Rugby finally makes a comeback in South Africa with a schedule that includes the Springboks’ ‘schoolyard pick’ showdown

By RugbyPass.com

Rugby will finally return to South Africa after a series of matches were unveiled including World Cup winner Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus taking on his successor Jacques Nienaber in Cape Town on October 3.

Billed as the Springbok Showdown, it is part of SA Rugby’s plan to kick off an exciting four-month home season. Springbok assistant coaches Mzwandile Stick and Deon Davids will coach Springbok Green versus Gold teams, with current rugby manager Erasmus and former defense coach Nienaber serving as the team’s two commissioners.

The selection process will take the form of a draft pick from an expanded team of 60 players, with the Green and Gold team chiefs taking alternate turns on an old-fashioned ‘schoolyard pick’ to gather their teams from 25 players each.

The drama will unfold live on SuperSport, and the expanded team will be announced live on Saturday before the crucial draft pick next week.

“This will not only be an opportunity to see the best of the best available in South Africa face off against each other in what promises to be something never seen before, but it will also provide players with another valuable opportunity to shake off the rust and get their legs up. and lungs working after not having played any rugby in the last six months, “Erasmus said.

“Players will be encouraged to show their skills, individually and in their teams, and although it will be comprehensive, we hope to see a highly competitive match of quality players against each other. It will be exciting from the moment” we selected the squads, with a series of twists largely during the preparation of the match and the actual meeting in Cape Town. “

To kick off, the local season will resume on September 26 with a double game at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, when the Bulls take on the Sharks and the Lions fight the Stormers on Vodacom Super Fan Saturday. These matches will be followed by the Springbok Showdown in Newlands, after which a local double-round competition between seven franchises begins the weekend of October 10.

The details of the local competition, with each of the teams facing each other at home and away and each team enjoying two byes during the competition, will be published in due course. In what is yet another first for South African rugby, local competition will continue through Christmas and New Years and culminate in a semi-finals (January 16) and a final on January 23 of next year.

“This is a very exciting plan for the coming months, considering all the challenges we have faced this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and it will be great to see our best local rugby heroes fight from October to January.” said Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby.

“We have worked very hard with the Government, SuperSport, our various sponsors and franchises to get to this point and it is great to know that we can now expect some brilliant provincial rugby to be played in the coming months. Unfortunately, the spectators won It will not be allowed entering the stadiums as we are still working with certain Covid-19 regulations. “

Roux added that plans for the Springboks to play the Rugby Championship in Australia were still underway, but depended on international travel and other government restrictions, as well as player welfare and high-performance considerations.

“We are not yet in a position to confirm plans for the Springboks, but it is still our wish that they play Trials this year,” Roux said. “Not only would it be great to see the World Cup champions in action, but it would also give the Bok management valuable preparation for next year’s tour of the British and Irish Lions.”

This article first appeared on RugbyPass.com and has been republished with permission.