Pumas (Currie Cup)
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| Full name | Pumas | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Mpumalanga Rugby Union | ||
| Emblem(s) | Puma | ||
| Founded | 1969 | ||
| Region | Mpumalanga Province | ||
| Ground(s) | Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela (Capacity: 40,929) | ||
| Coach(es) | Jimmy Stonehouse | ||
| Captain(s) | Willie Engelbrecht | ||
| League(s) | Currie Cup | ||
| 2021 | Finals:DNQ 5th on log | ||
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| Official website | |||
| www | |||
 Current season | |||
The Pumas (known as the Airlink Pumas for sponsorship reasons) are a South African rugby union team that competes in the Premier Division of the Currie Cup and the Northern Section of the Vodacom Cup. The team draws their players from Mpumalanga Province (formerly known as the South Eastern Transvaal) and plays at the Mbombela Stadium in Mbombela, having previously also played at the Puma Stadium in Witbank.
The Pumas are a well supported team throughout Mpumalanga Province, with large fan bases located in Witbank, Middelburg, Ermelo and Mbombela.
History[]
Formed in 1969 as South Eastern Transvaal, the Pumas are one of the younger unions in the country. The team has never won the Currie Cup.
In 2006, they were coached jointly by Chris Grobler and Danie Gerber, but failed to win any of their 14 matches, finishing last on the log.
They won the Currie Cup First Division (the second tier competition) in 2005 and 2009, both times earning promotion to the Currie Cup Premier Division.
For their 2010 Currie Cup campaign, the Pumas appointed the seasoned Jimmy Stonehouse as coach. Though considered the underdogs of the Currie Cup competition, on 27 August 2010 the Pumas beat current champions the Blue Bulls 22–21 at the Mbombela Stadium in Mbombela.[1] They eventually finished 7th.
Honours[]
The team's major tournament wins include the Currie Cup First Division in 2005, 2009 and 2013, the Vodacom Cup in 2015 and the Rugby Challenge in 2018.
Current squad[]
The following players were included in the Pumas squad for the 2022 Currie Cup Premier Division:[2]
| Pumas Currie Cup squad | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Props
Hookers
Locks
|
Loose forwards
Scrum-halves
Fly-halves
|
Centres
Wingers
Fullbacks
|
| (c) Denotes team captain and Bold denotes internationally capped. |
References[]
- ^ "Pumas shock Blue Bulls in Nelspruit". Planet Rugby. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
- ^ "Pumas squad". SA Rugby. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
External links[]
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- South African rugby union teams
- Sport in Mpumalanga
- Mbombela