DURBAN - The Sharks’ Currie Cup match against Western Province at Newlands on Saturday is expected to be called off later today after the Durban team this morning was rocked by multiple positive Covid-19 results.
The failure of this final-round match to take place amid the backdrop of rising infections across the country will cast serious doubt on whether the Currie Cup can, in fact, be completed.
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The semi-finals next week will now be in serious doubt — if the Sharks, who will be one of the semi-finalists are struggling to put a team on the field this week, they won’t be in a significantly better position next week given the need for infected players to isolate for 14 days.
If the Currie Cup cannot proceed beyond this weekend it will add depressing fuel to the fire of speculation that July’s British and Irish Lions tour to this country is in mortal danger.
The Sharks’ match against the Stormers in October was also called off because of Covid issues, so this latest development will be a desperate disappointment for both teams.
The Sharks are undergoing a second round of testing later on Wednesday, but it is unlikely that there will be better news. The procedure is for the results to be forwarded to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, who will make a call on whether the match should proceed, and precedent suggests that there is no chance of this game happening.
The Currie Cup has been plagued by a number of matches falling prey to Covid-19 and, in fact, one of the games that were postponed is taking place at Loftus Versfeld this afternoon when the Bulls host the Lions.
Sadly, this match (4pm kick-off) could be the last hurrah of the 2021 Currie Cup.