The last time the Vodacom Bulls had to leave their fortress Loftus for a final, it turned out to be one of the most momentous occasions in their long illustrious history, culminating in the 2010 Super Rugby final in Soweto.
And in 2024, it seems the Bulls may be forced to find alternative arrangements if they do make it all the way through to host a home Vodacom United Rugby Championship final.
This is because the final, to be held on 22 June, clashes with the inauguration of the State President after the recent national elections.
Given that the 2019 inauguration was held at Loftus Versfeld, the organisers have been negotiating the use of the stadium again for this inauguration, which obviously clashes with a potential URC final.
Even if the inauguration was held at the Union Buildings, as it has been done in previous administrations, its location close to Loftus Versfeld makes it difficult to host a major rugby event at the same time.
And that may mean the Bulls may need to find a new home for the final, if they get to host it.
While these scenarios are all a long shot at the moment, and the Bulls have not been able to communicate the reality of the situation before the details are finalised, it is noteworthy that they have listed FNB Stadium as the alternative venue for a final to be hosted in documentation with the URC.
The logistics surrounding such an occasion have been made more difficult by election results and jockeying for coalition agreements that could delay the inauguration if agreements are not sorted out in the coming week.
All eight quarterfinalists have to do so, and while some are understandable - Leinster have asked to use the 82000 seater Croke Park, for instance, and Glasgow Warriors, if they host a final, will use Murrayfield because of its capacity. Scotstoun has a capacity of 9708 while Celtic Park has a capacity of 60 000 and Murrayfield 67 000. Teams naturally want to leverage the final in terms of as many tickets sold as possible.
The Bulls, however, still have a long road to go if they are to host a final, and must first beat Italian side Benetton in their quarterfinal at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. If they succeed they will host a semifinal at the same venue.
But if they win that, the only way they will host a final in Gauteng is if defending champions Munster, who finished top of the log after league play this last weekend, lose somewhere before the final. Munster face Welsh side Ospreys this weekend in the quarterfinal, and if they win that, face the winner of the Glasgow Warrors/Stormers game at home in the semifinals.