• South African rugby is one step closer to a return to action, with franchise teams allowed to resume full-contact training from next week.
• The country’s eight franchises have been hard at work doing non-contact training for the past five weeks.
• SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux says an announcement of a playing schedule will be made in due course.

South African rugby is one step closer to a return to action after the announcement that franchise teams will return to full-contact training from early next week.
SA Rugby announced the news via a press statement on Friday following the completion of final health checks.
The governing body said that the Bulls, Lions, Sharks, Stormers, Cheetahs, Pumas and Griquas will be allowed to resume contact training.”The teams have been hard at work with non-contact training for the past five weeks, and once a final Covid-19 test has been passed, they will be able to step up a gear next week,” SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux said in the statement.”We are moving in the right direction and I would like to urge all rugby supporters and members of the wider South African rugby family to bear with us as we plan the way forward for the next couple of weeks.”With the guidance of government and working very hard with our various stakeholders, we’ve knuckled down and plotted our return to competitive action, which is getting closer every day. But we’re also very mindful of the pitfalls associated with this and we know things can change overnight.”Roux added that SA Rugby and its various stakeholders were finalising plans for a return to play in line with the best available medical advice in order to ensure player welfare. “Once we’ve finalised all the relevant plans and we’ve aligned with our broadcast partner, sponsors, franchises and other stakeholders, we’ll confirm the playing schedule,” said Roux.
– Compiled by Sport24 staff