SAA bars Reds from Cape Town trip … for yellow fever!
Confusing travel advice means the Super Rugby side's preparation for the Stormers this weekend is disrupted.
The Reds have had their travel plans disrupted. Photo: Getty Images.
The Reds have had their travel plans to Cape Town disrupted after they were denied boarding their flight to South Africa.
According to AAP, several officials from South African Airways (SAA) informed the Australians, who play the Stormers at Newlands on Saturday, that they wouldn’t be allowed to enter South Africa because they didn’t get vaccines for yellow fever following the weekend’s victory over the Jaguares in Buenos Aires.
There is no risk of picking up the disease here but government is reasonably emphatic in stating that individuals coming in from a country with a history of the virus need to show a proof of vaccination.
Argentina is considered a risk area.
However, the Reds were confused by travel advice stating that only the northern part of Argentina is affected by yellow fever.
As a result, the Queenslanders had to take a detour via London and are expected to have to absorb a 15-hour delay to their journey.
Their SA-born prop, Ruan Smith, is in high spirits though.
“We’re just going to throw the kitchen sink at it and give it our all,” he said.
“There are a lot of guys in the group who haven’t played there and your first time playing in Cape Town, it’s always special.”
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