The Blue Bulls Company is excited to host spectators at Loftus Versfeld when the Carling Champions Team takes on Kenya on Saturday.

The stadium had a successful test run last week after hosting the Carlton Cup final between ABE Midas Naka Bulle, who were crowned champions, and Northam Rhinos.

BBCo chief executive, Edgar Rathbone, said: “After an extended period of playing matches with no crowds at Loftus Versfeld, we are thrilled to be able to accommodate spectators again.  Having the government allow us to accommodate 2 000 people is a step in the right direction, and we are confident that in the near future we will see this number increase and we will soon be able to see a full Loftus Versfeld again.

“Before we get there, however, it is imperative that we, as the hosts, and the spectators adhere to all guidelines and protocols, as per the recent Government Gazette. The future and having full stadia lies heavily on how we observe and follow these regulations.

“We look forward to welcoming our spectators, the Carling Champions Team, and the Kenyan team to Loftus.”

All spectators will need the following to enter the stadium on match-day:

1. Valid Ticket
2. Vaccination certificate
3. Your ID document or Driver’s license
4. Mask

It is also important to note and adhere to the following:

• No consumption of alcohol will be allowed at the stadium
• Social distancing needs to be adhered to
• Spectators are to be seated in their allocated seats
• Spectators are to enter the relevant gates for entry and parking
• Spectators are encouraged to arrive between two to three hours ahead of kick-off

The match will kick off at 13h00.

The Vodacom Bulls are on the verge of returning to play in front of some spectators at home after almost two years of playing in an empty Loftus Versfeld.

While the team is currently enjoying some much-needed rest following a gruelling year of rugby, they are chomping at the bit not only with the prospect of seeing some spectators in the stands but also the first Vodacom United Rugby Championship match when they host Irish side, Munster Rugby, in Tshwane on Saturday, November 27.

“We have recently returned from our tour of Europe for the opening rounds of the Vodacom URC, and it was the first time in a while that some of us played in front of a crowd,” said Vodacom Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee.

“We are now really excited that when we return to play, we will do so with our own Vodacom Bulls fans present at Loftus Versfeld. Playing in front of a crowd that backs you certainly gives a team that added boost.”

As per Government regulations, a limited number of fans will be able to attend sports matches, with strict and necessary Covid-19 protocols to be followed in order for the events to run smoothly.

Coetzee lent his voice in encouraging those who intend to attend any of the upcoming matches to adhere to the protocols.

“It is important that we remember that we are still facing a global pandemic and the only way we will overcome it and eventually return to life as we know it, is to observe the regulations, guidelines and protocols,” the Vodacom Bulls captain said.

“Returning to stadiums now will be similar to venturing into unfamiliar territory – it will be a period of learning for us as players, event organisers and certainly the supporters. If we all comply to the guidelines the process will be smoother.

“It is important that we continue to wear our masks at all times, practice social distancing, ensure that you are vaccinated before entering the stadium and sanitise regularly.”

Coetzee and his teammates are also looking forward to hosting their European opponents for the first time at Fortress Loftus. After the clash against Munster Rugby, the Vodacom Bulls will welcome Welsh side, Scarlets on December 3.

“After having spent four weeks overseas, where we played in testing conditions, we are excited to be playing our next two fixtures in our own backyard with familiar conditions,” said Coetzee.

“Both Munster and Scarlets will prove to be tough opponents. They have already shown their capabilities in the opening rounds of the competition. We will have to hit the ground running when we return to training to prepare for these matches.”

The Vodacom Bulls have made a handful of changes to their side that will face Welsh side, Cardiff Rugby, in Round 3 of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship on Saturday. Vodacom Bulls director of rugby, Jake White, has opted to make full use of the team’s rotation system ahead of the match that will be played at Cardiff Arms Park.

White, said: “We are making some changes to our match-day squad this week to ensure that we utilise our squad depth while giving fair opportunity to the players to get a feel of this competitive tournament.”

