Stormers

Cape Town's provincial side had played rugby under the Western Province banner since 1883, but when Super Rugby launched in 1998, that union needed a franchise built for the new format. The Western Stormers were put together in 1997 to carry the city into the inaugural Super 12, and the shortened name stuck.

The Currie Cup history behind them runs deeper than the franchise itself: as Western Province, the union has won the competition 34 times, with five titles in a row between 1982 and 1986 and further wins stretching into 2017. Super Rugby told a different story. The Stormers reached one final, in 2010, and were beaten by the Blue Bulls 18-14, and no other final followed in that competition. The URC gave them what Super Rugby had not — the 2021-22 title, won 18-13 against the Vodacom Bulls, though the following season ended the same way it had for Western Province in Super Rugby, with a final lost, this time to Munster.

Newlands had been their home since 1996, but in 2021 the club moved to Cape Town Stadium, known now as DHL Stadium, raising capacity to 55,000. Siya Kolisi captains the side, one of several Springboks and World Cup winners who have wrapped themselves in the blue and white known to supporters as Die Streeptruie.

The North-South derby against the Vodacom Bulls remains the fixture that carries the most weight, sharpened further by the two URC finals that have gone in opposite directions.