Cancelled match between Cheetahs and Lions stands

The cancelled match between the Toyota Cheetahs and Emirates Lions stands, and cannot be played as the matter has already been settled.

This is the reaction from Free State managing director Harold Verster after the Emirates Lions chief executive Rudolf Straeuli indicated on Friday they were still very keen to play the game even though SA Rugby has made a final call on it.

Straeuli was talking to Beeld in reaction to the fact that a second Lions game was postponed – this time after players from the Phakisa Pumas tested positive for Covid-19. The game against the Cheetahs was called off mere hours before kickoff after several Lions players had tested positive in the week before.

Straeuli told Beeld the fact that points were being carried over into the Currie Cup made them valuable and the Lions wanted to play the game.

But Verster said that time had passed, and there was no way to still play the game.

“The Lions gave us three dates that suited them, but they didn’t suit the Cheetahs,” Verster told Supersport.com.

“Two of those dates would have meant that the Cheetahs would have had to travel to Johannesburg on a bus on a Tuesday between two weekend games. The third date was in January when the Currie Cup is in full swing.

“As Hawies Fourie pointed out this weekend, SA Rugby never asked the Cheetahs for dates that would suit us before they took the decision to award two points each to the Cheetahs and Lions.

“The Lions also never asked us for dates that would suit us.”

While the Lions have been adversely affected, it seems that the game will not be played, while the Pumas have already indicated that, because of the schedule, it will be difficult to reschedule their game that was postponed this weekend.