The Vodacom Bulls team will see five changes to the backline personnel, while four new faces will be seen from the forwards’ pack that was on duty last weekend against Connacht Rugby.

Fullback David Kriel, wingers Madosh Tambwe and Kurt-Lee Arendse make returns to the starting XV, while scrumhalf Ambrose Papier makes a welcomed return in the run-on team after having spent weeks recuperating from an injury ahead of the start of the Vodacom URC. Cornal Hendricks will shift from wing to the familiar outside centre position, where he will partner with Harold Vorster.

A new-look front row will see hooker Bismarck du Plessis linking up with props Simphiwe Matanzima and Jacques van Rooyen. Janko Swanepoel, at lock, and Jacques du Plessis, at blindside flanker, will both earn starting berths.

“Cardiff has shown good form so far this season in their win over Connacht at home, and, despite their narrow defeat, last week in the Welsh derby against Ospreys. We expect them to come out guns blazing, and we have no doubt that they will be a tough side to face,” added White.

The match will kick-off at 20h35 SA time, and it will be televised on SuperSport.

The Vodacom Bulls team to face Cardiff Rugby is:

Vodacom Bulls: (15-9; 1-8)

David Kriel (Betway Centurion), Madosh Tambwe (Pretoria), Cornal Hendricks (Northam), Harold Vorster (Northam), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Betway Centurion), Johan Goosen (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Embrose Papier (FNB Tuks); Simphiwe Matanzima (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Bismarck du Plessis (Betway Centurion), Jacques van Rooyen (Tuine), Janko Steenkamp (Pretoria), Ruan Nortje (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Marcell Coetzee (CAPT, ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Jacques du Plessis (FNB Tuks), Elrigh Louw (FNB Tuks)

Replacements: Jan-Hendrik Wessels (U20), Lizo Gqoboka (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Robert Hunt (Harlequins), Walt Steenkamp (Betway Centurion), Arno Botha (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Keagan Johannes (FNB Tuks), Chris Smith (Harlequins), Lionel Mapoe (Pretoria)

Vodacom Bulls loose-forward, Arno Botha, is confident that the side will improve in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship. Botha, one of a handful of players in the squad who are familiar with playing in Europe following a two-year stint at Irish club, Munster, indicated that the side was not deflated by the defeat to four-time champions, Leinster Rugby, in the opening round at the weekend.

“We can only get better from here. We just need to make the step up,” he said. “It’s not going to be a train-smash, we will make that step up. It’s not the end of the world, it was only the first game and there are still 20 more games to play.”

The Vodacom Bulls will now face another Irish outfit, Connacht Rugby, in Round 2 in Galway on Friday.

The 29-year-old Botha expects another touch encounter this week. “They say that playing in Connacht (Galway) is like playing in Kimberley, but totally different. It’s not going to be dry and hot, but it’s going to be cold and wet.

“We know they will just keep coming at us, and it will be a nice battle. It will be wet and we will have to be more clinical.”

The Vodacom Bulls’ match against Connacht Rugby will kick off at 20h35 on Friday, and it will be televised on SuperSport.

The Vodacom Bulls have finalised an exciting signing with the acquisition of experienced Springbok hooker, Bismarck du Plessis.  The 2007 World Cup-winning hooker, who has a total of 79 tests to his name, will join the Tshwane-based side following a six-year stint at French club Montpellier.

The 37-year-old’s road to Loftus Versfeld began in his home province, Free State, where he represented the Toyota Cheetahs in 2003 before moving to the coast to join the Sharks, where he spent the next decade from 2005. It was in 2015 that his tenure at Montpellier began.

“We are really pleased to have secured Bismarck’s signature,” said Vodacom Bulls director of rugby, Jake White.

“Bismarck is the calibre of player we want here at Loftus – somebody who has a lot to offer on the field of play, and also vast experience that he can impart on the youngsters. There is no doubt that guys like Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Joe van Zyl, Johan Grobbelaar and Schalk Erasmus will gain plenty from his presence.”