Next week's Saracens warmup will help get Sharks ready for URC

John Plumtree’s Hollywoodbets Sharks will start their on-field warm-up to the new Vodacom United Rugby Championship season by hosting English giants Saracens in Durban next Friday evening.

The game, set to kick off at 16:30 at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, will form part of a double header also featuring the Sharks XV’s final Carling Currie Cup match of the season against the Airlink Pumas, at 19:10. The Sharks will continue their buildup to their first URC game by travelling to George the following week to play the DHL Stormers, and Plumtree will consider this a better warmup to a URC campaign than the one his team experienced last year.

The Sharks used the final rounds of the Currie Cup as their warmup to the 2024-25 campaign, but when his team battled a bit towards the end of their first URC tour, and then went through an injury crisis after that, Plumtree was forced to reflect that playing an intense 100 minute semifinal (it went to extra time) against the Vodacom Bulls and then a tough final against the ADT Fidelity Lions was too far removed from what a warm-up phase to an arduous and potentially attritional competition season should be.

Siya Masuku makes his return to the playing field ahead of the new season by playing for the Sharks XV in their penultimate Currie Cup league match against the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday, but it is anticipated that more URC players not involved in the Saracens game will get to play in the later game against the Pumas.

So, next Friday’s games will showcase the transition into what is now the proper South African season due to the local participation in northern hemisphere club competitions, the URC and Investec Champions Cup.

INDICATION OF DEPTH

While the Sharks' Springboks like Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth will be in New Zealand fronting the next important phase of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, the two Friday games will give Sharks fans a much better indication of the depth available to their team than the Currie Cup has done.

While their fixture against the Sharks is a major highlight of the Saracens' trip, the tour extends far beyond the 80 minutes of rugby. According to a Sharks press release, both the Sharks and Saracens will collaborate during the week across several key areas of the game, with the knowledge exchange underscoring the ambition of both clubs to remain at the forefront of modern rugby.

Off the field, the partnership will also carry strong commercial and cultural elements. Durban provides the perfect backdrop, with players set to enjoy a uniquely South African experience. Both teams will further engage in community-focused initiatives, reinforcing rugby’s role in driving positive social impact.

“The opportunity to host Saracens here in Durban is one that we value immensely,” said Sharks CEO, Shaun Bryans. “Not only does this match give our players a high-quality challenge as we prepare for the season, but it also deepens our relationship with Saracens, a club that shares our vision for innovation, excellence and making a meaningful impact both on and off the field.”

Fans are being encouraged to follow both the Sharks and Saracens’ social media platforms for exclusive behind-the-scenes content throughout the tour.