SuperSport to broadcast preparation matches

SA Rugby and SuperSport announced on Friday that they will be broadcasting all 16 preparation fixtures live when the local rugby season kicks off next weekend.

As a result, the fixtures have been amended. Eight local unions will each play four matches – two at home and two away – from Friday, 26 February until Sunday, 28 March.

The series of warm-up encounters has been specifically designed by the Rugby Department of SA Rugby and the competing unions to meet teams’ high-performance needs against the landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to prepare the players for the season ahead.

Instead of weekly encounters, matches will be played on a ten-day cycle to manage COVID testing protocols. The eight teams have been split into two groups and will play cross-pool matches.

Pool A consists of the Vodacom Bulls, Lions, Tafel Lager Griquas and Toyota Cheetahs, and they will play the four sides in Pool B, namely the Cell C Sharks, DHL Stormers, NNC Pumas and Eastern Province.

Updated preparation series fixtures (home teams named first, all matches live on SuperSport)

Friday, 26 February

19h00: Lions v NNC Pumas

Saturday 27 February

17h15: DHL Stormers v Toyota Cheetahs

Sunday 28 February

15h00: Vodacom Bulls v Eastern Province

17h15: Cell C Sharks v Tafel Lager Griquas

Tuesday 9 March

16h45: Toyota Cheetahs v Cell C Sharks

19h00: NNC Pumas v Vodacom Bulls

Wednesday 10 March

16h45: Eastern Province v Lions

19h00: Tafel Lager Griquas v DHL Stormers

Friday 19 March

16h45: NNC Pumas v Toyota Cheetahs

19h00: Vodacom Bulls v DHL Stormers

Saturday 20 March

14h00: Eastern Province v Tafel Lager Griquas

16h15: Lions v Cell C Sharks

Friday 26 March

19h00: Cell C Sharks v Vodacom Bulls

Saturday 27 March

15h00: Tafel Lager Griquas v NNC Pumas

17h15: DHL Stormers v Lions

Sunday 28 March

15h00: Toyota Cheetahs v Eastern Province