Griquas (rugby union)

Griquas

Full name	Griquas
Union	Griqualand West Rugby Union
Nickname(s)	Poubloues (Peacock Blues)
Emblem(s)	Oryx
Founded	1886
Region	Northern Cape Province, South Africa
Ground(s)	Griqua Park (Capacity: 11,000[1])
Coach(es)	Pieter Bergh
Captain(s)	Niel Otto
League(s)	Currie Cup
2023	7th
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.griquasrugby.co.za
Current season

Griquas (known as the Suzuki Griquas for sponsorship reasons)^[2] are a South African professional rugby union team based in Kimberley in Northern Cape, 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.

The rugby team was established in 1886 in the then 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. Although they lost 3–0, the British presented the team with the Currie Cup, as they thought that Griqualand West produced the best performance out of the provincial games on their tour.^[3] The Currie Cup became South Africa's domestic prize, and Griqualand West first won it in 1899. Griqualand West subsequently won the Currie Cup again 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.^[4]

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 traditional 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".^[5]

The following players have been included so far in the Griquas squad for the 2023 Currie Cup Premier Division:^[6]

• Currie Cup Premier Division
  • Champions: (3) 1899, 1911, 1970
  • Runners-up: (1) 2022
• SA Cup
  • Champions: (1) 2024
• Vodacom Cup
  • Champions: (5) 1998, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2014
  • Runners-up: (3) 1999, 2000, 2012
• Vodacom Shield
  • Runners-up: (1) 2003

• Airlink Cup 2023 [1]

Griquas have won the Currie Cup three times, and have been losing finalists once:

They were defeated in the semi-finals in 1998, 2019 and 2021.

Griquas have won the SA Cup one time.

Griquas have won the Vodacom Cup five times, and been defeated in the final three times.

• "Official website". Griquas Rugby. Retrieved 15 January 2014.