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- South African rugby will resume on September 26 after a six-month period due to the coronavirus.
- During the holiday season a local seven-team competition will be played.
- The Springboks’ participation in this year’s Rugby Championship remains in doubt.
South African rugby fans finally got the good news they had been waiting for on Wednesday with confirmation that a return to competitive action is near.
Rugby has not been played in South Africa since March, when Super Rugby was suspended as a result of the global coronavirus crisis.
The sport around the world came to a halt back then, but in recent months professional rugby has returned to New Zealand, Australia and now Europe as well.
However, South Africans have had to be patient.
On Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that South Africa would move to Level 1 of its national coronavirus lockdown, but hours before that speech there was a statement from SA Rugby confirming a return to the field of play later this month.
Here’s everything you need to know about returning to play:
When will rugby return?
The season will resume in the form of drapery on September 26 with a double header at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, when the Bulls take on the Sharks, and the Lions fight the Stormers in what is called ‘Super Fan Saturday’.
Then the following weekend, there will be a ‘Springbok Showdown’ which will see a group of 60 players recruited from two sides, trained by Mzwandile Stick and Deon Davids, in a match that will take place in Newlands. The game will effectively serve as another chance to win a few minutes before the Currie Cup, but it will also provide an opportunity for Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber to take a look at some of the players who would be in the Springboks contest. they participate in the Rugby Championship in November.
In October 10th, a local competition (probably the Currie Cup) will be launched with a total of seven competing unions. The matches of the tournament have not yet been announced, but what has been confirmed is that the competition will continue during Christmas and New Years and will culminate in the semifinals (January 16) and a final on January 23 of next year.
Why has it taken so long for rugby to come back in South Africa?
In short, the strict national lockdown prevented unions and franchises from training. A return to non-contact training was only allowed in mid-July and, by that time, Super Rugby Aotearoa had already been a month old. A back-to-contact training was only announced in late August. The longer the players were out of the game, the longer it took them to return to game readiness state and the franchises have effectively been made to accommodate full preseason training.
What teams will play in the local competition?
The Lions, Stormers, Sharks, Bulls, Cheetahs, Griquas and Pumas are expected to make up the seven teams. The Kings announced in August that they would not play in any competitions for the remainder of 2020 due to financial challenges currently plaguing the union.
Will spectators be allowed into the stadiums?
No. Crowds were allowed at Super Rugby Aotearoa in New Zealand and small crowds allowed at Super Rugby AU Australia, but South Africa is a long way from that.
Why not wait for the next season instead of trying to include a local event in 2020?
Rugby needs to be played to generate income, and given all the rugby that was lost in 2020, SA Rugby and the franchises must bail out as much as possible. There were broadcast deals and endorsements for 2020 and playing a competitive televised event during the holiday season will give those investors a window to at least find something of value in the product.
What about the Springboks … when will we see them again?
The 2020 Rugby Championship will be held in Australia and will begin on November 7, but South Africa’s participation in that tournament has yet to be confirmed. The obvious obstacle to playing in that competition is that the vast majority of the Springboks have not played any competitive rugby since March, while the All Blacks and Wallabies have just completed full national seasons.
While there will be a much-needed injection of funds should the Boks play in the tournament, SA Rugby must ultimately decide if that money is worth the potential reputational damage that could come with lining up a team with little strength and Undercooked in Australia and, more importantly, it is worth the obvious risk of injury.
Next year’s British & Irish Lions tour is the obvious main event for the Springboks, but if they don’t play in the Rugby Championship, then South African rugby will be in the unique position of not having played a test match during 2020.
– Compiled by Lloyd Burnard
