Erasmus: Tough competition will prepare us for Lions challenge
SOUTH AFRICA Rugby have released the revised schedule for the PRO14 Rainbow Cup SA that will see three consecutive “Super Saturdays” from next weekend.
The opening match is a coastal clash between the Stormers and Sharks at Cape Town Stadium to be followed by the Jukskei Derby between the Bulls and the Lions at Loftus Versfeld.
“It’s a pity we could not have the competition as we first envisaged it‚ but to see these four teams slug it out over seven weeks is sure to bring out the best in SA rugby‚” said SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux.
“We are very grateful to SuperSport for being so accommodating in the late changes‚ and to our friends in Europe for allowing our teams to continue in the competition they’ve been preparing for.”
Travel restrictions have forced the organisers to alter the format, which is a setback for the Boks ahead of the Lions tour.
Director of rugby Rassie Erasmus said it would have been good to see the SA teams take on the might of European club rugby as the Lions series moves closer.
“We’ll have to wait a bit longer to face the best club sides of Ireland‚ Italy‚ Scotland and Wales‚ but in the meantime we’ve got a tough competition that will hopefully prepare our players for what promises to be a massive series
against the British & Irish Lions‚” said Erasmus.
“The rugby we saw when the season restarted last year was hot and cold‚ but it got better and in the 2021 kickoff pools the teams were looking much better‚ and hopefully they can take that form and intensity into the Rainbow Cup SA.
“It was also good to see a number of younger players putting up their hands‚ while our established and experienced players underlined their class. The PRO14 Rainbow Cup SA provides another opportunity for players to stake claims for higher honours and I’m excited to see what our teams can conjure up in the next few weeks.”