Boks' Dubai Test cancelled

2008-08-25 22:04

Pieter Jordaan

Bloemfontein - South Africa and Ireland will not meet in a rugby Test match in Dubai in November.

Andy Marinos, manager of national teams in South Africa, confirmed on Monday that the idea had been dropped after administrators in both countries had looked into the possibility of arranging such a match.

The decision not to continue with plans for the match was taken "about four or five weeks ago", he said.

The playing surface to be used for the proposed match would not have been ready in time and the venue also has to be used for the Dubai Sevens at the end of the year.

Rugby officials in Dubai suggested November 1 as a possible date when Australia and New Zealand meet in a Bledisloe Cup match, their fourth of the year, on that day.

The match will be played on a neutral ground in Hong Kong and could be a great attraction, especially if the All Blacks and the Wallabies finish the Tri-Nations series as the top teams in the world rankings.

The decision to drop the match in Dubai will probably be welcomed in the Springbok camp. The South Africans have already played Wales twice, Italy and Argentina once each, New Zealand three times and Australia twice this season.

On Saturday they face the Wallabies again in their last Tri-Nations match of the year.

They still have to go to the UK to play Wales in Cardiff (November 8), Scotland in Edinburgh (November 15) and England in London (November 22).

The Currie Cup final takes place on October 25, which would have made the Test in Dubai rather inconvenient.

Several Springboks are likely to be involved in the Currie Cup final and a number of them could return to Currie Cup rugby as soon as next week.

Some, however, will be given an opportunity to take a break after Saturday's Test in Johannesburg.

- Volksblad