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Players from South African rugby heavyweight franchise, Vodacom Blue Bulls, emerge from the arrivals’ hall after touching down at Harare International Airport yesterday for tomorrow’s rugby showcase at the National Sports Stadium

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Matabeleland Rugby Football Board (MRFB) Bulawayo Under-21 Rugby Cup final between defending champions Highlanders Panthers and Old Miltonians has been postponed to allow rugby enthusiasts to travel to Harare for a Super Rugby treat.

Simba Dangah, director of the MRFB tournament, which they run in partnership with Zimbo, Theodore Weale and Unforgettable, said the final had been moved to next weekend, as most rugby fans are travelling to Harare to watch top South African rugby clubs in action tomorrow.

The Super Rugby fiesta set for the National Sports Stadium tomorrow will feature Pretoria-based Super Rugby franchise Vodacom Blue Bulls, DHL Stormers, Emirates Lions and Toyota Cheetahs.

“The Under-21 Cup final has been moved to February 4 so that we afford city rugby lovers an opportunity to travel to Harare to watch the Super Rugby teams in action. We have some Bulawayo-based officials officiating at the games and teams also indicated that they wish to send their players to Harare to watch the games. It was felt that the final be postponed to next week,” said Dangah.

The Super Rugby teams are using the tour as part of their pre-season preparations ahead of a hectic Super Rugby season that starts in a few weeks’ time.

Bulls will face South African overall Conference winners Lions in what is expected to be an interesting lunch time clash, while the Cheetahs take on Stormers.

Bulls have brought a full-strength side, which has among other players, junior Springboks flyer Warrick Gelant, Dries Swanepoel, Springboks lock Lodewyk de Jager, props Jacobie Adriaanse and Coenraad van Vuuren, hooker Edgar Marutlulle, loose forward Shaun Adendorf, utility back Johnny Kôtze and wing Sibahle Maxwane.

Springboks’ Handré Pollard and Jesse Kriel are also part of the Bulls’ tour to Zimbabwe.

Lions have brought a squad with little or no Super Rugby experience, as they are waiting for the return of some of their stars that have been playing overseas.

Notable Lions’ players that have been playing in Japan and France include Warren Whiteley, Jaco Kriel, Lionel Mapoe, Elton Jantjies, Franco Mostert and Andries Ferreira.

They are also missing the services of Springboks’ prop Julian Redelinghuys, who has a neck fracture and is unlikely to play in 2017, Springboks winger Ruan Combrinck and prop Dylan Smith, who are both recovering from shoulder surgeries.

Cheetahs’ head coach Franco Smith has named 18 forwards and 13 backs for the tour.

South African daily, The Citizen, reported that Smith has decided to give some of his reserve players game time in Harare.

Lock Reniel Hugo will captain the Cheetahs in the absence of regular skipper Francois Venter, who will miss the start of this year’s campaign due to an ankle injury.

Smith decided to leave a few of his first-choice players at home like the halfback pairing of Shaun Venter and Niel Marais, as well as loose forwards Paul Schoeman, Uzair Cassiem and Niell Jordaan.

Stormers are bringing along their five newly signed players, hooker Ramone Samuels, loose forwards Johan du Toit and Stefan de Wit, fullback SP Marais and utility back Dan Kriel.

Samuels and open side flank De Wit joined from the Xerox Golden Lions, Du Toit joins his brother Pieter-Steph in the Cape after a spell with the Cell C Sharks, whilst Kriel and Marais come from the Bulls.

– @ZililoR