New dates for SA's 'preparation fixtures'

UPDATE: SA Rugby announced on Friday that they will be broadcasting all 16 preparation fixtures 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.

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 landscape 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 Bulls, Lions, Griquas and Cheetahs, and they will play the four sides in Pool B, namely the Sharks, Stormers, Pumas and Eastern Province.

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Preparation series fixtures

(Home teams named first, local kick-off time)

Friday, February 26
19.00: Lions v Pumas

Saturday, February 27

17.15: Stormers v Cheetahs

Sunday, February 28

15.00: Bulls v Eastern Province
17.15: Sharks v Griquas

Tuesday, March 9

16.45: Cheetahs v Sharks
19.00: Pumas v Bulls

Wednesday, March 10

16.45: Eastern Province v Lions
19.00: Griquas v Stormers

Friday, March 19

16.45: Pumas v Cheetahs
19.00: Bulls v Stormers

Saturday, March 20

14.00: Eastern Province v Griquas
16.15: Lions v Sharks

Friday, March 26

19.00: Sharks v Bulls

Saturday, March 27

15.00: Griquas v Pumas
17.15: Stormers v Lions

Sunday, March 28

15.00: Cheetahs v Eastern Province