The pandemic claims another match in SA after 'scrumming session' exposure

The pandemic has claimed another match in South Africa. In compliance with COVID-19 protocols, the Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked match between the Emirates Lions and Phakisa Pumas scheduled for Emirates Airline Park on Saturday has been postponed.

According to SA Rugby, the decision was taken to reduce the possibility of further infection in the rugby community as part of recommended precautions advised by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).

The union want to reschedule the game as soon as possible.

The decision was triggered on Friday after receipt of two more positive results from the second batch of testing, after one player from Phakisa Pumas returned a positive result in the scheduled tests earlier this week.

Contact tracing protocols were followed which suggested that all infected players had been engaged in a scrumming session. As a result, a number of Pumas forwards have been put in quarantine for 10 days.

The Phakisa Pumas are scheduled to conclude their Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked programme at Loftus Versfeld on 20 November. Plans are already being made to reschedule both Phakisa Pumas’ matches against the Emirates Lions and Vodacom Bulls.

The Tafel Lager Griquas match against the Cell C Sharks tonight (Friday, 13 November) and the DHL Stormers meeting with the Toyota Cheetahs tomorrow (Saturday, 14 November) are unaffected.

It's not the first match to be cancelled. In October, the Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked match between Emirates Lions and Toyota Cheetahs scheduled for Emirates Airlines Park was called off “in line with COVID-19 protocols” on the day it was meant to take place.