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SA Rugby to have local tournament from 26 September - 23 January

TRF_heineken

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Finally some good news!

SA Rugby will kick-off their local tournament with a double header at Loftus Versfeld on the 26th of September with the Bulls vs. the Sharks and the Lions vs. the Stormers.

And on 3 October there will be a Springbok Trials match, in the style of a draft system, consisting of 60 local players. Which is an exciting prospect on it's own. And could be used to have the youngsters play against the big guns.
 
I am wondering if the Springbok Green vs Gold match will have international players included, such as those playing in the premiership and Pro 14
 
The teams included in double header will probably not have their best players from the 60 players who will be playing in the green vs gold match. Especially if its local only players.
 
The way I understand it, the Springbok showdown match, will be a seperate thing, and there won't be any other matches on that day.
 
I don't even know what the current squads look like but am excited for things to kick off again. Happy to start off vs the Lions- should be a good warm up match ahead of the 'bigger' sides but on the highveld we must watch out not to get sucked into playing their game.

I understand its going to include the Cheetahs, Pumas and Griquas as well. Odd to have only the 4 teams start.
 
Are you guys in the b and I ballot? I'm trying for the FNB stadium test and Sharks vs lions game
Know this is off topic.
 
I don't even know what the current squads look like but am excited for things to kick off again. Happy to start off vs the Lions- should be a good warm up match ahead of the 'bigger' sides but on the highveld we must watch out not to get sucked into playing their game.

I understand its going to include the Cheetahs, Pumas and Griquas as well. Odd to have only the 4 teams start.

Yeah, I also thought about that, maybe it's just a kickstart practice match ahead of the tournament, and maybe they are looking at some sort of triple-header for the other 3 teams too.

Are you guys in the b and I ballot? I'm trying for the FNB stadium test and Sharks vs lions game
Know this is off topic.

Yup, Myself, and my father and Brother have sigend up. We're looking for the tests tickets only, no matter the venue...
 
Yeah, I also thought about that, maybe it's just a kickstart practice match ahead of the tournament, and maybe they are looking at some sort of triple-header for the other 3 teams too.



Yup, Myself, and my father and Brother have sigend up. We're looking for the tests tickets only, no matter the venue...

Ah, so it might be one of those classic warm up game type setups and not actuallu part of the proposed tournament. Right, I didn't think of that. Certainly makes the most sense. A way to ease into it and give the fringe players a go and your starters a solid 30 minutes.

I'm in the B&I "lotto" for the test in Cape Town only. Taking a bit of a chance but we are 8 guys each in the lotto for 8 tickets. So hopefully that is spread well enough.
 
Ah, so it might be one of those classic warm up game type setups and not actuallu part of the proposed tournament. Right, I didn't think of that. Certainly makes the most sense. A way to ease into it and give the fringe players a go and your starters a solid 30 minutes.

I'm in the B&I "lotto" for the test in Cape Town only. Taking a bit of a chance but we are 8 guys each in the lotto for 8 tickets. So hopefully that is spread well enough.
We're in total 15 guys trying to get tickets.

Even if we get limited tickets, we'll have a raffle of our own, decide amongst one another who goes. But just to get the tickets is plan a.
 
Think ticket sales are boosted by the lack of rugby in general. Not that I think it would be needed in any case.

Back on topic I expect Stormers/WP premier line-up to be

1 Steven Kitshoff
2 Bongi Mbonambi
3 Frans Malherbe
4 PS du Toit ? (we are very light in the locks and heavy in the backrows if we play him there)
5 JD Schickerling
6 Siya Kolisi
7 Jaco Coetzee
8 Juarno Augustus

All in all a good pack though I wonder where PSDT will feature. If in the backrow I am scared about our depth at lock and probably a lot of the other talented backrow players will start to get itchy feet if they don't get match time. We've already lost Cobus Wiese who I rated very highly (though in behind Coetzee, Kolisi and PSDT). Van Rhyn and JDT might follow.

9 Herschel Jantjies
10 Damian Willemse

Bok B team halves. Very excited about this. 2020 was supposed to be our year with these two getting time together and time to develop. Still very young but have a lot of promise.

11 Seabelo Senatla
12 Rikus Pretorius
13 Ruhan Nel
14/15 Dilyn Leyds
15/14 Warrick Gelant

Excited about Pretorius in the centers but we are very thin beyond our starters. Back three are exciting considering the up and comers of Edwill vdM and the other Leyds. BUT all of them are- IMO- good Currie Cup level players but not world beaters. They'll probably look good if WP is already winning but I don't know if in a tight game if they'd be my 1st choice back three had I options. If anything the fact we signed Gelant and kept Leyds whilst dropping JL du Plesses has me excited merely because it says without a shadow of a doubt that we will be playing Willemse at 10. Which is where WP needs him.
 
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Think ticket sales are boosted by the lack of rugby in general. Not that I think it would be needed in any case.

Well if anything is to go by, then SA won't get as many tickets as the B&I Lions fans if we look at 2009's tournament. I was lucky enough to get a ticket, as my cousin was working for the security company that handled Loftus Versfeld's security, and at the last minute, he couldn't make it to the game, so I went with my brother who was studying at UJ at the time.

But I'm willing to pay big bucks to watch a test match. It's just something else to be part of, and the B&I Lions fans, were all great guys and a lot of fun before, during and after the game. You have to make a weekend of it.
 
