2002: Blue Bulls vs Lions, 31-7 in Johannesburg
2003: Blue Bulls vs Natal, 40-19 in Pretoria
2004: Blue Bulls vs Free State Cheetahs, 42-33 in Pretoria
2005: Free State Cheetahs vs Blue Bulls, 29-25 in Pretoria
2006: Free State Cheetahs vs Blue Bulls, 28-28 in Bloemfontein
2007: Free State Cheetahs vs Lions, 20-18 in Bloemfontein
2008: Sharks vs Blue Bulls, 14-9 in Durban
2009: Blue Bulls vs Free State Cheetahs, 36-24 in Pretoria
2010: Sharks vs Western Province, 30-10 in Durban

* There have been so many changes of names of venues we have given the name of the city where the match was played – except for unique Newlands.

Number of Finals: 50

Number of Times in a Final

Blue Bulls: 31
Western Province: 23
Lions: 18
Natal: 13
Free State: 12
Boland: 1
Falcons: 1
Griqualand West: 1

Number of victories

Blue Bulls: 22 (including four draws)
Western Province: 12 (including two draws)
Lions: 8 (including a draw)
Natal: 6
Free State: 4 (including a draw)
Griqualand West: 1

Records

Highest Score: 56 (Transvaal 1994)
Lowest Score 3 (Transvaal 1968, Western Province 1969, Northern Transvaal 1983)
Lowest winning score: 9 (Northern Transvaal 1956, Western Province 1983)
Highest match score: 89 (1994)
Lowest match score: 12 (1983)
Biggest margin of victory: 30 (1980)
Smallest margin of victory: 1 (1956, 1988, 1992)
Highest individual score: 26 (Derick Hougaard, 2002)
Most team tries: 7 (Lions 1994)
Most appearances: 11 (Burger Geldenhuys, Naas Botha)
Most penalty goals by a player: Thierry Lacroix – 6 in 1995
Most conversions by a player: Gavin Johnson – 6 in 1994
Most dropped goals by a player: Naas Botha – 4 in 1987
Most tries by a player: Ettienne Botha – 4

Before 1939 and in 1959, 1964 and 1966 the Currie Cup was decided at a tournament or on a league system.

The total number of times each province has won the Currie Cup is as follows:

Western Province: 31 (four times shared)
Blue Bulls: 23 (four times shared)
Golden Lions: 9 (once shared)
Natal: 6
Free State: 4 (once shared)
Griqualand West: 3
Border: 2 (twice shared)