Springboks confirm home Test venues for 2025

With SA Rugby confirming the venues of the six local Tests on Thursday, it was revealed that the Springboks will face Italy at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in the second Test of the Incoming Series in July.

The last time the Springboks played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was two Tests against Argentina in 2021, behind closed doors due to the COVID pandemic.

The back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions will kick their season off against Italy in Pretoria on Saturday 5 July, and will also play in Nelspruit, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban in 2025.

South Africa’s season opener at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria will mark Italy’s first visit to South Africa since 2013, while it will also be the first fixture between the teams in Gauteng. The two teams will meet again a week later, on Saturday 12 July, at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha, where they last crossed paths in 2001.

The last Test in the Incoming Series is against Georgia at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday, 19 July – only the third match between the sides in history.

The Springboks will begin their Rugby Championship title defence against Australia at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg and the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, 16 and 23 August, before travelling to New Zealand for successive Tests against the All Blacks in Auckland (6 September) and Wellington (13 September).

They will then return to South Africa for their final home Test of the year against Argentina at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday, 27 September, before the away match against the Pumas a week later at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham in London.

Details on ticket sales will be announced in due course.

Springbok home fixtures in 2025:

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

WILL YOU BE ATTENDING ANY OF THESE TESTS?

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