South African rugby’s derby strength which has led to record attendances in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship will be showcased again as the competition’s new season kicks off this September with an opening round featuring a festival of local derbies.
The Vodacom Bulls, DHL Stormers and Emirates Lions will have everything to play for in the final pool round of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship on Saturday – when the SA Shield winner will also be determined – as they attempt to book the best possible log positions heading into the quarter-finals and attempt to secure their spots in the top eight in what is expected to be a thrilling round of local derbies.
The three South African teams in the running for playoff places in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship stuck to their guns and delivered the desired results in the penultimate round of pool matches, which witnessed a success rate of three out of four on the domestic front.
Three of the four South African franchises will have everything to play for on Saturday when they take the field in the penultimate pool round of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship where their eyes will be set firmly on keeping alive their playoff aspirations.
Valuable bonus point victories ensured the Vodacom Bulls, DHL Stormers and Emirates Lions stayed in the quarter-finals race in the third last pool round of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, but unfortunately for the Hollywoodbets Sharks, they went down by a point against Benetton in Durban.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks are back in action at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday when they entertain Italian outfit Benetton in the closing stages of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
The three South African teams still in with a chance of reaching the Vodacom United Rugby Championship playoffs will all have one objective – winning – in mind when they take the field in the third-last pool round this weekend.
The DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls kept alive their aspirations to host Vodacom United Rugby Championship playoffs in a largely rewarding weekend for the South African teams, with the only blemish being the Emirates Lions’ defeat against defending champions, Munster.
While much has been said of the Hollywoodbets Sharks aspirations in the EPCR Challenge Cup, the focus for the team is on the immediate challenge that lies ahead.
The South African franchises will be under immense pressure to bounce back strongly from disappointing results in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship last week – apart from the Emirates Lions – as the competition reaches the fourth-last pool round and the scramble for quarter-final spots reaches boiling point.