All our World cup locks are out injured . We need PSdT back in the locks for the immediate future. He is a world class lock and I don't see why we now need to be one dimensional with playing him at flank. He is a natural lock . We have enough flank backup at the Springboks to move him to cover the what some would call lock crisis. In my mind we are sorted with Mostert and PSdT there
 
All our World cup locks are out injured . We need PSdT back in the locks for the immediate future. He is a world class lock and I don't see why we now need to be one dimensional with playing him at flank. He is a natural lock . We have enough flank backup at the Springboks to move him to cover the what some would call lock crisis. In my mind we are sorted with Mostert and PSdT there
There is that as well to consider. I believe you are 100% right.
 
All our World cup locks are out injured . We need PSdT back in the locks for the immediate future. He is a world class lock and I don't see why we now need to be one dimensional with playing him at flank. He is a natural lock . We have enough flank backup at the Springboks to move him to cover the what some would call lock crisis. In my mind we are sorted with Mostert and PSdT there

Well, it would be a great time to give the newbies a chance in that position too. Jason Jenkins, JD Shickerling, Van Der Mescht are all in SA, and ready to play. It would be wonderful if we can keep PSDT at flank, while not compromising our lock strength.

But with that said, we have a bunch of 7 flankers also ready to take up that position. I for one hope that Arno Botha shows us all what he's still capable of.
 

Finally some good news!

SA Rugby will kick-off their local tournament with a double header at Loftus Versfeld on the 26th of September with the Bulls vs. the Sharks and the Lions vs. the Stormers.

And on 3 October there will be a Springbok Trials match, in the style of a draft system, consisting of 60 local players. Which is an exciting prospect on it's own. And could be used to have the youngsters play against the big guns.
That's great news! I was hoping the SA Super Rugby teams would play. Do you know if it will be streamed on ESPN+ like Super Rugby Aotearoa and AU have been? I didn't see any broadcast outlets mentioned in the article.
 
Well, it would be a great time to give the newbies a chance in that position too. Jason Jenkins, JD Shickerling, Van Der Mescht are all in SA, and ready to play. It would be wonderful if we can keep PSDT at flank, while not compromising our lock strength.

But with that said, we have a bunch of 7 flankers also ready to take up that position. I for one hope that Arno Botha shows us all what he's
still capable of.
I'm actually most excited by Le Roux Roets at this stage. The difference he makes particularly locking down at the scrum is ***anic! Still, he and JJ are both Sharks and though I wouldn't mins seeing either get a Bok cap seeing as we are in a pinch with three WC locks out we still have the same issue at the Stormers and there PSDT is the only real option IMO.
I'm pretty sure Leyds has already left, think I saw him in a La Rochelle team sheet
Would be typical of the Stormers. Not the hugest loss though. Edwill vd Merwe capable if green. Its just we never seem to cultivate the depth we need beyond a 1st XV to actually have a real crack at silverware. Start well but then the wheels come off 3/4 games into a season as the injuries invariably pile up.
 

SA rugby teams to play for 2 ***les: Super Rugby Unlocked and Currie Cup


https://www.news24.com/sport/rugby/...-super-rugby-unlocked-and-currie-cup-20200918

South Africa's seven franchises will battle it out for Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked and Currie Cup honours when the domestic season resumes next month, after a complete re-working of fixtures and competition structures has been forced by the six-month interruption.

Following the Vodacom Super Fan Saturday matches in Pretoria (26 September) and the Castle Lager Springbok Showdown in Cape Town (3 October), the seven provincial teams will head into a double round of local action over 16 weekends with two trophies up for grabs – Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked and the Currie Cup.

The first round of matches – from 10 October to 21 November – will be for Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked honours, with the winner coming from whichever of the Vodacom Bulls, Cell C Sharks, Emirates Lions, DHL Stormers, Toyota Cheetahs, Tafel Lager Griquas or Phakisa Pumas has the most log points.

All log points will then be carried forward into the second round – the Currie Cup from 28 November to 9 January 2021 – which will culminate in semifinals (16 January) and a final on 23 January next year.

The Toyota Free State Cheetahs will defend the crown they won in 2019 against the Vodacom Blue Bulls, Xerox Golden Lions, Tafel Lager Griquas, Phakisa Pumas, Cell C Sharks and DHL Western Province.

"We are very grateful for the excellent cooperation we've had from our sponsors, broadcast partner, the unions and other stakeholders to get to a point where we can actually start looking forward to actual rugby matches on weekends again," said Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby. "Depending on our participation in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, we'll see our top local Springboks in action in the coming weeks and months. "The impact of the pandemic on the season has been extraordinary and we have had to come up with an extraordinary solution to be able to complete the Vodacom Super Rugby season and contest the Currie Cup. We believe that this is the best solution for everyone involved. "All the teams will face each other home and away, and will enjoy two byes during the four months we believe will deliver top-class local rugby and unearth the next generation of stars for South African rugby."

SA Rugby also announced a five-team Provincial Under-21 competition between the Blue Bulls, Free State, Golden Lions, Sharks and Western Province.
The details of this competition, as well as the Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked and Currie Cup fixtures will be confirmed shortly.
 
ESPN has signed an agreement with Supersport so you can expect to see it in the US
 

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