Blue Bulls and Sharks to play warm up match in Polokwane
Rugby fans should diarise 27 January 2018, as the Polokwane Municipality will bring a Super Rugby warm-up match between the Vodacom Bulls and the Cell C Sharks to the city.
POLOKWANE – According to the Blue Bulls Chief Executive Officer, Barend van Graan, Limpopo forms an integral part of the union, being the Blue Bulls Rugby Union.
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“Aside from this event benefitting the underprivileged students to advance their studies, this event will also benefit local rugby entities such as the clubs in this region. The warm-up match will once again give us the opportunity to choose the best Bulls team for the upcoming season’s Super Rugby Championship,” Van Graan explained.
“For years, we as rugby supporters have yearned for an encounter of this magnitude and now it’s going to be a reality next year,” announced the Mayor, Thembi Nkadimeng, at a press briefing held at the Polokwane Golf Club on Tuesday.
The two teams are set to clash at the Peter Mokaba Sports Complex and the proceeds of the event will be used to finance the tuition of local students.
The students will receive financial assistance with regard to their tuition and accommodation for the duration of their studies.
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“We decided in the 2016/17 financial year that instead of sponsoring part of their tuition, our sponsorship should be a full bursary. This will allow the 52 students who currently benefit from this fund to focus on passing instead of their financial predicaments,” Nkadimeng explained.
In addition to generating money for tuition and accommodation, the event will also provide the union the opportunity to plough back into the community and individuals who have remained loyal fans throughout the years.
Seeing as the Sharks have yet to travel to the city of Polokwane for a match, the match is expected to be an entertaining and highly anticipated event.
“From a coaching perspective, the match will give our head coach John Mitchell, very valuable game time for the squad against quality opposition. This match will also be vital in our preparations as the 2018 Super Rugby competition draws closer. The Sharks intend to bring their best team for this match,” Van Graan said.
Tickets will go on sale in the second week of December.
