Johannesburg - The defending Super 14 champions, the Bulls, will take on the Lions in the first fixture at the new Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane when they face off for the Xerox Cup in a Super 14 warm-up match on January 30.
It will be a trial run for the matches to be hosted at the 45 000-seater stadium during the Soccer World Cup later this year.
According to Charles van Wyk, deputy president of the Blue Bulls (Limpopo), hosting the match is a great privilege for the Limpopo region.
"The Bulls have an enormous support base in Limpopo and we expect a huge crowd" said Van Wyk.
According to match promoter Willem Strauss, hosting the first sport event at the new stadium is a great opportunity for the local structures to be tested ahead of the Soccer World Cup.
"A great day is on offer for supporters with the @lantic 7's series for schools taking place as well as the B teams from both Super 14 franchises also being in action before the kick-off of the main game," said Strauss.
Limpopo have contributed much to Blue Bulls rugby over the years with the current captain, Victor Matfield (Pietersburg HS), and head coach Frans Ludeke (HTS Tom Naude) both products of Limpopo's rugby structures.