South Africa Provincial Rugby union

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: South Africa, Rugby, Provincial

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Note 1.2 Western Province (rugby union) 1.3 Griquas West (rugby union) 1.4 Eastern Province Elephants (rugby union) 1.5 Transvaal (rugby union) 1.6 Natal (rugby union) 1.7 Orange Free State (rugby union) 1.8 Northern Transvaal (rugby union) 1.9 Boland (rugby union) 1.10 Eastern Transvaal (rugby union) 1.11 Western Transvaal (rugby union) 2 Sources

Biography

The goal of this page is to categorize amateur^[1] provincial rugby unions of South Africa.

Rugby and South Africa are inextricably linked. This paper explores the role of the sport in unifying the two republics (Transvaal and Orange Free State) and the two Colonies (The Cape and Natal), who had just come out of a harrowing war with Britain, with bitterness between English-speakers and Afrikaners seemingly irreconcilable. However, it was the sport of rugby, in particular under the leadership of Paul Roos, that united South Africans and paved the way for unification in 1910. ^[2]

Rugby union was introduced to South Africa by British colonists, including miners from rugby union stronghold Cornwall Rugby union in Cornwall (before 1900), and began to be played in the Cape colony around 1875. In 1883, the Stellenbosch club was formed in the predominantly Boer farming district outside Cape Town and rugby was enthusiastically adopted by the young Boer farmers. As British and Boer migrated to the interior, they helped spread the game from the Cape colony through the Eastern Cape, and Natal, and along the gold and diamond routes to Kimberley and Johannesburg.

The game was strong enough in the Western Cape for the Western Province Rugby Football Union to be formed that same year; Griqualand West followed in 1886; Eastern Province in 1888; Transvaal in 1889 and in 1889 the South African Rugby Board was founded. Kimberley was the founding city of the South Africa Rugby Football Board in 1889.

In 1889 the first nationwide tournament was held at Kimberley, with the Western Province (rugby team) prevailing over Griqualand West, Eastern Province and Transvaal. ^[3]

Rugby union in South Africa is centrally administered by the South African Rugby Union, which consists of fourteen provincial unions – (current)

• the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, previous Northern Transvaal
• the Boland Rugby Union,
• the Border Rugby Football Union,
• the Eastern Province Rugby Union,
• the Free State Rugby Union,
• the Golden Lions Rugby Union, previous Transvaal
• the Griffons Rugby Union,
• the Griqualand West Rugby Union,
• the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union,
• the Leopards Rugby Union,
• the Mpumalanga Rugby Union, previous Eastern Transvaal
• the South Western Districts Rugby Football Union,
• the Valke Rugby Union and
• the Western Province Rugby Football Union. ^[4]

Note

Rugby union emblems was only introduced around 1970. Before this time no emblems were on the rugby jerseys. For the purpose of this page, I will use the first known emblem used by the different rugby unions.

Western Province (rugby union)

The club was established in 1883. Western Province (known for sponsorship reasons as DHL Western Province) is a South African professional rugby union team based in Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa. The Western Province Rugby Football Union is currently based at Cape Town Stadium

Griquas West (rugby union)

Griqualand West rugby football union

The rugby team was established in 1886 in the then British colony of Griqualand West. The majority of Griquas supporters hail from the Northern Cape province of South Africa, most notably in and around Kimberley, where the team plays their home games. Their home ground is Griqua Park in Kimberley and they draw their players mostly from Northern Cape Province. Griquas are nicknamed the "Peacock Blues" ^[5]

Eastern Province Elephants (rugby union)

Eastern province Rugby Football Union.

The Eastern Province Rugby Football Union was founded in 1888. The team was originally a representative team, drawing players from within the provincial union area's local clubs. The team represents the Western half of the Eastern Cape province, and they play their home games at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. The team was originally based at St George's Park. This was also where the very first South African Rugby and Cricket Tests took place. They shared the ground with the Eastern Province cricket team. In 1959, the EPRU decided to move the team to the then named Boet Erasmus Stadium and the inauguration took place in 1960 with the test between the Springboks and Scotland on 30 April 1960. The stadium was later named Telkom Park, due to a naming rights deal, and then renamed to the current name, the EPRU Stadium. ^[6]

Transvaal (rugby union)

Transvaal Rugby Football Union.

