Lions land in Covid-hit South Africa amid hints of venue changes
The British and Irish Lions arrived in South Africa on Monday amid speculation that some matches scheduled for coronavirus-swamped Johannesburg could be moved to less affected Cape Town.
A programme altered last month sees the Lions start with two matches in Johannesburg and one in Pretoria, two cities at the epicentre of a deadly Covid-19 third wave.
They then move to Cape Town for three matches before a two-hour flight takes them back to Johannesburg for the final two matches of the first tour by the Lions to the republic since 2009.
The 37-strong touring squad, captained by Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray after Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones withdrew with a shoulder injury last Saturday, will be based in bio bubbles throughout the tour.
While South African and Lions officials remained tightlipped about possible venue changes, two South African rugby officials told AFP that "the schedule is being discussed amid the Covid-19 surge".
Cape Town is currently less severely hit by the pandemic, which led President Cyril Ramaphosa to move national restrictions to stage four on Sunday, the second highest level.
The sale of alcohol has been prohibited, dining in restaurants barred and a nightly curfew extended to seven hours in a country where the slow vaccine rollout has drawn medical and political criticism.
South Africa is the country on the continent hardest hit by the pandemic with 1,928,897 cases and 59,900 deaths by Sunday night.
- Happier news -
Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg is scheduled to host the first match this Saturday, pitting the local Lions team against the visitors.
Happier news for South African rugby was the resumption of training by the Springboks on Monday after three of the squad tested positive for the virus at the weekend.
Winger Sibusiso Nkosi, scrum-half Herschel Jantjies and prop Vincent Koch tested positive, leading to the entire squad being placed in temporary self isolation.
A South Africa Rugby statement said the reigning world champions were resuming preparations immediately for the first of two Tests against Georgia, and Jantjies would take part in training.
South Africa meet European second-tier side Georgia on July 2 and 9 in Pretoria and Johannesburg -- their first matches since defeating England to win the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Coronavirus wreaked havoc with the Springboks last year, forcing the cancellation of all 13 home and away internationals.
After the Georgia Tests, South Africa will get ready to tackle the Lions on three consecutive Saturdays from July 24.
The Springboks have won eight of the previous 13 series against the Lions, lost four and drawn one since the first meeting in 1891.
