SA Rugby and SuperSport announced on Friday that all 16 preparation fixtures will be broadcasted 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 February 26 until Sunday March 28.

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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 background 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 February 26
19:00: Lions vs NNC Pumas

Saturday February 27
17:15: DHL Stormers vs Toyota Cheetahs

Sunday February 28
15:00: Vodacom Bulls vs Eastern Province
17:15: Cell C Sharks vs Tafel Lager Griquas

Tuesday March 9
16:45: Toyota Cheetahs vs Cell C Sharks
19:00: NNC Pumas vs Vodacom Bulls

Wednesday March 10
16:45: Eastern Province vs Lions
19:00: Tafel Lager Griquas vs DHL Stormers

Friday March 19
16:45: NNC Pumas vs Toyota Cheetahs
19:00: Vodacom Bulls vs DHL Stormers

Saturday March 20
14:00: Eastern Province vs Tafel Lager Griquas
16:15: Lions vs Cell C Sharks

Friday March 26
19:00: Cell C Sharks vs Vodacom Bulls

Saturday March 27
15:00: Tafel Lager Griquas vs NNC Pumas
17:15: DHL Stormers vs Lions

Sunday March 28
15:00: Toyota Cheetahs vs Eastern Province.