CAPE TOWN – Western Province are off to France next week for a two-match tour as part of the preparations for their Currie Cup title defence.
Coach John Dobson’s team will face RC Narbonne and Montpellier in the space of five days, in order to get some crucial game-time together as a unit before their domestic campaign kicks off on August 25.
The defending Currie Cup champions were invited by Montpellier for a trip which is seen as the beginning of a long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationship with potential commercial opportunities and projects between the two teams anticipated in the future.
A 29-man squad will depart Cape Town on Tuesday, August 7 and face RC Narbonne on Saturday, August 11 before taking on Top 14 side Montpellier on Thursday, August 16. They will be based in the town of Millau, which is 100km outside of Montpellier. The squad for the tour will be announced on Monday, August 6.
Western Province Rugby Group CEO, Paul Zacks, said that this trip presents a unique opportunity to make gains both on and off the field. “Our team is very happy about the two matches and want to get the most value possible out of the trip before the first game of our Currie Cup campaign, while also giving our players the invaluable experience of a different rugby culture both on and off the field,” he said.