The Stormers (known for sponsorship reasons as the DHL Stormers) is a South African professional rugby union team based in Cape Town, in the Western Cape, that competes in the United Rugby Championship (a trans-hemispheric competition) and the Currie Cup (as the Stormers XXIII). They competed in Super Rugby until 2020. They have won one major championship, the 2021-22 United Rugby Championship, and seven South African 'conference' titles (five in the South African Conference of Super Rugby, and two in the URC equivalent, the South African Shield). They have won the Currie Cup on a record 34 occasions.
Background
Stormers are centred on the Western Province Currie Cup side, but also draw players from the Boland Cavaliers (covering the Cape Winelands and West Coast districts, with home matches in Wellington). Through 2005, they also drew players from the SWD Eagles (George), which meant that they drew players from all three unions in the Western Cape Province. However, the general realignment of franchise areas resulting from the expansion of the competition resulted in the Eagles being moved to the area of the Southern Spears (later succeeded by the Southern Kings).
Before 1998, South Africa did not use a franchise system for the Super 12, instead sending the top four unions from its domestic competition, the Currie Cup, into the Super 12. In 1996, the Stormers qualified and competed in the Super 12 as Western Province. In 1997, they did not qualify, the 4th South African team being the Orange Free State (now the Free State Cheetahs at Currie Cup level; the region would later be represented in Super 12 by the Cats (now known as the Lions) and in Super 14 by the Cheetahs).
The Stormers played their first ever final, against the Bulls in front of 36,000 fans in Johannesburg, in 2010 after beating the Waratahs in the semi-final stage but ultimately lost to the Bulls. In the two previous years in which they reached the semi-finals, 1999 and 2004, they were eliminated by the Highlanders and Crusaders.
They made consecutive home semifinals in 2011 and 2012, but lost both at Newlands to the Crusaders and the Sharks respectively. In 2015 they won the South African conference for a third time, before losing their home quarterfinal against the Brumbies.
In 2021–22, the Stormers, with their other South African Super Rugby colleagues the Bulls, the Sharks and the Lions, left Super Rugby to join the newly renamed United Rugby Championship with teams from Ireland, Scotland, Italy and Wales. Their first season in the URC was a success, winning the South African shield as the top team in their national conference, followed by the overall URC title with a win against the Bulls in the 2022 final. On 2 June 2022 it was confirmed that the four South African URC franchises, and the former Pro 14 franchise, the Cheetahs would be entering the European Professional Club Rugby competitions for the first time in 2022–23, with the Stormers in the first tier European Rugby Champions Cup.
History Pre-franchise history The club is nicknamed Die Streeptruie ("The Striped Jerseys" in Afrikaans) in reference to their legendary blue and white hooped jerseys. These Striped Jerseys were the colours of Malmesbury Rugby Football Club, established in 1881. They are also known simply as "Province" by all South African rugby lovers, while Afrikaans-speaking supporters also refer to the team by its abbreviation, W.P. (pronounced: "vee pee" ["ee" as in "beer"]).
Another accomplishment of Western Province, which no South African team has ever been able to match, is the double victories over the All Blacks the first being (10–3) played on 15 August 1928 and again (12–11) on 16 July 1976, while several countries have never been able to beat the All Black team, Province managed this feat. In 2010 province again did a remarkable victory over all of New Zealand's five super unions, this was the first and only time such an accomplishment has been achieved. Province has also beaten the Wallabies 17–6 in a thrilling encounter in 1963. Province has also drawn to other countries including England in 1984 with a score of 15 all, however province has beaten the British and Irish Lions numerous times, including three times in 1903 and won another match in 1924, the match then had been regarded as "test" status. The only two teams to have beaten overseas countries as well as combination teams (Lions) are yet again the Blue Bulls and Western Province.
The club was established in 1883. The club claimed their first Currie Cup title in 1889; they repeated this success just three years later, winning the title again in 1892. Western Province continued to dominate the Currie Cup throughout the 1890s, winning the competition in 1894, 1895, 1897 and 1898. This success continued into the early 1900s, as they won in 1904, 1906 and 1908. The competition still being contested irregularly at this stage, was next won by the Western Province in 1914. They won a further seven times over the next two decades – four times in the 1920s and again three times in the 1930s, sharing two with Border. When the first Currie Cup championship was introduced in 1939, Western Province featured in the final, but lost to Transvaal 17–6 in Cape Town.
