As of today, teams are permitted to continue with contact training as they build-up to the Currie Cup, which is expected to start in October.

Four weeks will be what is needed for the teams the condition properly in order to get to match readiness.

The Cheetahs assistant, Charl Strydom, told OFM Sport that they will have to rein the players in somewhat.

“We’ve sent a message out to the players to bring their mouth guards and shoulder pads along when we start again.

“They are really looking forward to it and it’s going to be a tough one to hold them back.

“It’s like a boxer who hasn’t boxed for a while and just wants to get back into that ring. To throw that first punch is going to be the same as when we start, so we’ve got to be careful.

“We will have to put the guys on a leash and hold them back a little. The plan is to build it up slowly. We’ve got the date and we’ve got exactly a month to build the contact training up slowly.

“We don’t want a lot of muscle injuries, which is something that can happen if you haven’t taken any shots.

“They are going to be raring to go, and we can’t wait for that first date of the Currie Cup. Regardless of who we will be playing against, we will make sure that we contact ready by that time.”

While the fixtures have not been confirmed yet, 3 October, is expected to be the kick-off date for the Currie Cup.

The 2020 edition of the worlds' oldest domestic competition is set to feature seven teams over a double-round, and the final could well be contested in January of 2021.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport