World Champion Springboks set to return to the field sooner rather than later
Some of South Africa’s World Cup winners will be back on the field in a matter of weeks.
Pollard’s French side Montpellier announced on Saturday they will emerge from the coronavirus lockdown and restart training on June 2.
Pollard’s outfit follows fellow Springbok Eben Etzebeth’s Toulon, who will conduct medical tests on their squad members next Wednesday.
“After more than two months of lockdown, the time has come for the players and coaches to get back to the GGL Stadium,” Pollard’s outfit said.
The new Top 14 campaign is expected to start on September 4, but Pollard’s club team-mates including a new arrival in Bok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach will return to training in phases before being able to start group sessions in July.
The Top 14 season was declared over in April due to the COVID-19 outbreak but questions remain about if a champion will be decided and which sides will represent the league in next season’s European Champions Cup.
Billionaire-backed Montpellier was in eighth place when the last term was brought to an end and could miss out on the top-tier of the continental competition.
Last week, club owner Mohed Altrad told newspaper Midi Olympique he was interested in signing World Cup winner Pieter-Steph du Toit, despite the forward signing a new deal with the Stormers.
- AFP
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I have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
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