After losing the final in 1946 to Northern Transvaal, Western Province won their first final in 1947. The Currie Cup became an annual competition in 1969 and Western Province made it to the final that year, though they lost to Northern Transvaal. The team had to wait another seven seasons before making another final appearance, which they lost against the Orange Free State (recently renamed as the Free State Cheetahs) in Bloemfontein. Three years later they won the Currie Cup, sharing with Northern Transvaal at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town. The next year Province again lost in the final to Northern Transvaal. Northern Transvaal became Western Province's biggest rival during this time. During South Africa's sporting isolation (brought about as a result of the country's apartheid policy) this rivalry took centre stage and became the climax of the Currie Cup season. The teams met in another six championship finals until the 1990s. In the 1980s Western Province experienced what many described as their "golden years", winning the title outright for five years in a row. This feat is yet to be equaled. (Northern Transvaal had achieved this before but their third victory in the winning streak was shared with Western Province) After drawing 16 all with Northern Transvaal in the 1989 final, their next final appearance would be in 1995, when they were defeated by the Sharks in Durban. They won the Currie Cup in 1997, defeating the Free State Cheetahs, but the following season they lost to the Blue Bulls (Northern Transvaal).
Western Province won the championship twice in 2000 and 2001, defeating the Sharks on both occasions. 2010 saw the return of the club as they managed to make both the Super Rugby and Currie Cup finals losing on both occasions. After winning the Vodacom Cup and the Super Rugby Conference Cup, Western Province beat the Sharks in Durban to win the Currie Cup in 2012 as well. In 2013 the Province went unbeaten throughout the Currie Cup but lost in the Final. Western Province continued to dominate the Currie Cup by making the 3 finals in as many years and won the 2014 title beating the Lions in a tight fought match. In 2015 the club went on to win their 3rd and unprecedented Super Rugby Conference Cup in 5 years. In the recent times and in terms of competitions won on all levels, Western Province has been the most successful Rugby Union in South Africa over the period 2011–2015.
Name The name of the club comes simply from the province they represent. In the 1990s many teams changed their names. Previously many teams were named after the provinces they were based in. Some teams simply added some form of animal or mascot name (e.g. Boland became the Boland Cavaliers) whereas others changed their entire name. Transvaal for example, changed their name to the Golden Lions. Northern Transvaal were also renamed the Blue Bulls, the team's nickname for many years. Western Province is the only union that retained its name.
Franchise history With the launch of the Super 12 in 1996, both Australia and New Zealand adopted franchise-based models for their provincial teams that were to compete in the new competition. However, the South Africa teams were to be determined by the results of the previous season's Currie Cup, with the top four sides gaining entry in the Super 12. Newlands did see Super 12 competition during the era when this model of competition was used, with the Western Province gaining promotion for the inaugural season of 1996. However, the team did not perform that well, winning only three matches from 11 fixtures, and finishing second last on the table, though Transvaal and the Wellington Hurricanes both won the same number of games as the Western Province, they finished higher, due to a superior for and against.
The following season, in 1997, the Western Province did not gain promotion to the Super 12, and the Cape Town area was not represented that season, as the South Africa teams in competition were instead the , Gauteng Lions, Free State and Northern Transvaal. The next season, South Africa adopted a similar system to that of New Zealand's and Australia's, creating four new provincial sides, and abolishing qualification through the Currie Cup. One of the sides created was the Stormers, or the Western Stormers. The Stormers' first season was fairly similar to that of the Western Province's in 1996, winning just the three games out of 11 fixtures, though they finished in ninth place overall on the table.
The 1999 Super 12 season was far more successful for the Stormers, as they lost only three matches during the regular season; against the ACT Brumbies, the Otago Highlanders and fellow South African team, the Cats, though the Stormers ended up finishing higher on the table than all of those sides, finishing in second place overall, behind the Queensland Reds. The Stormers thus qualified for the semi-finals for the first time and, due to their log position, hosted their semi-final in Cape Town. However, they were defeated by the Otago Highlanders, 33 points to 18.
In 2000, the Stormers fell just short of making the finals again, as they finished in fifth position, with a total of 31 points, just one point behind the Cats and Highlanders who both made it to the semi-finals, on 32 points. The following season - 2001 - saw the Stormers move further away from a place in the finals, as they won only five of their 11 fixtures and finished in seventh place on the log. The following season was not any better for the Stormers, despite starting the season with an optimistic 40 to 18 win over the Sharks, the Stormers ended up finishing in ninth place on the log.
The 2004 season saw the Stormers return to the success of 1999, as they qualified for the play-offs again. The team finished in third place overall, with seven wins, and on 34 points, one point more than the fourth placed Chiefs. The Stormers travelled to Jade Stadium in Christchurch, where they met the Crusaders in the semi-final. The home team won, defeating the Stormers 27 points to 16. The following season the Stormers fell to ninth place on the table come the end of the regular season, far from finals contention.
For the 2006 season, the Super 12 became the Super 14, with the addition of two new teams; one from Australia, the Western Force, and one from South Africa, the Cheetahs. The Stormers won four of the now 13 regular rounds, finishing in 11th place in the final standings.