SA Rugby hoping to ‘vaccinate everyone’ before Lions tour

SA Rugby hoping to ‘vaccinate everyone’ before Lions tour

SA Rugby hopes to be able to vaccinate all 43 players in the Springbok squad ahead of the British Irish & Lions tour in July. 

Vaccine
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Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber and SA Rugby director of rugby Rassie Erasmus briefed the media on Friday. 

 

Amid the looming third wave of infections, Erasmus said players must be vaccinated before the series starts.

 

"We all want to protect ourselves and want the series to go ahead and we don't want an outbreak.

 

"We also going to protect them and ourselves," adds Erasmus. 

 

"I am not sure if a player has to be vaccinated to be able to play for us, but we ultimately the plan is to vaccinate everybody before we getting into the bio bubble." 

 

On Thursday, Health minister Zweli Mkhize announced that 4 424 new Covid-19 cases have been reported while 93 people lost their lives due to Covid-19 complications.

 

The full squad is set to be announced next Saturday. 

 

Nienaber says the squad selection will focus on three pillars. 

 

"From the strategic point of view, myself and Rassie had a big discussion way back when I started in 2020, and our strategic objectives are always to win, first and foremost is to perform. 

 

"The second one is to transform and the third one is to broader announce our squad depth and from the futuristic look, to select the squad to win." 

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