Cape Town - Cape Town rugby club Villager has cancelled its annual derby pre-season rugby match against rival Hamilton RFC.
Villager has struggled in recent years and no longer take part in the Western Province Super League.
The match was scheduled for this Saturday but Villager want to preserve its players in the club's quest to return to the top flight.
Villager released the following statement on its official website, explaining the matter:
"VILLAGER FOOTBALL CLUB has taken the decision to cancel the “Derby Day” fixture with Hamiltons Rugby Club that was planned for Saturday 19 March 2016.
"VILLAGERS FOOTBALL CLUB is currently in a rebuilding phase. Even though this fixture is deep rooted in both of our clubs history we believe that the rebuilding of the club has to be our number one priority. With 3 weeks till the season starts we believe the conditioning of our players has to be our main focus to ensure the players are physically prepared for what will be a very tough 2016 season.
"The decision of cancelling this fixture was not taken lightly however we as a club feel that preparing for a Super A League status in all facets needs to be our first priority."