Get your hands on the latest SA Rugby magazine, now on sale, for all you need to know ahead of the three-Test series between the Boks and British & Irish Lions.

The buildup to the Springboks’ series against the British & Irish Lions has been extraordinary to say the least. As fate would have it, on the day the Lions were preparing to board their flight to South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa moved the country to Alert Level 4 in response to the third wave of the pandemic.

With Gauteng as the epicentre, quick consideration had to be given to shifting more matches to Cape Town, which was originally set to host three of the Lions’ games, against South Africa A, the Stormers and the Springboks in the first Test.

It all added another chapter to the multi-faceted backstory of this tour before a ball had even been booted into play. And at a time of so much uncertainty, just the prospect of seeing the Boks and Lions finally engage in battle will be a source of joyful relief for many.

In this issue, we celebrate what it has taken for us to reach kick-off of this long-awaited three-Test series, and investigate just where this historic tour could rank in rugby’s history books.

We look back at iconic tours of the past, identify which players from the Lions and Bok camps will always be remembered for their achievements and examine what can be expected from the Class of 2021.

The Springboks-Lions theme understandably dominates our latest issue, but there are also features unpacking South Africa’s imminent entry into the newly formed United Rugby Championship and an analysis of the Blitzboks squad and their preparations for the Olympics.

Make sure you also don’t miss the must-read interview with Bismarck du Plessis, as well as the extract from Annelee Murray’s book: The First Lady of Springbok Rugby.

– Craig Lewis