Currie Cup: Clash Between Natal Sharks and Blue Bulls Called Off Following Deadly Flooding in KwaZulu Natal

Currie Cup: Clash Between Natal Sharks and Blue Bulls Called Off Following Deadly Flooding in KwaZulu Natal

Byron Pillay
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:00 PM
  • The Currie Cup game between the Natal Sharks and the Blue Bulls has been called off due to flooding in Durban
  • The South African Rugby Union confirmed that the game was cancelled out of respect to all those affected by the flooding
  • The third-placed Natal Sharks and the table-topping Blue Bulls will not replay the fixture and instead share the points

The highly anticipated Currie Cup clash between the Natal Sharks and the Blue Bulls has been called off.

The top of the table Bulls were due to visit the third-placed Sharks in Durban on Saturday, with eight points separating the two sides.

Currie Cup, Natal Sharks, Blue Bulls, Called Off, Cancelled, Deadly Flooding, KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KZN, South Africa, Rugby
The Currie Cup clash between the Sharks and the Bulls has been called off out of respect for all those suffering due to deadly flooding in Durban. Image: Steve Haag/ Lee Warren/ Christiaan Kotze
Source: Twitter

The two sides last met in March when the Bulls beat the Sharks 35-21. The sides also met in last season’s Currie Cup final, a game the Bulls won 44-10.

The South African Rugby Union (SARU) has since confirmed that the clash has been called off, out of respect to all those affected by the flooding in Durban, News24 confirmed. SARU has since released a statement detailing the decision.

“Due to the heavy flooding in KwaZulu-Natal and the considerable loss of life and infrastructure damage across the province, and out of respect to their community in the face of the disaster the province is enduring, the two teams have agreed to cancel this encounter, the statement read”

The Currie Cup also confirmed the decision on its official Twitter account.

Unrelenting flooding in the Durban are has seen approximately 250 people being confirmed dead and many others still unaccounted for. Apart from the casualties, many residents have also been left homeless while the city has suffered severe infrastructure damage.

The game will not be rescheduled and will be declared a draw. Both sides will each be awarded two points. The Sharks will next play Leinster in the United Rugby Championship on 23 April, SuperSport confirmed.

Former South African rugby coach suffers heartbreak, Peter de Villiers' wife dies after drowning in a pool

The wife of former South African rugby coach, Peter de Villiers, has tragically passed away. 62-year-old Theresa de Villiers was reported dead after her body was found floating in a pool in Gqeberha. It is believed that she was visiting family at the time of her death.

The South African confirmed that an inquest docket was opened by police after a family member found her body. She was declared dead at the scene by the emergency workers who reported to the matter.

Police spokesperson, Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg, confirmed that no foul play was suspected. The South African also mentioned that de Villiers’ was notified of his wife’s death but was too distraught to speak.

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Byron Pillay
Byron Pillay is a sports writer and Head of the Department at Sports Brief (joined in 2022) with over 10 years of experience in community journalism and a degree in journalism from Caxton's Cadet School.
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