Due to all the bizarre events and strange phenomena in the sports world caused by the Covid-19 crisis, it is almost strange to realize that we are once again on the eve of a new rugby season in South Africa.

Although the previous season only ended a few weeks ago with the Currie Cup final, the new 2021 season will kick off this coming weekend with the first matches in the Preparation Series for the country’s eight top teams

The new season will kick off this coming weekend with a number of preparation fixtures for eight provincial teams as national planning focuses on entry to the international Rainbow Cup (previously the Pro14 series) and the Springboks’ forthcoming Test season, starting with the series against the British & Irish Lions.

This series of encounters have 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 pandemic and to prepare them for the coming season.

One significant change is that teams will play on a ten-day cycle (rather than each week) to manage Covid testing protocols.

The eight teams – the EP Elephants join the seven sides that competed in the Super Rugby Unlocked tournament and the Carling Currie Cup from October last year – have been split into two groups and will play cross-pool matches between 27 February and 27 March, ensuring four encounters for every side.

Pool A will consist of the Blue Bulls, Lions, Griquas and Cheetahs, and they will play the four sides in Pool B, namely the Sharks, Stormers, Pumas and Eastern Province Elephants.

This coming weekend, the four matches in the opening round will see the Blue Bulls host the EP Elephants, the Lions take on the Pumas, the Sharks squaring off against Griquas, and Stormers up against the Cheetahs.

“These matches will provide our top players with further opportunities to test themselves against the best in South Africa, while our match officials will also get some valuable game-time under the belt,” said Rassie Erasmus, Director of Rugby.

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