SHARKS CC: 9 TITLES|
WP CC ALL-TIME: 34 TITLES|
SR FINALS: 1996, 2001, 2007, 2012|
URC CHAMPIONS 2022|
EPCR CHALLENGE CUP 2024|
H2H SR/URC: 28 – 26|
SHARKS CC: 9 TITLES|
WP CC ALL-TIME: 34 TITLES|
SR FINALS: 1996, 2001, 2007, 2012|
URC CHAMPIONS 2022|
EPCR CHALLENGE CUP 2024|
H2H SR/URC: 28 – 26|
Sharks vs Stormers
Since Mandela’s Release • 11 February 1990 – Present
On 11 February 1990, Nelson Mandela walked out of Victor Verster Prison after 27 years of incarceration. South Africa began its transformation from apartheid state to constitutional democracy.
That same year, Natal won their first ever Currie Cup — a watershed moment for KwaZulu-Natal rugby. This is a statistical record of every major competition contested by the Sharks (formerly Natal) and the Stormers (formerly Western Province) from that date forward — 35 years of rivalry across three eras.
Currie Cup • Super Rugby (1996–2020) • United Rugby Championship (2021–present) • EPCR Challenge Cup
Sharks
Est. 1890 • Durban • Kings Park
CC ×9 • EPCR CC 2024 • SA Shield 2025
VS
Stormers
Est. 1883 • Cape Town • DHL Stadium
CC ×34 • URC 2022
Key Numbers — Since 1990
Side-by-Side Comparison
| SHARKS | METRIC | STORMERS |
| 9 | CC Titles (since 1990) | 6 |
| 34 | CC Titles (all-time) | 34 |
| 0 | Super Rugby Titles | 0 |
| 4 | Super Rugby Finals | 1 |
| 0 | URC Titles | 1 |
| 0 | URC Finals | 2 |
| 1 | EPCR Challenge Cup | 0 |
| ~28 | H2H SR/URC Wins | ~26 |
| 2 | CC Finals H2H | 3 |
Visual Analysis
SR/URC Positions (1996–2025)
Competition Breakdown
Currie Cup1890–2025
All-time titles9 – 34
Titles since 19909 – 6
CC finals H2H2 – 3
Super Rugby1996–2020
Titles0 – 0
Finals4 – 1
Semi-finals6 – 5
URC & European2021–present
URC titles0 – 1
URC finals0 – 2
EPCR CC1 – 0
SA Shield1 – 0
Head-to-Head
CC Finals H2H
2 – 3
1984, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2012, 2013
Total Trophies Since 1990
10 – 7
CC + SR + URC + EPCR
URC Era
0 – 1
URC 2022 ★
EPCR CC 2024 • SA Shield 2025
Currie Cup Finals Between These Teams
| Year | Result | Venue | Winner |
| 1984 | WP 19–9 Natal | Newlands | WP |
| 1995 | Natal 25–17 WP | Kings Park | Sharks |
| 2000 | WP 25–15 Sharks | Kings Park | WP |
| 2001 | WP 36–19 Sharks | Newlands | WP |
| 2012 | WP 25–18 Sharks | Kings Park | WP |
| 2013 | Sharks 33–19 WP | Newlands | Sharks |
Season-by-Season — Super Rugby & URC
Key Milestones
Sharks
1990First Currie Cup title (as Natal)
1996Inaugural Super 12 finalists
20012nd SR final (lost to Brumbies)
2007Heartbreak: Bulls 20–19 at home
20124th SR final (lost to Chiefs)
2024EPCR Challenge Cup • CC title #9
2025SA Shield winners in URC
Stormers / WP
1997CC title under professional era
2000CC title — beat Sharks in final
2001Back-to-back CC titles
2011Topped Super Rugby log
2017CC title #34 (last as WP)
2022URC Champions — beat Bulls 18–13
2023Back-to-back URC finals
Player Records
Sharks — Notable Players
| Player | Pos | Caps | Note |
| Tendai Mtawarira | Prop | 159 | SA franchise record; 117 Bok caps |
| John Smit | Hooker | 130+ | 2007 RWC winning captain |
| Curwin Bosch | Fly-half | 114 | 872 pts — franchise record scorer |
| Gary Teichmann | No.8 | 100+ | Bok captain; Hall of Fame #1 |
| Andre Joubert | Fullback | — | 1995 RWC winner |
| Makazole Mapimpi | Wing | — | 42 franchise tries; 2019 RWC winner |
Stormers — Notable Players
| Player | Pos | Caps | Note |
| Steven Kitshoff | Prop | 130 | Stormers record; left Stade Français 2023 |
| Frans Malherbe | Prop | 124+ | Active 2025–26; overtook Burger |
| Schalk Burger | Flanker | ~123 | Multiple RWC medals; 2007 winner |
| Bryan Habana | Wing | — | 124 Bok caps; 2007 RWC |
| Percy Montgomery | Fullback | — | 893 Bok pts; all-time top scorer |
| Jean de Villiers | Centre | 90–100 | Long-serving Bok captain |
Springbok Production Since 1990
Coaching Timeline — Super Rugby/URC Era
Sharks Head Coaches
| Coach | Years | Best Result |
| Ian McIntosh | 1990–1996 | SR finalist 1996 |
| Kevin Putt / Hugh Reece-Edwards | 1997–2000 | CC winners 1996, 2000 (CC) |
| Rudolf Straeuli | 2001–2002 | SR finalist 2001 |
| Kevin Putt | 2003–2005 | — |
| Dick Muir | 2006–2009 | SR finalist 2007 |
| John Plumtree | 2010–2012 | SR finalist 2012; CC 2008 |
| Jake White | 2013–2015 | CC 2013 |
| Gary Gold / Rob du Preez | 2016–2019 | CC 2018 |
| Sean Everitt | 2020–2023 | EPCR CC 2024 |
| John Plumtree (2nd stint) | 2023–present | SA Shield 2025; 3rd URC |
Stormers Head Coaches
| Coach | Years | Best Result |
| Harry Viljoen | 1996–1999 | CC 1997; SR SF 1999 |
| Alan Solomons | 2000–2002 | CC 2000, 2001 |
| Kobus van der Merwe | 2003–2004 | SR SF 2004 |
| Rassie Erasmus | 2005–2007 | CC co-captain to 2007 build |
| Allister Coetzee | 2008–2015 | SR #1 log 2011; CC 2012, 2014 |
| Robbie Fleck | 2015–2019 | CC 2017 |
| John Dobson | 2020–present | URC 2022 ★; URC finalist 2023 |
Venue Head-to-Head
At Kings Park, Durban (Sharks Home)
~16 – ~10
SharksStormers
Sharks dominant at fortress Kings Park. 62% home win rate in derbies.
