As the Hollywoodbets Sharks plot for a bigger and better Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) season, the Durbanites understand the importance of a great start at home.
The upcoming URC season will be crucial for the Sharks, who had a tough time in the North versus South competition in the previous campaign.
The John Plumtree-coached side finished in position 14 and as a result, missed the knockouts for the first time.
The Sharks had gone through a few key changes ahead of the campaign, which included a new-look technical team led by the new coach and missing a host of Springbok stars due to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France for the better half of the season.
However, the men from the Zulu Kingdom still worked their fingers to the bone to lift the ECPR Challenge Cup title, and by that, they qualified for the prestigious Champions Cup.
Next season will be about re-establishing themselves as a top contender in the URC and pushing to win the title for the first time.
The Sharks will get their URC campaign off the ground with an exciting derby clash against the Emirates Lions at the Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium in Durban.
The opening match against the Johannesburg-based franchise will take place on Saturday, September 21 at 15:45.
After that, the Sharks go on a three-week tour of Europe, starting in Ireland to face Connacht at Dexcom Stadium in Galway on Saturday, September 28 at 20:35, South African time.
On Saturday, October 5, Plumtree’s soldiers will invade Wales to tackle the Dragons at Rodney Parade at 18:15.
The final stop for the troops will be the Stade Monigo in the Italian city of Treviso where they will face off with Benetton on Saturday, October 12 at 16:00.
READ: New-look Boks host Portugal in Bloem
Then the Sharks will be back in the Tank to play four back-to-back matches against URC defending champions Glasgow Warriors (October 19), Munster (October 26), Stormers (November 30) and the Bulls (December 21).
The Sharks will again be on the road for four matches starting in Cape Town for a return fixture against the Stormers on December 28.
Next up, will be a trip to Wales to take on Cardiff on January 25 travelling to the Highveld to face the Bulls on February 15.
On Saturday, March 1, another trip to Gauteng awaits the coastal outfit when they visit the Lions at Ellis Park Stadium in Egoli.
Their last two fixtures in March will be in Durban against Zebre Parma on March 22 and Leinster on March 29.
The Sharks will play two URC fixtures in April against Sean Everitt’s Edinburgh at Hive Stadium in Scotland on the 18th and Irish side Ulster at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast on the 28th.
Their last two outings of the season will be at home against Welsh teams the Ospreys on May 9 and the Scarlets on May 17.
The Sharks have assembled a great squad for the campaign ahead, with talented players such as Jordan Hendrikse, Emmanuel Tshituka, Andre Esterhuizen, Jason Jenkins and Trevor Nyakane.
Hollywoodbets Sharks URC Fixtures
- Hollywoodbets Sharks v Emirates Lions, Saturday, September 21
- Connacht v Hollywoodbets Sharks, Saturday, September 28
- Dragons RFC v Hollywoodbets Sharks, Saturday, October 05
- Benetton v Hollywoodbets Sharks, Saturday, October 12
- Hollywoodbets Sharks v Glasgow Warriors, Saturday, October 19
- Hollywoodbets Sharks v Munster, Saturday, October 26
- Hollywoodbets Sharks v DHL Stormers, Saturday, November 30
- Hollywoodbets Sharks v Vodacom Bulls, Saturday, December 21
- DHL Stormers v Hollywoodbets Sharks, Saturday, December 28
- Cardiff Rugby v Hollywoodbets Sharks, Saturday, January 25
- Vodacom Bulls v Hollywoodbets Sharks, Saturday, February 15
- Emirates Lions v Hollywoodbets Sharks, Saturday, March 1
- Hollywoodbets Sharks v Zebre Parma, Saturday, March 22
- Hollywoodbets Sharks v Leinster, Saturday, March 29
- Edinburgh Rugby v Hollywoodbets Sharks, Friday, April 18
- Ulster v Hollywoodbets Sharks, Saturday, April 26
- Hollywoodbets Sharks v Ospreys, Friday, May 9
- Hollywoodbets Sharks v Scarlets, Saturday, May 17
