British & Irish Lions matches to be played in Johannesburg, Cape Town
South African Rugby and British & Irish Lions have confirmed that all eight matches will be played in Johannesburg and Cape Town in July.
The Castle Lager Lions Series will now kick off in Johannesburg with three matches against provincial opposition before moving to Cape Town for two more warm-up matches before the first Test at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday 24 July.
SA Rugby Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jurie Roux, says the revised schedule of the games is to minimise the risk of Covid-19.
"We’re delighted to be able to finally confirm the revised schedule after months of scenario planning and shifting circumstances.
"It has been a challenging process with dozens of variables to consider but we believe we have arrived at a schedule that minimises the risks associated with the pandemic."
The last Lions tour to South Africa was in 2009.
The tour by the combined Four Nations of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales are held every four years and alternate with Australia and New Zealand.
Roux says the tournament will be played behind closed doors as per Covid-19 rules and regulations.
"We are hopeful that restrictions on attendance at sports events will be relaxed but, for the moment, we are planning for an event behind closed door.
"If that requirement changes, then we’ll assess the options available and make the necessary decisions based on the restrictions in place," adds Roux.
The British & Irish Lions Managing Director Ben Calveley says the revised schedule was time-consuming.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has caused considerable disruption to the global sporting calendar, but after discussions with our partners at SA Rugby, we are very pleased to be able to give confirmation of the revised tour schedule."
Fans who bought tickets will be directly contacted and refunded.
The fixtures below:
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