Lions pair among 44 Saracens heading to South Africa to face Sharks

Saracens will head to South Africa next week for a pre-season tour in Durban, where they will face the Hollywoodbets Sharks in a friendly fixture.

British & Irish Lions stars Owen Farrell and Elliot Daly will make the trip south as part of a 44-man trip.

The match will be staged at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Friday, 5 September at 4.30 pm and will serve as a curtain-raiser to the Carling Currie Cup clash on the same day.

Both clubs have framed the fixture as an opportunity to sharpen preparations for the new campaign, with Saracens also set to take part in joint training sessions during their stay.

Saracens and the Sharks will also work together during the week on several rugby-related projects, with a focus on strength and conditioning, shared training and wider “knowledge exchange”.

Players will take part in a safari, golf day and beach braai, while the itinerary also includes a community-focused programme.

This will see visits to the Zululand Rhino Orphanage and a donation to a Kit Charity to support the local area.

“The opportunity to host Saracens here in Durban is one that we value immensely,” said Sharks CEO Shaun Bryans. “Not only does this match give our players a high-quality challenge as we prepare for the season, but it also deepens our relationship with Saracens, a club that shares our vision for innovation, excellence and making a meaningful impact both on and off the field.”

The travelling Saracens’ squad for the tour:

Forwards: Tayo Adegbemile, Samson Adejimi, Harvey Beaton, Phil Brantingham, Rhys Carre, Alec Clarey, Eoghan Clarke, Theo Dan, Max Eke, James Hadfield, Reggie Hammick, Nick Isiekwe, Toby Knight, Nathan Michelow, Vilikesa Nairau, Andy Onyeama-Christie, Marco Riccioni, Olamide Sodeke, Marcus Street, Kennedy Sylvester, Hugh Tizard, Tietie Tuimauga, Charlie West, Tom Willis, Harry Wilson.

Backs: Charlie Bracken, Jack Bracken, Fergus Burke, Noah Caluori, Elliot Daly, Luke Davidson, Tobias Elliott, Owen Farrell, Angus Hall, Olly Hartley, Cam Hutchison, Brandon Jackson, Louie Johnson, Alex Lozowski, Max Malins, Rotimi Segun, Gareth Simpson, Sam Spink, Nick Tompkins, Ivan van Zyl.