Boks to play before full houses

SA Rugby president Mark Alexander has welcomed the government scrapping the last Covid-19 restrictions on sports stadiums.

The Springboks’ home programme starts in July with three incoming tour Tests against Wales in Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Cape Town. In the home schedule, which is expected to end in September, the Boks also host New Zealand at Mbombela Stadium and Ellis Park, and Argentina at Kings Park in the Rugby Championship.

During the Springboks’ team introduction event in Tshwane on Thursday, Alexander said the changes will help unions. “It is important for the Springboks to play in front of crowds because the players play for spectators,” he said. “Having those games in full stadiums is important for our unions. They are the ones who are going to host these games. They will use this fund-raising exercise to pay their players.”

Soon after the announcement on Thursday, Loftus Versfeld moved swiftly to reopen the sale of match tickets for the Springbok Test against Wales on Saturday July 2. The Test had already sold out in terms of the 50% capacity rule.

Prop Trevor Nyakane, who is based in France with Racing 92, said he is looking forward to returning for the Boks to a packed Loftus, where he played for the Bulls. “It will be lovely to come back and be able to play in front of a full crowd at the stadium that I last played at here in SA,” he said.