Ticket holders will not be allowed to leave Kings Park between the Scotland-Samoa and Springbok-Italy Tests.
|||Durban - Rugby fans who watch both tests today are in for a long afternoon. Ticket holders will not be allowed to leave Kings Park between the Scotland-Samoa and Springbok-Italy Tests.
This means they will be confined there for more than four-and-a-half hours - from 2.15pm to 7.55pm. And if there’s injury time, it will be longer.
According to SA Rugby Union director of corporate affairs, Andy Colquhoun, fans must stay in the stadium in the interval after the first game if they wish to catch the second match. “We are planning to have an interval of an hour and half between the games,” said Colquhoun.
“There will be some light entertainment and then the teams will warm up before the second Test.”
Asked if this might not irritate fans, Colquhoun said he did not expect fans to leave the stadium before the Boks’ match.
“Durban has always been a Bok-supporting city. So we don’t foresee any disruptions because of the double header format.”
Meanwhile, a question mark remains about whether the liquor outlets on the outer fields at Kings Park are licensed or not.
Outlets in this area were not officially licensed two weeks ago, the Sharks, which run the property, told their supporters club. At the time of going to press they could not be reached to confirm.
The KZN Liquor Board did not respond when asked about the sale of alcohol at the game.
Marquees had nonetheless been erected yesterday afternoon and liquor-selling outlets were being set up on the outer fields.
SA Rugby Union was unable to give a confirmed answer.
“I understand it would be a licensed premises,” said Colquhoun. “But it’s Sharks managed,” referring comment to the franchise.
On the rugby jersey front, retailers of the new Springbok replica jersey said they were optimistic sales for the team jersey would pick up today.
The new jersey is available for R629 at The Sharks sports shop and TotalSports. It sells for R599 at Solly M Sports and Sportmans Warehouse.
Independent on Saturday