SA venues for Rugby Championships confirmed

The Springboks will head to Bloemfontein for the first time since 2010 and New Zealand will be in action in Cape Town as SA Rugby confirmed the home venues for the 2017 Rugby Championships on Monday.

The first match of the Rugby Championship will take place on Saturday 19 August at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, when Argentina clash with the Boks.

The following week, the Springboks will be in action in Argentina against Los Pumas (Saturday 26 August, in Salta), where after it’s the first bye weekend.

The Boks’ traditional tour to Australasia is in early September for matches against the Wallabies (Saturday, 9 September, NIB Stadium in Perth) and All Blacks (Saturday 16 September, QBE Stadium in Albany).

A second bye weekend follows the tour before the Springboks head home for their last two encounters, on Saturday 30 September against Australia at the Bloemfontein Staduim, and Saturday 7 October against New Zealand at in Cape Town.

The venue in Cape Town is dependent on the outcome of an application for a safety certificate in relation to the first choice venue, Newlands.

This will be the All Blacks’ first visit to the Mother City since 2008 and the 10^th time these two teams will clash in a Test in the Western Cape in 89 years when New Zealand first played in Cape Town.

Springbok Rugby Championship fixtures:

19 August – Springboks v Argentina, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

26 August – Argentina v Springboks, Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena, Salta

9 September – Australia v Springboks, NIB Stadium, Perth

16 September – New Zealand v Springboks, QBE Stadium, Albany

30 September – Springboks v Australia, Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein

7 October – Springboks v New Zealand, DHL Newlands (TBC), Cape Town