The Lions will host former champions, the DHL Stormers, before heading abroad for the start of their 2023-24 Vodacom United Rugby Championship campaign.
Four matches scattered across Scotland, Italy, Wales and Ireland await Ivan van Rooyen’s troops after their derby opener at Ellis Park.
The Pride missed out on a place in the 2022-23 URC quarter-finals by three points, but a shot at redemption won’t get any easier for the men from Joburg, who also hit the road over a bumper festive schedule this year.
Trips to the Sharks and Vodacom Bulls for the Lions precede rounds 1 and 2 of the Challenge Cup, where the Highvelders reached the quarter-finals in their maiden campaign last season.
R1 – Saturday, 21 October, 4:05pm
v Stormers (H)
R2 – Saturday, 28 October, 6pm
v Edinburgh (A)
R3 – Sunday, 5 November, 3:30pm
v Benetton (A)
R4 – Saturday, 11 November, 7:15pm
v Scarlets (A)
R5 – Friday, 17 November, 9:35pm
v Ulster (A)
R6 – Saturday, 25 November, 2:55pm
v Zebre (H)
R7 – Saturday, 2 December, 5:05pm
v Dragons (H)
Challenge Cup R1 – 8/9/10 December
Challenge Cup R2 – 15/16/17 December
R8 – Saturday, 23 December, 5pm
v Sharks (A)
R9 – Saturday, 30 December, 4:45pm
v Bulls (A)
Challenge Cup R3 – 12/13/14 January
Challenge Cup R4 – 19/20/21 January
R10 – Saturday, 17 February , 3pm
v Bulls (H)
R11 – Saturday, 2 March, 3pm
v Sharks (H)
R12 – Saturday, 23 March, 7:15pm
v Connacht (A)
R13 – Saturday, 30 March, 5:05pm
v Ospreys (A)
R14 – Saturday, 20 April, 3pm
v Leinster (H)
R15 – Saturday, 27 April, 5pm
v Munster (H)
R16 – Saturday, 11 May, 6:15pm
v Cardiff (H)
R17 – Saturday, 18 May, 4:05pm
v Glasgow (H)
R18 – Saturday, 1 June, 2pm
v Stormers (A)
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