Sharks and Racing 92 to clash in Hong Kong

Racing 92 will face the first-ever South African Super Rugby side to play in Hong Kong, Sharks, in the 2018 Natixis Rugby Cup   

The high-profile fixture will take place at the Aberdeen Sports Ground on Saturday, 3 February 2018.

Racing 92 is presently in third place in the French top league and is within striking distance of securing another title after winning the French championship in 2016. The club is also taking part in the European Champions Cup. Among the French and international stars in the Racing 92 side are Dan Carter, voted World Player of the Year in 2005, 2012 and 2015, and former Sharks captain Pat Lambie.

The Hong Kong tie will present an important pre-season opportunity for the Sharks to fine-tune their squad for the 2018 Super Rugby campaign. The Sharks have reached the Super Rugby final on four occasions (1996, 2001, 2007 and 2012) and the semi-final on four further occasions, with the most recent coming in 2014.

“We are delighted to participate in the Natixis Rugby Cup 2018. Racing 92 is an impressive team with quality players. A match against them will be the ideal test that we require at the start of the 2018 Super Rugby tournament, in terms of preparation and the fine-tuning of our game plan,” said Sharks Head Coach, Robert du Preez.

“Through the Hong Kong Sevens, we have seen how popular the game is in that part of the world, and look forward to playing in front of a great crowd and making new memories,” Du Preez added.