Natal Sharks
 |
|
| Full name | Sharks |
|---|---|
| Union | KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union |
| Emblem(s) | Shark |
| Founded | 1890 |
| Region | KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| Ground(s) | Growthpoint Kings Park (Capacity: 55,000) |
| Director of Rugby | Gary Gold |
| Coach(es) | Robert du Preez |
| Captain(s) | Keegan Daniel |
| League(s) | Currie Cup |
| 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division | 5th |
| Official website | |
| www |
|
 Current season
|
|
The Sharks are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The Sharks' home stadium is Kings Park. They draw most of their players from the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The Sharks are the current representative team of the Natal Rugby Union, founded in 1890. The team is the fourth most successful provincial union in the country having won the Currie Cup title seven times.
Natal won its first Currie Cup competition until 1990, the same year the union celebrated its centenary anniversary. Since then the Sharks have won the Currie Cup in 1992, 1995, 1996, 2008, 2010 and most recently in 2013. For most of their history team was known simply as 'Natal', with a nickname of 'The Banana Boys' until the mid-1990s when they were re-branded as the Sharks.
The Sharks team that plays in the Super Rugby competition is essentially the same team - they also play in Durban and draw their players from the KwaZulu-Natal area. For most of Super Rugby history, the Sharks Super Rugby franchise drew players from a much larger area than the Sharks provincial union, with the rugby unions of Border, based in East London and Eastern Province from Port Elizabeth included in the Sharks franchise. Since 2013 the Southern Kings functions on its own, and no more supplies players to the Sharks franchise.
The Natal Rugby Union, renamed the kwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union (KZNRU) in 1999 was formed in 1890, but it took 66 years for the union to enjoy its first Currie Cup final. In the interim, the province did produce its fair share of quality players, including Springboks Bill Payn, Wally Clarkson and Philip Nel, who led South Africa on the country’s unbeaten tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1937. And whilst the 1920s and 30's saw Natal improve from one the weakest unions in the Currie Cup to becoming a more competitive mid-table team, the team still struggled against the quality of sides such as Western Province and Transvaal.
...
Wikipedia