The Vodacom Bulls have been given a palindrome Vodacom United Rugby Championship draw, starting with one home game and a four-week tour and finishing with four home games and a derby in Durban.
Jake White’s bolstered side has been given an interesting draw as they look to bounce back after a disappointing 2022-23 season saw them finish as quarter-finalists.
The Vodacom Bulls start with a winnable home game against Scarlets and will face last season’s winless wooden spoonists Zebre on their four-week tour, which also includes a meeting with Ulster in Belfast.
During the festive period, the Vodacom Bulls have two home derbies against the Sharks and Lions and a trip to Cape Town to face the Stormers, amid their first two Champions Cup games. To finish the season, they will have a run of five home games – against defending champions Munster, Ospreys, Glasgow Warriors and Benetton – before concluding against the Sharks at Kings Park.
R1 – Sun, 22 Oct. 15:00
v Scarlets (h)
R2 – Sun, 29 Oct. 19:00
v Ulster (a)
R3 – Sat, 4 Nov. 15:00
v Zebre (a)
R4 – Fri, 10 Nov. 21:35
v Cardiff (a)
R5 – Fri, 17 Nov. 21:35
v Edinburgh (a)
R6 – Sat, 25 Nov. 17:00
v Connacht (h)
R7 – Sat, 2 Dec. 15:00
v Sharks (h)
•Champions Cup R1 – 8/9/10 Dec
•Champions Cup R2 – 15/16/17 Dec
R8 – Sat, 23 Dec. 19:15
v Stormers (a)
R9 – Sat, 30 Dec. 16:45
v Lions (h)
•Champions Cup R3 – 12/13/14 Jan
•Champions Cup R4 – 19/20/21 Jan
R10 – Sat, 17 Feb. 15:00
v Lions (a)
R11 – Sat, 2 Mar. 17:05
v Stormers (h)
R12 – Sat, 23 Mar. 21:35
v Dragons (a)
R13 – Fri, 29 Mar. 21:35
v Leinster (a)
R14 – Sat, 20 Apr. 17:05
v Munster (h)
R15 – Sat, 27 Apr. 15:00
v Ospreys (h)
R16 – Sat, 11 May. 14:00
v Glasgow Warriors (h)
R17 – Sat, 18 May. 14:00
v Benetton (h)
R18 – Sat, 1 Jun. 16:05
v Sharks (a)
Photo: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix