The Vodacom Bulls and Lions are hoping for fans to turn out in their numbers when the Vodacom United Rugby Championship resumes with two massive local derbies in Gauteng next week.

The Lions will host the Sharks at Ellis Park at 15:00 on February 18 and two hours later the local action will continue 60km north in Pretoria, where the Vodacom Bulls take on the DHL Stormers in a highly-anticipated North-South derby at Loftus Versfeld.

With five rounds left to the play, the race for the quarter-finals is heating up and the Vodacom Bulls have called on their fans to aid them as they resume their rivalry with the Stormers.

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However, the Vodacom Bulls are hoping that a packed Loftus Versfeld will help them finally get one over their rivals.

The demand for tickets for this match has already reached such a level that Loftus Versfeld officials are hoping they will be able to open the upper section of the East Stand for the first time since 2020 to accommodate the influx of fans for the replay of last year’s Vodacom URC grand final.

To be able to do this, though, they would need to sell over 30 000 tickets, which the union is hoping will be possible considering the already strong sales for the game.

The stage is set for a memorable meeting in Pretoria. This will be the first match back for head coach Jake White following his surgery and recovery.