The Hollywoodbets Sharks will be hosting English club Saracens in a warm-up match at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Friday in the curtain-raiser to the Carling Currie Cup showdown with Airlink Pumas, closing out the tournament’s pool stages in the final round before the knock-outs.
Fans will get to enjoy double the rugby excitement as one of England’s oldest rugby clubs Saracens are in Durban. Celebrating almost 150 years, the English club will battle the Hollywoodbets Sharks, representing another proud franchise that is 135 years old.
This match offers the two teams the opportunity to enjoy a pre-season hit-out against quality opposition ahead of their respective campaigns; for the Hollywoodbets Sharks, the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and for Saracens, the English Premiership, both of which kick off later this month.
The two teams will also meet in the Champions Cup on Saturday 13 December and this match will give the English team the opportunity to experience the conditions ahead of the big match in three months’ time.
Saracen’s connections to South African rugby and the Hollywoodbets Sharks are very strong, with former Rugby World Cup winning Springbok captains Francois Pienaar and John Smit turning out for Sarries, also known informally as The Men in Black, which isn’t too far from the team in Black & White.
There was a time when nine South Africans played for Saracens in a season with Brendan Venter coaching. The former Bok centre went on to coach the Hollywoodbets Sharks for a season, culminating in the 2013 Carling Currie Cup title when they defeated DHL Western Province in Cape Town in the final.
Saracens are using this week’s tour to build strength and conditioning, while throwing in the warm-up fixture as a highlight. Bringing a 45-man squad to South African indicates the value they see in making this trip south, and will no doubt look to play an exciting brand of rugby that matches that of the Hollywoodbets Sharks.
They will also experience some of the province’s warm hospitality while building ties with the Hollywoodbets Sharks, including a safari, golf day and beach braai.
Like the Hollywoodbets Sharks, they too embrace their social responsibilities and the trip will include a trip to the Zululand Rhino Orphanage as well as kit donation to a local charity.
Both teams will further engage in community-focused initiatives, reinforcing rugby’s role in driving positive social impact.
For the Hollywoodbets Sharks, this match, although played as a friendly, will no doubt be fiercely-contested as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship squad look to kick-off their preparations proper with a convincing performance against top quality opposition.
