British and Irish Lions to play in PE

The British and Irish Lions will return to Port Elizabeth for the first time since 2009 when they play against a SA Invitational XI in a midweek match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on July 7 2021.

There had been fears that the Lions would not visit Port Elizabeth on their eight-game tour, which will include three Tests against the Springboks.

This was after The Herald reported that the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality was told in a letter sent by SA Rugby boss Jurie Roux on October 30 that the delay in signing a venue-use agreement meant Port Elizabeth would not be considered as a host city.

This prompted mayor Mongameli Bobani to sign a mayoral resolution giving the acting city manager permission to sign an agreement to host the British and Irish Lions.

EP Rugby president Andre Rademan hailed the visit of the Lions and said the clash would be a boost for both rugby and business in the Eastern Cape.

“This is wonderful news for EP rugby,” Rademan said.

“Port Elizabeth people will always support a game like this and there will also be the thousands of British supporters who will be travelling to SA to support their team.

“So I expect a full house of 48,000 fans. If you take into consideration hotels, guest houses, petrol stations and bars, there will be a huge financial inflow for the city.

“I am hoping that some players with EP connections are included in the team to play the Lions. This is a great opportunity for us to showcase our talent.”

EP Rugby general manager Thando Manana said the game offered rugby a golden opportunity to unite in the region.

“I am elated that we are seeing the Lions in Port Elizabeth again after 12 years,” Manana said.

“Not only do they come with a rich history, but they always deliver an entertaining brand of rugby.

“This must be something that unites us so that we can see that the potential in the province is greater than the infighting we have.

“This game will leave a legacy and I hope one of the legacies will be to unite Port Elizabeth as a whole.

“We must sing with one voice to make this province great again.

“It will be a midweek game and I will be heavily involved.

“I will make sure that schools across the townships and northern areas fill up the stadium to its maximum. We must fill it up.

“It promises to be a great game and the Invitational side will be filled with Springbok fringe players.”

The long-awaited tour will span the length and breadth of SA and culminate in three Test matches against newly crowned Rugby World Cup champions the Springboks.

The Lions could make history because they are set to play in front of the largest-ever crowd for a Lions Test since the game turned professional.

FNB Stadium in Johannesburg will host the first Test in July and with a capacity of about 88,000 spectators, a sellout crowd would exceed the 84,188 people who witnessed the series decider against the Wallabies in Sydney in 2001.

The second Test is a week later at the Cape Town Stadium — the first Lions Test in the Mother City since 1997 — before the British and Irish tourists return to Gauteng for the final Test on Saturday August 7 at Emirates Airline Park (Ellis Park Stadium).

The schedule includes weekend fixtures against Super Rugby teams the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers, and two midweek fixtures against an invitational side in Port Elizabeth and SA ‘A’ in Nelspruit.

SA director of rugby Rassie Erasmus said the keenly awaited tour was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for South African players.

“There are players who have been to three Rugby World Cups and finished their careers with a winner’s medal and yet never got to play against the Lions,” Erasmus said.

“They only come around every 12 years for our players and only a few of them ever have the privilege of wearing the Springbok jersey in a Lions series.

“The Lions have not lost a series since they were last here a decade ago and they will present a next-level challenge in 18 months’ time.”

Tour schedule: Saturday July 3: British & Irish Lions v DHL Stormers —

Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town

Wednesday July 7: British & Irish Lions v SA Invitational —

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

Saturday July 10: British & Irish Lions v Cell C Sharks —

Jonsson Kings Park, Durban

Wednesday July 14: British & Irish Lions v SA ‘A ’—

Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit

Saturday July 17: British & Irish Lions v Vodacom Bulls —

Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Saturday July 24 (first Test): Springboks v British & Irish Lions — FNB Stadium, Johannesburg

Saturday July 31 (second Test): Springboks v British & Irish Lions — Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town

Saturday August 7 (third Test): Springboks v British & Irish Lions — Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg