News, Rugby April 30, 2020

The Coronavirus sporting lockdown makes next year’s British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa even more desirable

The Coronavirus sporting lockdown makes next year’s British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa even more desirable
The lockdown of world rugby as a result of the ballooning Coronavirus pandemic will undoubtedly increase public appetite for the British & Irish Lions Tour of South Africa in 2021. It could in fact be the first prestige international rugby event to take place in the aftermath of conquering the invader, as we all band together and beat the dreaded virus.
It seems bizarre having no instant live sport to write about, but we will, and we continue to look to the future. In the meantime our wishes to stay safe go out to the whole rugby family worldwide who have given us so much: you the fans, the players, the coaches, support staff of every description and at every level, the governing bodies, the referees and runners of the line. But back to the British & Irish Lions, having taken a keen interest in every Lions Tour since 1980, my expectation is that this edition has all the makings of one of the truly memorable sporting events. I’ll even let you into a secret; I actually go as far back as that remarkable tour, also of South Africa, with matches in South West Africa (now Namibia) and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) which had such huge emotional impact and significance. Memories, that conjure up images of an invincible Lions squad, under the leadership of one Willie John Mc Bride. There are thousands of rugby-starved supporters across the globe many currently self isolating from Covid-19, who will get the ultimate healing experience from this unique tour. South Africa itself is rugby mad, as well as offering the near perfect diversity tourist destination, when not watching rugby of course. Every four years the very best players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales unite as a band of brothers, despite those highly physical clashes in the annual Six Nations tournament, to embark on a journey as remarkable for them as it is for the fans. Unfortunately, this year’s competition was turning out to be yet another thriller, when it was cut prematurely short by those undoubtedly justifiable precautions taken to try and hold up the alarming spread of Coronavirus across Europe. Leaving England slightly ahead of France by a miniscule points difference after 4 games played, both teams topping the Six Nations table on 13 points. International rugby’s totally responsible action in shutting down its season didn’t come a moment too soon, when you take into account the alarming statistic that one infected person within a group passes Coronavirus to 3 people who from that point proceed through ten expanded iterations of the process to pass it on to and infect a total of 59,049 people. So in that respect we should all take our hats off to them. Looking forward to South Africa 2021

Nevertheless, I might I offer you some bright light for the future, please see below for full tour schedule, dates and venues which have now been confirmed for South Africa 2021, including three Tests against the reigning world champions. Which, might I suggest, makes it all the more worthwhile registering an interest.
DHL Stormers – Saturday 3rd of July – Capetown Stadium, Capetown
South African Invitational – Wednesday 7th of July – Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Cell C Sharks – Saturday 10th July – Johnson Kings Park, Durban
South Africa A – Wednesday 14th July – Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Vodaphone Bulls – Sunday 17th July – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
South Africa – 1st Test – Saturday 24th July – FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
South Africa – 2nd Test– Saturday 31st July – Capetown Stadium, Capetown
South Africa – 3rdTest– Saturday 7th August – Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg

Love rugby, along with your rugby loving mates, and with whom you may not have been able to rub shoulders for as much as half a year. Why not think seriously about heading to South Africa in 2021, it is rugby’s greatest adventure, the ultimate rugby tour for all concerned. Give yourself something to look forward to by registering now for the British & Irish tour of South Africa next year.

Thousands of your fellow fans will be converging on the Rainbow Nation, and it is surely destined to be a very special event as the world emerges from under its present viral cloud. Expat Sport will help tailor the very best of packaged experiences for travelling fans wanting to be part of that remarkable phenomenon known as the ‘Sea of Red’ that rolls across every rugby ground and city.

The 2021 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa runs from 3rd of July until the 7th August 2021