At Newlands / DHL Stadium (Stormers Home)
~8 – ~16
SharksStormers
Stormers dominant at home. Moved from Newlands to DHL Stadium in 2021. 67% home win rate in derbies.
Notable Matches
Biggest Sharks win (SR/URC)Sharks 38–12 Stormers • 2007
Biggest Stormers win (SR/URC)Stormers 41–14 Sharks • 2011
Closest CC final2013 — Sharks 33–19 (only away CC final win)
Biggest CC final marginWP 36–19 • 2001 Newlands
Current Squad Comparison — 2024/25
Sharks 2024–25 Squad
Key players:
Eben Etzebeth (lock; Bok captain material, joined 2023)
Siya Kolisi (flanker; 2x RWC winning captain, joined 2024)
Jaden Hendrikse (scrumhalf; Bok starter)
Bongi Mbonambi (hooker; 2x RWC winner)
Lukhanyo Am (centre; Bok vice-captain)
Aphelele Fassi (fullback; Bok squad regular)
Stormers 2024–25 Squad
Key players:
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (fly-half; breakout Bok 2024)
Damian Willemse (utility back; Bok squad)
Frans Malherbe (prop; 124+ caps; Bok veteran)
Deon Fourie (flanker; 20th pro season)
Evan Roos (No.8; Young Player of Year 2022)
Warrick Gelant (fullback; Bok squad)
Era-by-Era Performance
| Era | Sharks Avg Pos | Sharks Best | Stormers Avg Pos | Stormers Best | Edge |
| 1990s CC |
4 titles |
CC 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996 |
1 title |
CC 1997 |
Sharks |
| 1996–2000 SR |
5.0 |
2nd (1996, finalist) |
6.0 |
3rd (1999) |
Sharks |
| 2001–2010 SR |
5.7 |
2nd (2001, 2007) |
6.5 |
4th (2004, 2010) |
Sharks |
| 2000s CC |
1 title |
CC 2008 |
2 titles |
CC 2000, 2001 |
Stormers |
| 2011–2019 SR |
6.3 |
2nd (2012, finalist) |
7.4 |
1st (2011, topped log) |
Sharks |
| 2010s CC |
3 titles |
CC 2010, 2013, 2018 |
3 titles |
CC 2012, 2014, 2017 |
Draw |
| 2021–2025 URC |
6.3 |
3rd (2024–25) |
3.5 |
1st (2022, URC Champions) |
Stormers |
| 2020s CC |
2 titles |
CC 2023, 2024 |
0 titles |
— |
Sharks |
The Verdict — Facts Only
Who Has Been Better Since 1990?
Currie Cup (since 1990)
▶ Sharks
9 titles vs 6. Won four in the 1990s alone. More CC titles in the post-isolation era than any other province.
Super Rugby (1996–2020)
▶ Sharks
4 finals vs 1. Neither won the title, but the Sharks were consistently closer — runners-up in 1996, 2001, 2007, and 2012. Average league position: Sharks 5.8, Stormers 6.8.
URC Era (2021–present)
▶ Stormers
1 title, 2 finals. Won the inaugural URC in 2022 and made back-to-back finals. Average position: Stormers 3.5, Sharks 6.3. The Sharks counter with an EPCR Challenge Cup (2024) and SA Shield (2025).
Springbok Factory
▶ WP/Stormers
~85 Boks produced vs ~65 for Sharks since 1990. WP is historically SA’s most productive Bok union. However, the Sharks’ 2024–25 squad now includes Etzebeth, Kolisi, Mbonambi, and Am — the most Bok-loaded roster in franchise history.
Overall: By trophy count since 1990, the Sharks lead 10–7. They won more eras (5 vs 2), reached more professional finals (4 SR + 0 URC vs 1 SR + 2 URC), and have dominated the Currie Cup in the modern era (9 vs 6).
The Stormers hold the single biggest achievement — the URC 2022 title is the only cross-border championship won by either team. They also lead the Currie Cup finals head-to-head 3–2 and have produced more Springboks historically.
On balance of evidence: The Sharks have been the more consistent and prolific trophy winners across the 35-year period. The Stormers have delivered the highest single peak. Both franchises remain without a Super Rugby title — the great prize that eluded them both.
This verdict is based solely on titles won, finals reached, league positions, and era performance. It does not account for budget, player exports, administrative decisions, or subjective quality of play.
Since Mandela’s Release
11 February 1990 – Present • 35 years of data
Every Currie Cup, every Super Rugby season, every URC campaign
Data Sources
Wikipedia • Rugby365 • SA Rugby Mag
United Rugby Championship • RugbyPass • SuperSport
Last updated: 14 March 2026
SHARKS vs STORMERS — RUGBY INTELLIGENCE TERMINAL — EST. 1990