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JJ Harmse
Pretoria – The Bulls will play their Super 14 game against the Lions at Loftus Versfeld this weekend after all.
It was rumoured on Monday that the chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport, Butana Komphela, wanted to ban the Blue Bulls company (BBC) and Free State Rugby Union from using Loftus and Vodacom Park for the rest of the Super 14.
He is apparently of the opinion that the fields are in a poor condition and that further rugby may jeopardise the hosting of World Cup football matches in June and July.
The BBC said in a statement on Monday that they would not be commenting until the matter had been discussed with Komphela.
The dialogue will take place in Cape Town on Tuesday when the BBC appears in front of the committee with SA Rugby.
Komphela told SAPA that the request to meet with the BBC had been issued after the 100-days inspection when the field was in a poor condition.
He also told Stephen Nell: “We are looking at what measures have been taken to accommodate World Cup 2010. It has not been said that Loftus may not be used. We are concerned about the state of the field … maybe it has improved subsequently.”
SA Rugby indicated in a statement that the Vodacom Cup quarter-final between the Blue Bulls and Western Province would be played at Loftus Versfeld at 12h30 on Saturday. However, the match will be played on the B-field.
The match between the Bulls and Lions will be played in the stadium at 3pm.
No rugby has been played at Loftus in more than a month.
Another two games – against the Sharks and Crusaders – still have to be played at Loftus after the weekend.
The BBC has already indicated that a possible semi-final and final will be played in Soweto’s Orlando Stadium should the Bulls have to host the matches.
Pretoria – The Bulls will play their Super 14 game against the Lions at Loftus Versfeld this weekend after all.
It was rumoured on Monday that the chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport, Butana Komphela, wanted to ban the Blue Bulls company (BBC) and Free State Rugby Union from using Loftus and Vodacom Park for the rest of the Super 14.
He is apparently of the opinion that the fields are in a poor condition and that further rugby may jeopardise the hosting of World Cup football matches in June and July.
The BBC said in a statement on Monday that they would not be commenting until the matter had been discussed with Komphela.
The dialogue will take place in Cape Town on Tuesday when the BBC appears in front of the committee with SA Rugby.
Komphela told SAPA that the request to meet with the BBC had been issued after the 100-days inspection when the field was in a poor condition.
He also told Stephen Nell: “We are looking at what measures have been taken to accommodate World Cup 2010. It has not been said that Loftus may not be used. We are concerned about the state of the field … maybe it has improved subsequently.”
SA Rugby indicated in a statement that the Vodacom Cup quarter-final between the Blue Bulls and Western Province would be played at Loftus Versfeld at 12h30 on Saturday. However, the match will be played on the B-field.
The match between the Bulls and Lions will be played in the stadium at 3pm.
No rugby has been played at Loftus in more than a month.
Another two games – against the Sharks and Crusaders – still have to be played at Loftus after the weekend.
The BBC has already indicated that a possible semi-final and final will be played in Soweto’s Orlando Stadium should the Bulls have to host the matches.
