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British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa schedule 2021

TRF_heineken

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Full British & Irish Lions 2021 tour schedule:

Saturday, July 3: British & Irish Lions v Stormers - Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town

Wednesday, July 7: British & Irish Lions v SA 'Invitational' - Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

Saturday, July 10: British & Irish Lions v Sharks - Kings Park, Durban

Wednesday, July 14: British & Irish Lions v South Africa 'A' - Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit

Saturday, July 17: British & Irish Lions v Bulls - Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Saturday, July 24 (1st Test): Springboks v British & Irish Lions - FNB Stadium, Johannesburg

Saturday, July 31 (2nd Test): Springboks v British & Irish Lions - Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town

Saturday, August 7 (3rd Test): Springboks v British & Irish Lions - Ellis Park, Johannesburg
 
Hopefully airfares don't go to stupid who like to make the Joburg 1st Test.
 
I'll probably get the hype bug closer to the time, but atm I'm feeling a bit like @The Alpha Bro , especially as we have to suffer through another Gatland led tour.
 
Well, I'm already getting my friends to chip in to try and go to both games in Joburg.

I was at the Loftus game in 2009, and the atmosphere was just amazing. I just have to go in 2021 again.
 
Wow they had a golden opportunity for Lions v Lions and the COWARDS couldn't pull it off. Tour literally unwatchable.

It's the venue that's an issue. They don't want to play a game at Ellis Park ahead of the last test as they want the venue to be an intimidating factor, which it usually is.
 
5 matches in 15 days followed by three tests in cities 1400km apart. Test players will probably play 5-6 matches. It's better but still likely to cause a couple of career altering injuries in my opinion. It's Warren's last chance to "spite" the IRFU so I reckon we might be safe enough woth a similar number of touring players as Scotland.
 
I wonder where the B&I Lions base will be.

All the early games are on the coastal cities, then Mbombela which is about 150km from the Mozambiquean coast, then Loftus at altitude then the 3 tests...

Very interesting choices of venues...
 
The Lions must be ****** that they are getting a chance to face the Lions. Only super rugby side to miss out. Their fans can be rightly upset. Luckily for sa rugby they have the least amount of supporters between the Super rugby sides.

I hope our Super rugby sides get to play their Springboks. Or atleast the fringe ones. They should circle this date now and start preparing. A win would be vital. I also hopes it encourages the next batch of players to stay at their Super rugby teams in anticipation of the tour.
 
It's the venue that's an issue. They don't want to play a game at Ellis Park ahead of the last test as they want the venue to be an intimidating factor, which it usually is.

I remember Tana Umaga saying he hated playing at Ellispark, because it felt like the crowd was on top of you.
 
The Lions must be ****** that they are getting a chance to face the Lions. Only super rugby side to miss out. Their fans can be rightly upset. Luckily for sa rugby they have the least amount of supporters between the Super rugby sides.

I hope our Super rugby sides get to play their Springboks. Or atleast the fringe ones. They should circle this date now and start preparing. A win would be vital. I also hopes it encourages the next batch of players to stay at their Super rugby teams in anticipation of the tour.

I think this schedule was very strategically planned.

1. The B&I Lions and their fans will get to travel nearly the entire country. The Match in Nelspruit could easily have been the match against the Super Rugby Lions side. But I remember during the 2009 tour, the fans mentioned that they wished they had a chance to visit the Kruger Park. Now they get the chance to do just that.

2. All the venue cities have an airport, so travelling inbetween cities would make it easier for the players and fans.

3. The guys who wants to do a road trip, can have a real awesome experience, if they are willing to drive the distance and do the wine route, garden route, the transkei, the Drakensberg, the N4 and even the N1. The tour is an entire month, so there is a lot of time for the guys to travel within the country.

4. All the Venues were upgraded/newly built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and all have been used as rugby venues and these venues can all host 40k+ people in the stands.

I think money did have a big role to play, and the potential earnings could be huge for SA Rugby. I think hosting matches at Cape Town Stadium and FNB Stadium is brilliant. I have been at both matches at FNB stadium when we played the All Blacks, and that venue is huge!

