Rugby returns to contact training
Tickets to matches of the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa opened today.
SA Rugby can confirm that the franchises have been given the green light to resume with full contact training from today, after all the players completed the necessary health checks and other protocol required.
An announcement on the proposed competition structure for the rest of the season will be made as soon as all the details have been ironed out with government and the various other stakeholders.
SA Rugby announced that the Vodacom Bulls, Emirates Lions, Cell C Sharks, DHL Stormers, Toyota Cheetahs, Phakisa Pumas and Tafel Lager Griquas can resume contact training as a possible return to competitive action moves closer.
“The teams have been hard at work with non-contact training for the past five weeks, and once a final Covid-19 test has been passed, they will be able to step up a gear next week,” said Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby.
“We are moving in the right direction and I would like to urge all rugby supporters and members of the wider South African rugby family to bear with us as we plan the way forward for the next couple of weeks. “With the guidance of government and working hard with our various stakeholders, we’ve knuckled down and plotted our return to competitive action, which is getting closer every day.
“But we’re also very mindful of the pitfalls associated with this and we know things can change overnight.”
Roux said SA Rugby and its various stakeholders were finalising plans for a return to play in line with the best available medical advice in order to ensure player welfare.
“Once we’ve finalised all the relevant plans and we’ve aligned with our broadcast partner, sponsors, franchises and other stakeholders, we’ll confirm the playing schedule,” said Roux.
In the meantime the ballot for tickets to matches of the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa opened today, with rugby supporters urged to pick the tickets they wish to purchase for next year’s eight-match tour in the coming fortnight.
The online ballot, a similar system to that which is used at other major global sporting events, offers rugby fans a unique opportunity to acquire tickets for what promises to be an exciting tour of the British and Irish Lions, who will face the Springboks in three tests, as well as five other matches around South Africa.
The eight-match tour, which kicks off in Cape Town on July 3, 2021, stretches across six cities over five weeks.
The ticket prices are set to make them attractive to South Africans, from as little as R100 for a mid-week ticket, while the cheapest test match ticket is priced at R500.
As from September 2 at 10am, registrants will be able to login to www.lionstour2021.co.za and select tickets for all eight matches (to a maximum of eight tickets per match).
