Pumas (Currie Cup)

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South Africa Pumas
Full namePumas
UnionMpumalanga Rugby Union
EmblemPuma
Founded1969 (1969)
RegionMpumalanga Province
Ground(s)Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela (Capacity: 43,500[1])
CoachJimmy Stonehouse
CaptainWillie Engelbrecht[2]
League(s)Currie Cup
SA Cup
2026 CC

2026 SA		Runners-up
3rd overall
Champions
2nd overall
Team kit
2nd kit
Official website
pumas.co.za
Current season

The Pumas are a South African professional rugby union team that competes in the Premier Division of the Currie 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.

History

Formed in 1969 as South Eastern Transvaal, the Pumas are one of the younger unions in the country. The team won the Currie Cup for the first time in 2022.[3]

Pumas 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. Despite being newly-promoted, the team achieved a notable result on 27 August 2010, beating current champions the Blue Bulls 22–21 at the Mbombela Stadium in Mbombela.[4] They eventually finished 7th.

Super Rugby

In 2020, the Pumas were invited to play in the Super Rugby Unlocked competition.[5] A list of players who represented the side in the competition can be found here.

Honours

Major Honours

  • Currie Cup Premier Division
  • Currie Cup First Division
  • SA Cup:
  • Vodacom Cup
  • SuperSport Rugby Challenge

Minor Honours

Current squad

The Pumas squad for the 2026 season is:[a]

2026 Pumas squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Loose forwards

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

Wingers

Fullbacks

(c) denotes the team captain.
Bold denotes internationally capped players.
* denotes players qualified to play for South Africa on residency or dual nationality.
  1. Addition for 2026 Currie Cup
  2. Addition for 2026 Currie Cup
  3. Addition for 2026 Currie Cup
  4. Addition for 2026 Currie Cup
  5. Addition for 2026 Currie Cup
Source: [8]
  1. Darnell Osuagwu was named in the 2026 Pumas squad, but joined the Boland Cavaliers during the 2026 Currie Cup.[7]

References

  1. "Mbombela Stadium | SPRINGBOKS vs WALES tickets information". pumasrugbyunion.com. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  2. Tshwaku, Khanyiso. "CURRIE CUP PREVIEW - Tournament fights for relevance as big guns withdraw URC stars". News24. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  3. Schenk, Heinz. "RECAP - Punchy, precise Pumas claim historic first Currie Cup title with 26-19 win over Griquas". Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  4. "Pumas shock Blue Bulls in Nelspruit". Planet Rugby. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  5. "Super Rugby Unlocked fixtures announced". SANZAAR. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  6. "PUMAS BEAT WELWITSCHIAS 81 - 8 IN AIRLINK CUP", https://nbcnews.na, 22 May 2024
  7. @sanlam_boland_kavaliers; (31 July 2026). "Currie Cup Round 3". Retrieved 31 July 2026 – via Instagram. {{Cite Instagram}}: Missing or empty |postid= (help)
  8. "Profiles". Pumas. Retrieved 22 February 2026.