Full name Griquas Coach(es) Peter Engledow Captain RJ Liebenberg Ground Griqua Park | Emblem(s) Oryx Founded 1886 League Currie Cup | |
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Union Griqualand West Rugby Union Nickname(s) Poubloues (Peacock Blues) Region Northern Cape Province, South Africa Location Northern Cape, South Africa Profiles | ||
Griquas (currently known as the Tafel Lager Griquas for sponsorship reasons) are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. Their home ground is Griqua Park in Kimberley and they draw their players mostly from Northern Cape Province. They have won the Currie Cup three times – in 1899, 1911 and 1970 – and the Vodacom Cup a joint-record five times.
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History
The rugby team was established in 1886 in the former British colony of Griqualand West. Five years later, during the 1891 British Lions tour to South Africa, Griqualand West played the British Lions in Kimberley and although they lost 3–0, the British presented them with the Currie Cup, as they thought that Griqualand West produced the best performance out of the provincial games on their tour. The Currie Cup became South Africa's domestic prize, and Griqualand West first won it in 1899. Griqualand West subsequently won the Currie Cup in 1911. After the introduction of official annual championships in 1969, Griqualand West won the final the next season, defeating Northern Transvaal 11–9 to claim their third title. Since then, Griquas have not won the Currie Cup.
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 tradition rivals are Western Province, a rivalry that stems back to the earliest days of the Currie Cup when Griqualand West were a dominant force in South African rugby. Since the 1970s, a friendly rivalry has also developed with neighbours the Free State Cheetahs in what has become known as the 'central derby'. Griquas are nicknamed the "Peacock Blues".
Current squad
The following players are contracted to Griquas for 2017: