Preparation Series | |
---|---|
Countries | South Africa |
Date | 26 February 2021 – 28 March 2021 |
Matches played | 16 |
Attendance | 0 (average 0 per match) |
Top point scorer | Kade Wolhuter (Stormers, 47) |
Top try scorer | HJ Luus (Griquas) & Joe van Zyl (Bulls) (both 4) |
South African Rugby 2021 |
---|
The Preparation Series was a South African rugby union tournament organised by SA Rugby. The tournament was used to be a number of preparation fixtures were announced by SA Rugby. [1] It served as preparation for the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa and South African teams entering the Pro14 Rainbow Cup, who had missed out on significant rugby game time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 8 sides took part in the competition; the four joining the Pro14 Rainbow Cup (the Bulls, the Lions, the Sharks and the Stormers), along with the Cheetahs, Griquas and Pumas, who had taken part in Super Rugby Unlocked and the 2020–21 Currie Cup Premier Division, and the Eastern Province Elephants who had not played any competitive rugby since the 2019 Currie Cup First Division. [2]
Although there was no trophy for this tournament, the Bulls ended up in top spot in Pool A and the Sharks topped in pool B. [3]
The eight teams have been split into two groups and will play cross-pool matches. Each team played four matches. Two at home and two away. The tournament spanned from Friday, 26 February until Sunday, 28 March. [1]
| |||||||||||||||
Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Tries For | Tries Against | Bonus Points | Points | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bulls | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 181 | 115 | +66 | 26 | 14 | 3 | 15 | |||
2 | Cheetahs | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 159 | 105 | +54 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 14 | |||
3 | Lions | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 141 | 136 | +5 | 18 | 18 | 1 | 13 | |||
4 | Griquas | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 108 | 195 | +13 | 13 | 13 | 2 | 10 | |||
| |||||||||||||||
Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Tries For | Tries Against | Bonus Points | Points | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sharks | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 158 | 104 | +54 | 24 | 14 | 4 | 12 | |||
2 | Stormers | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 144 | 112 | +32 | 15 | 15 | 3 | 11 | |||
3 | Pumas | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 103 | 118 | −15 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 6 | |||
4 | Eastern Province Elephants | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 46 | 255 | −209 | 7 | 38 | 0 | 0 | |||
26 February 2021 | Lions | 32–28 | Pumas | Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg | ||
19:00 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: Jaco Peyper |
27 February 2021 | Stormers | 33–34 | Cheetahs | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town | ||
17:15 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge |
28 February 2021 | Bulls | 87–10 | Eastern Province Elephants | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | ||
15:00 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: Stuart Berry |
28 February 2021 | Sharks | 35–10 | Griquas | Jonsson Kings Park, Durban | ||
17:15 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: AJ Jacobs |
9 March 2021 | Griquas | 32–38 | Stormers | Tafel Lager Park, Kimberley | ||
16:45 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: Griffin Colby |
9 March 2021 | Pumas | 31–48 | Bulls | Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela | ||
19:00 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge |
10 March 2021 | Eastern Province Elephants | 24–54 | Lions | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth | ||
16:45 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: AJ Jacobs |
10 March 2021 | Cheetahs | 39–38 | Sharks | Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein | ||
19:00 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen |
17 March 2021 | Eastern Province Elephants | 0–43 | Griquas | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth | ||
19:00 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni |
19 March 2021 | Pumas | 22–15 | Cheetahs | Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela | ||
16:45 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: Stuart Berry |
19 March 2021 | Bulls | 34–29 | Stormers | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | ||
19:00 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: AJ Jacobs |
20 March 2021 | Lions | 43–40 | Sharks | Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg | ||
16:15 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge |
26 March 2021 | Sharks | 45–12 | Bulls | Jonsson Kings Park, Durban | ||
19:00 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen |
27 March 2021 | Griquas | 23–22 | Pumas | Tafel Lager Park, Kimberley | ||
15:00 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni |
27 March 2021 | Stormers | 44–12 | Lions | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town | ||
17:15 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: AJ Jacobs |
28 March 2021 | Cheetahs | 71–12 | Eastern Province Elephants | Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein | ||
15:00 | Summary | Attendance: Behind closed doors Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge |
Top point scorers [4] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No | Player | Team | Points | ||||
1 | Kade Wolhuter | Stormers | 47 | ||||
2 | Eddie Fouché | Pumas | 40 | ||||
3 | Chris Smith | Bulls | 38 | ||||
Tiaan Swanepoel | Lions | ||||||
4 | François Steyn | Cheetahs | 31 | ||||
5 | Ruan Pienaar | Cheetahs | 26 |
Top try scorers [4] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No | Player | Team | Tries | ||||
1 | HJ Luus | Griquas | 4 | ||||
Joe van Zyl | Bulls | ||||||
2 | Wilmar Arnoldi | Cheetahs | 3 | ||||
Rosko Specman | Cheetahs | ||||||
Gideon van der Merwe | Griquas | ||||||
Leolin Zas | Stormers |
The Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Bulls, is a South African professional rugby union team based in Pretoria and they play their home matches at Loftus Versfeld. They compete in the United Rugby Championship, having competed in the Super Rugby competition until 2020. Prior to 1998, the Bulls competed in the then-Super 12 as Northern Transvaal, as in those years South Africa was represented in the competition by its top four Currie Cup sides from the previous season, instead of the modern Super Rugby teams.
The Sharks is a South African professional rugby union team based in Durban in KwaZulu Natal. They compete in the United Rugby Championship, having competed in the Super Rugby competition until 2020. They are centred on the Sharks union, also based in Durban and drawing players from all of KwaZulu-Natal Province. The team plays its home matches at the Kings Park Stadium in Durban.
Steven Robert Sykes is a South African rugby union player, currently playing for Oyonnax in the French Top14. His regular position is lock.
The 2005 Currie Cup was the 67th season in the South African Currie Cup competition since it started in 1889.
Craig Paul Joubert is a South African professional rugby union referee and a Referee Talent Development Coach at World Rugby.
Jacques Jacobus "Vleis" Engelbrecht is a South African professional rugby union player, currently playing in France with French Pro D2 side Montauban. He can play as a flanker or a number eight.
Christiaan Johan Stander is a South African-Irish former rugby union player. Stander's career began in his native South Africa, where he played for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup between 2010 and 2012 and for the Bulls in Super Rugby in 2012. He moved to Irish province Munster in 2012 and, after qualifying via residency in 2015, made his debut for Ireland in 2016, going on to earn 51 caps for his adopted country, as well as 1 cap for the British & Irish Lions in 2017, before retiring in 2021.
Arnoldus Francois Botha is a South African rugby union footballer for the Blue Bulls and Bulls. He can operate either as a flanker or number 8.
Patrick Benjamin Howard is a South African rugby union player who is currently playing for Ealing Trailinfders in the RFU Championship. He previously played for Welsh United Rugby Championship side Dragons, Western Province in the Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup, Stormers in Super Rugby and Irish province Munster. His usual position is centre or winger.
The 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division was the 76th season in the competition since it started in 1889 and was contested from 9 August to 25 October 2014. The tournament is the top tier of South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition.
Jean Kleyn is a South African professional rugby union player, currently playing for Irish United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup side Munster. He has represented Ireland after qualifying through residency as a 'project player'. Kleyn was born and grew up in South Africa, and qualified for Ireland through residency. His regular position is lock.
Rudolph Gerhardus Snyman is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the South Africa national team and Irish province Munster in the United Rugby Championship. His regular position is lock. Snyman was part of the South Africa team that won a record-equalling third Rugby World Cup in 2019.
The 2001 Currie Cup qualification series was the first stage of the 63rd season of the Currie Cup, South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, since it started in 1889. The competition was known as the Bankfin Currie Cup for sponsorship reasons and this stage was contested from 4 June to 13 September 2001.
Victor Kutlwano Sekekete is a South African professional rugby union player for Griquas in the Currie Cup and in the Rugby Challenge. His regular position is flanker, but he also played as a lock earlier in his career.
Super Rugby Unlocked was a professional rugby union competition played in South Africa from 10 October to 21 November 2020. Sponsored by communications company Vodacom, the tournament replaced the South African component of the incomplete 2020 Super Rugby season that was shut down in March of that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020–21 Currie Cup Premier Division was the 82nd edition of the top tier of the Currie Cup, the premier domestic rugby union competition in South Africa. It was sponsored by beer brand Carling Black Label and organised by the South African Rugby Union. The competition was won by the Blue Bulls, who beat the Sharks 26–19 after extra time in the final played at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria on 30 January 2021.
The Pro14 Rainbow Cup was a professional rugby union end-of-season cup competition played in 2021 that consisted of two separate tournaments: the Rainbow Cup for twelve European clubs and the Rainbow Cup SA for four South African clubs. The winners of each competition then played a final match to determine the overall winner. The tournament operated as a shortened 'Spring season' to allow for the integration of the four new South African teams into the United Rugby Championship ahead of the 2021–22 season.
The 2021 Currie Cup Premier Division was the 83rd edition of the top tier of the Currie Cup, the premier domestic rugby union competition in South Africa. It was sponsored by beer brand Carling Black Label and organised by the South African Rugby Union.
Murray Koster is a South African rugby union player from East London, Eastern Cape. He plays for the Sharks franchise as a centre.
The 2022 Currie Cup Premier Division will be the 84th edition of the top tier of the Currie Cup, the premier domestic rugby union competition in South Africa. It will be sponsored by beer brand Carling Black Label and organised by the South African Rugby Union.