Timmy T Maranda
After months of negotiations, the PRO14 Rainbow Cup has been downscaled to a series of local derbies involving SA franchises.
What was supposed to be a competition between teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales and from South Africa, but Covid-19 travel restrictions has put an end to that.
The revised schedule sees SA franchise teams in action, starting this weekend with encounters in Cape Town and Pretoria.
SA Rugby and PRO14 Rugby announced the amended fixtures and kick-off times for the PR014 Rainbow Cup SA and confirmed the matches will be live on Supersport TV.
The opening match sees the DHL Stormers playing the Cell C Sharks at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday afternoon. This is followed by a Jukskei Derby between the Vodacom Bulls and the Emirates Lions at Loftus Versfeld in the evening.
“It’s a pity we could not have the competition as we first envisaged it,” said SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux.
“But to see these four teams slug it out over seven weeks is sure to bring out the best in South African rugby.”
Director of Rugby, Rassie Erasmus, who had seen the Rainbow Cup as an opportunity to prepare for the British and Irish Lions tour, said it would have been good to see the South African teams take on the might of European club rugby.
“But in the meantime we’ve got a tough competition that will hopefully prepare the players for a massive series against the British and Irish Lions,” he said.
Image : SA Rugby
