South Africa’s franchises returned to training this week in preparation for the resumption of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in January.
The Stormers and Sharks were both back in training on Tuesday after a shorter than usual festive break.
Picking up where we left off before the break. The grind continues ??#OurSharksForever pic.twitter.com/fFvHhUEUC5
— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) December 29, 2021
How good is it to see @StevenKitshoff back in a DHL Stormers training jersey? ??#iamastormer #dhldelivers #kitsie pic.twitter.com/6Yyjv9GcuC
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) December 29, 2021
The DHL Stormers are back at it in training after their Christmas break. Great to welcome Ali Vermaak, Hacjivah Dayimani, Angelo Davids and Kade Wolhuter back from injury. Let’s go get it!#iamastormer #dhldelivers pic.twitter.com/fobYVMKuoK
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) December 29, 2021
The South African teams played a round of local derbies on 3 and 4 December, as the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic caused havoc with the fixture list, leading to home matches against teams from the UK, Italy and Ireland being postponed.
The Vodacom Bulls were also photographed conducting a fitness test on Wednesday morning.
Fitness session this morning for the Vodacom Bulls. Entering Europe have change the dinamics for us completely. Our professional team’s off season will now be June/July/ August. That creates an opportunity in the middle of the tradisional season,for exciting school en club rugby pic.twitter.com/BGwgv0SiMG
— Willem Strauss (@willemStrauss9) December 29, 2021
The URC is set to resume on Saturday, 1 January, with the South African teams scheduled to return to action with another round of local derbies on 22 January.
URC schedule (kick-off times subject to change):
Round 9
Saturday, 1 January
Connacht v Munster 7.15pm SA
Scarlets v Ospreys 7.15pm SA
Sunday, 2 January
Benetton v Zebre Parma, 3pm SA
Round 10
Saturday, January 8
Edinburgh v Cardiff 5pm SA
Glasgow Warriors v Ospreys 7.15pm SA
Munster v Ulster 9.35pm SA
Scarlets v Dragons 9.35pm SA
Round 8 (SA Derbies)
Saturday, January 22
Lions v Sharks 3pm SA
Bulls v Stormers 5.05pm SA
Round 11
Friday, January 28
Ulster v Scarlets 9.35pm SA
Dragons v Benetton 9.35pm SA
Saturday, January 29
Lions v Bulls 3pm SA
Connacht v Glasgow Warriors 4.55pm SA
Sharks v Stormers 5.05pm SA
Zebre Parma v Munster 7pm SA
Ospreys v Edinburgh 7.15pm SA
Cardiff v Leinster 9.35pm SA
Round 9 (SA Derbies)
Saturday, February 5
Bulls v Lions 3pm SA
Stormers v Sharks 5.05pm SA
Round 12
Saturday, February 12
Lions v Stormers 3pm SA
Bulls v Sharks 5.05pm SA
Friday, February 18
Munster v Edinburgh 9.35pm SA
Cardiff v Zebre Parma 9.35pm SA
Saturday, February 19
Leinster v Ospreys 7pm SA
Scarlets v Connacht 9.35pm SA
Glasgow Warriors v Benetton 9.35pm SA
Sunday, February 20
Dragons v Ulster 4pm SA
Round 10 (Rescheduled)
Friday, February 25
Zebre Parma v Bulls 7.30pm SA
Leinster v Lions 9.35pm SA
Saturday, February 26
Connacht v Stormers 3pm SA
Benetton v Sharks 5.05pm SA
Round 13
Friday, March 4
Ulster v Cardiff 9.35pm SA
Edinburgh v Connacht 9.35pm SA
Saturday, March 5
Benetton v Leinster 2.55pm SA
Scarlets v Glasgow Warriors 7.15pm SA
Munster v Dragons 7.15pm SA
Sunday, March 6
Ospreys v Zebre Parma 4pm SA
Round 6 (Rescheduled)
March 11-13
Stormers v Zebre Parma TBC
Sharks v Scarlets TBC
Bulls v Munster TBC
Lions v Cardiff TBC
Round 7 (Rescheduled)
March 18-20
Bulls v Scarlets TBC
Sharks v Zebre Parma TBC
Lions v Munster TBC
Stormers v Cardiff TBC
Round 14
Friday, March 25
Lions v Ospreys 7pm SA
Munster v Benetton 9.35pm SA
Saturday, March 26
Zebre Parma v Scarlets 3pm SA
Stormers v Ulster 3pm SA
Sharks v Edinburgh 5.05pm SA
Cardiff v Glasgow Warriors 7.15pm SA
Bulls v Dragons 7.15pm SA
Connacht v Leinster 9.35pm SA
Round 15
Friday, April 1
Sharks v Dragons 7.30pm SA
Glasgow Warriors v Zebre Parma 8.35pm SA
Saturday, April 2
Benetton v Connacht 1pm SA
Bulls v Ulster 2pm SA
Lions v Edinburgh 4.05pm SA
Stormers v Ospreys 6.15pm SA
Leinster v Munster 8pm SA
Scarlets v Cardiff 8.35pm SA
Round 13 (SA Derbies)
Saturday, April 9
Stormers v Bulls 2pm SA
Sharks v Lions 4.05pm SA
Round 16
Friday, April 22
Stormers v Glasgow Warriors 6.30pm SA
Ulster v Munster 8.35pm SA
Edinburgh v Zebre Parma 8.45pm SA
Saturday, April 23
Bulls v Benetton 2pm SA
Lions v Connacht 4.05pm SA
Dragons v Scarlets 4pm SA
Cardiff v Ospreys 6.15pm SA
Sharks v Leinster 6.15pm SA
Round 17
Friday, April 29
Bulls v Glasgow Warriors 7pm SA
Munster v Cardiff 8.35pm SA
Saturday, April 30
Lions v Benetton 2pm SA
Sharks v Connacht 4.05pm SA
Zebre Parma v Dragons 4.05pm SA
Stormers v Leinster 6.15pm SA
Ospreys v Scarlets 6.15pm SA
Edinburgh v Ulster 8.35pm SA
Round 18
May 20-22 (To be confirmed in January 2022)
Connacht v Zebre Parma TBC
Leinster v Edinburgh TBC
Ulster v Sharks TBC
Dragons v Lions TBC
Scarlets v Stormers TBC
Ospreys v Bulls TBC
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