The Transvaal Rugby Football Union was formed in 1889 after delegates from different clubs in the region decided to form a united rugby union to look after the well-being of the clubs. The Golden Lions and Lions share the same home stadium, Ellis Park, located in the suburb of Doornfontein. Johannesburg. Prominent clubs involved in the process were Pirates, Wanderers, Pretoria, Potchefstroom and Kaffrarians1. The union was headquartered in Johannesburg and its first elected president was Bill Taylor. The original colors used by Transvaal were dark blue and white jerseys, blue shorts, and blue-and-white socks. It is unsure when the union decided to switch over to a white jersey with a red hoop with black shorts and socks. There is also a school of thought that the union adopted the famous Kilmarnock strip of white top with red hoop as a Kilmarnock member, Alex Frew, captained them when they beat The British Isles touring team in 1903. These colors are still in use today. It is also from these colors that the teams’ nickname, “Rooibontes” came from. The Transvaal Rugby Football Union was later renamed to the Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU) in 1998 ^[7]

Natal (rugby union)

Natal Rugby Football Union.

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 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. ^[8]

Orange Free State (rugby union)

Orange Free State Rugby Football Union.

The Orange Free State Rugby Union was established in 1895, The Free State Cheetahs (formerly Orange Free State), currently named the Toyota Free State Cheetahs due to sponsorship reasons, are a South African rugby union team.They are governed by the Free State Rugby Union and are based at the 48,000 capacity Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.^[9]

Northern Transvaal (rugby union)

Northern Transvaal Rugby Union.

The team as it is known today has its beginnings in 1938 when the then Northern Transvaal Rugby Union broke away from the Transvaal Rugby Football Union to gain status as an independent rugby union. The new team was named Northern Transvaal and donned light blue jerseys with a red Barberton Daisy emblem. In 1997 the Northern Transvaal team, representing the Northern Transvaal Rugby Union (NTRU), was renamed, officially taking on their then nickname the Blue Bulls. The NTRU itself became the Blue Bulls Rugby Union and the United Rugby Championship team operated by the union was renamed simply the Bulls.

They are governed by the Blue Bulls Rugby Union and are based at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, Gauteng province. ^[10]

Boland (rugby union)

Boland Rugby Football Union

Boland Rugby was established in 1939 and is the 11th oldest rugby province in South Africa, with the largest base of clubs in South Africa (235 clubs). The Boland Rugby Union represents the biggest geographical rugby area in South Africa,

Eastern Transvaal (rugby union)

Eastern Transvaal Rugby Football Union.

Western Transvaal (rugby union)

Western Transvaal Rugby Football Union.

Video Wes-Transvaal Rugby Unie 100 Jaar

Sources

1. ↑ amateur a person who engages in a pursuit, especially a sport, on an unpaid rather than a professional basis:
2. ↑ ‘How Rugby created a country’ – Gordon Greaves – 2018 © Page 1 of 20 [file:///C:/Users/sdebr/Downloads/How_rugby_created_a_country.pdf How Rugby created a country’] 40 min read. Added Nov 18, 2023 by Susanna Hendrina Elisa de Bruyn
3. ↑ Rugby union in South Africa From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia History Research and entered Nov 18, 2023 by Susanna Hendrina Elisa de Bruyn
4. ↑ List of South African rugby union teams From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia List of South African rugby union teams Research and entered Nov 18, 2023 by Susanna Hendrina Elisa de Bruyn
5. ↑ Griquas (rugby union) South African rugby union club, based in Kimberley, Northern Cape / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia rugby union Added Nov 18, 2023 by Susanna Hendrina Elisa de Bruyn
6. ↑ Eastern Province Elephants Rugby team / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Eastern Province Rugby Football Union Research and entered Nov 18, 2023 by Susanna Hendrina Elisa de Bruyn
7. ↑ Golden Lions South African rugby union club, based in Johannesburg / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Transvaal / Golden Lions Added Nov 18, 2023 by Susanna Hendrina Elisa de Bruyn
8. ↑ Sharks (Currie Cup) South African rugby team / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Natal Rugby Union Research and entered Nov 18, 2023 by Susanna Hendrina Elisa de Bruyn
9. ↑ Free State Cheetahs Rugby team / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Orange Free State Rugby Union Research and entered Nov 18, 2023 by Susanna Hendrina Elisa de Bruyn
10. ↑ Blue Bulls South African rugby team / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Blue Bulls Added Nov 18, 2023 by Susanna Hendrina Elisa de Bruyn

See also:

• Wikipedia Rugby union teams in South Africa