The All Blacks players perform the Haka ahead of the Rugby Championship Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park Stadium. The All Blacks players perform the Haka ahead of the Rugby Championship Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park Stadium.
Image: Phill Magakoe/AFP
So KIMBERLEY'S Springbok supporters will have to wait a bit longer before they can watch the Bokke take to the field at Suzuki Park. This much was confirmed recently when the venues for the upcoming season’s Bok Tests was revealed.
The Springboks will make a long-awaited return to the Eastern Cape in 2025 when they face Italy at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in the second Test of the Castle Lager Incoming Series. SA Rugby confirmed the venues for the six home Tests on Thursday, setting the stage for another thrilling season.
The reigning back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions will kick off their campaign against Italy at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday, 5 July. This will mark Italy’s first visit to South Africa since 2013 and their first Test in Gauteng. The teams will then travel to Gqeberha for their rematch on Saturday, 12 July, where the Boks last played in 2021.
The final Test in the Castle Lager Incoming Series sees South Africa taking on Georgia at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday, 19 July. This will be only the third meeting between the sides, with previous encounters in the 2003 Rugby World Cup and Pretoria in 2021, the latter played in an empty stadium due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The Springboks will begin their Castle Lager Rugby Championship title defence with back-to-back home clashes against Australia at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Saturday, 16 August, and at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, 23 August.
They will then travel to New Zealand for a pair of Tests against the All Blacks in Auckland (September 6) and Wellington (September 13) before returning home for their final local Test against Argentina at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban on Saturday, September 27. The teams will conclude their series in an away clash at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, in London, a week later.
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus welcomed the confirmation of the venues, highlighting how it aids the team’s preparations and builds excitement for fans.
“The confirmation of the Test venues always gives us peace of mind from a coaching and management perspective because it means we can step up our planning, and it also boosts the excitement from the public for the season,” Erasmus said.
“We have played at most of these venues in the last few years, and we know them well, although it will be particularly exciting to return to Gqeberha for the first time since 2021.
“We thoroughly enjoy the passionate support we receive from our home crowds throughout the country, and we have no doubt we will enjoy great support at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium once again – this time in a packed stadium, which we last experienced in the Eastern Cape in 2018 against Australia.”
Erasmus also emphasised the extensive planning under way to ensure a successful campaign. “We are already at an advanced stage of our planning from a coaching, logistics, and operations perspective, and it’s exciting to see how everything is coming together ahead of another challenging and exciting season.”
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer echoed Erasmus’ enthusiasm, stating that the selection of top-class venues across five provinces ensures widespread accessibility for fans.
“All six home Tests will be played at top-class venues, and we are pleased that we will see the Boks run out in five different provinces,” Oberholzer said.
“The team enjoys a lot of support throughout the country – we had more than 300,000 fans in attendance at our home Tests last year – and by spreading out the matches, hopefully it allows as many people as possible to see them live in action.”
Details on ticket sales will be announced in due course.
Castle Lager Incoming Series:
5 July: SA v Italy – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
12 July: SA v Italy – Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha
19 July: SA v Georgia – Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Castle Lager Rugby Championship:
16 August: SA v Australia – Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
23 August: SA v Australia – DHL Stadium, Cape Town
27 September: SA v Argentina – Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
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