I just hope SA Rugby does everything in their power to make it safe for everyone going to the stadium.
 
3. The guys who wants to do a road trip, can have a real awesome experience, if they are willing to drive the distance and do the wine route, garden route, the transkei, the Drakensberg, the N4 and even the N1. The tour is an entire month, so there is a lot of time for the guys to travel within the country.

I'm well up for this but have to ask the obvious question: how safe would a road trip be?
 
South Africa is an extremely unsafe country, if anybody has not noticed yet.
 
Well I get the whole crashing bit. Thinking more getting robbed

Well I've never been mugged or robbed on the street or on the highway or anything like that. But then again I tend to stay on the main roads, only stop at the branded petrol stations and don't pull off next to the road, unless I have car trouble.

With all these venues, you can easily stay on the main highways, the N1, N2, N3 and N4. If you stay out of the townships, and the CBD of the cities, you should be okay.

In all honesty, I think the biggest chance of getting mugged or robbed is on your way to the stadium. if you walk in some of the more scary parts of town especially Joburg and Durban.

My suggestion would be to use the shuttle/bus services they should implement for the travelling fans to the stadium, as well as uber/taxify to drop you off as close to the stadium as possible.

Plus, being in groups and keeping an eye out of your surroundings is always a handy motivator for the opportunist thief to rather try someone else. I would also suggest you don't keep a lot of cash on you. Most places in SA have card machines and accepts Visa and Mastercard. Plus most petrol stations have an ATM machine to draw cash should you need it.

The thing is most of these thieves look for soft targets with the wallets or cellphones easily accessible for them to grab. if you keep it in your pocket, or under clothing, you should be fine.
 
Well I've never been mugged or robbed on the street or on the highway or anything like that. But then again I tend to stay on the main roads, only stop at the branded petrol stations and don't pull off next to the road, unless I have car trouble.

With all these venues, you can easily stay on the main highways, the N1, N2, N3 and N4. If you stay out of the townships, and the CBD of the cities, you should be okay.

In all honesty, I think the biggest chance of getting mugged or robbed is on your way to the stadium. if you walk in some of the more scary parts of town especially Joburg and Durban.

My suggestion would be to use the shuttle/bus services they should implement for the travelling fans to the stadium, as well as uber/taxify to drop you off as close to the stadium as possible.

Plus, being in groups and keeping an eye out of your surroundings is always a handy motivator for the opportunist thief to rather try someone else. I would also suggest you don't keep a lot of cash on you. Most places in SA have card machines and accepts Visa and Mastercard. Plus most petrol stations have an ATM machine to draw cash should you need it.

The thing is most of these thieves look for soft targets with the wallets or cellphones easily accessible for them to grab. if you keep it in your pocket, or under clothing, you should be fine.

Top man thanks for the advise, I have wanted to go to South Africa for years and due to a change in my personal circumstances I am able (finances depending) to go in 2021. Cannot wait to be honest.
 
Top man thanks for the advise, I have wanted to go to South Africa for years and due to a change in my personal circumstances I am able (finances depending) to go in 2021. Cannot wait to be honest.

You're welcome! Speaking of travelling, next week Friday, I start my long trek to my holiday destination for December. It's a 1600+km drive from my home to my destination which I will do in 2 days and will mostly travel along the N1.

If you guys want any advice on anything, I'm sure myself and the other Saffas will be able to help you.
 
You're welcome! Speaking of travelling, next week Friday, I start my long trek to my holiday destination for December. It's a 1600+km drive from my home to my destination which I will do in 2 days and will mostly travel along the N1.

If you guys want any advice on anything, I'm sure myself and the other Saffas will be able to help you.
Thanks mate, going to look at car hire in Cape Town now!
 
Thanks mate, going to look at car hire in Cape Town now!

You can look at the following:

Tempest car hire
Europcar
Budget Car Hire
Avis Car Hire
Bidvest Car hire

They all have a station at all the main airports in SA.

Plus some of them give you discount depending on your medical aid. Like if you are with Discovery, you get up to 30% discount on Europcar hire and at Kulula.com domestic flights.
 
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