Urc, Zebre blocked in South Africa: match canceled and return to Parma

In recent days on its social channels the United Rugby Championship was wondering who would score the first official goal of the competition in South African territory. The explosion of the new Covid variant has canceled everything. The Zebras, who were supposed to play Saturday afternoon in Cape Town against the Stormers, but also Munster and the Welsh Scarlets and Cardiff Blues are trying to organize the return to their respective bases as soon as possible. The official announcement of the cancellations of matches in South Africa scheduled for this and also for next weekend (the Parma franchise should have faced the Sharks in Durban) will arrive during the day, but at the moment the field is absolutely in the background.

Return to Italy

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For the Zebre, accompanied on the trip also by the president Michele Dalai and Franco Tonni, it is the Club Manager George Biagi who in these hectic hours is trying to organize the return to Parma. The United Kingdom has already blocked scheduled flights from South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, while for the Zebras it should still be possible to organize the return without having to rely on a charter flight. However, signals are expected from the Italian authorities. In the meantime, Biagi is also in contact with the ASL of Parma to understand how the players will have to behave when they return home. Will tests and swabs be enough or will a period of quarantine be needed (perhaps even isolated from family members)? In this second case, the match of the first round of the Challenge Cup could also be at risk, which on Saturday 11 September would see the Zebras host the French side of Biarritz.