6 March
The Springboks’ fixture list for 2014 was released by the South African Rugby Union (Saru) on Wednesday. It includes two tests against Wales in South Africa in June and a four-match European Tour in November.
In total, the Springboks are scheduled to play 14 matches this year, 13 of which are tests. The other game, a non-test Springbok match against a World XV in Cape Town on 7 June, is still to be confirmed.
Incoming Series
The two tests against Wales, on 14 and 21 June, will be played at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban and the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, after which the Boks will host Scotland at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on 28 June.
The home tests in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship will take place at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria (against Argentina), DHL Newlands in Cape Town (against Australia) and Ellis Park in Johannesburg (against New Zealand), as was announced last year.
The traditional November tour to the northern hemisphere will include a third clash with Wales on 29 November in Cardiff.
‘Very excited’
“We’re very excited about the schedule for the year, which will give Heyneke Meyer and the Springboks a proper opportunity to test themselves a little more than a year away from the 2015 Rugby World Cup,” Saru CEO Jurie Roux said in a statement.
“The four tests in November, which will see us take on Ireland, England, Italy and Wales, will provide very good preparation in typical conditions they can expect at the World Cup.
“It will be a tough tour, but I know the Boks will be ready to take on the best from that part of the world.”
Camp time
Roux said that the decision to play the additional test against Wales in November and the planned match against a World XV had been taken to source additional income for Rugby World Cup preparations, as well as to provide extra time in camp for the Springbok squad.
South Africa are currently ranked second in the world rankings behind New Zealand, with Australia, England and Ireland making up the rest of the top five.
2014 SPRINGBOK FIXTURES
Castle Lager Incoming Series
- 7 June: SA v World XV (Venue TBC)
- 14 June: SA v Wales (Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban)
- 21 June: SA v Wales (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)
- 28 June: SA v Scotland (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth)
Castle Lager Rugby Championship
- 16 Aug: SA v Argentina (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
- 23 Aug: Argentina v SA (Venue TBC)
- 6 Sep: Australia v SA (Patersons Stadium, Perth)
- 13 Sep: New Zealand v SA (Westpac Stadium, Wellington)
- 27 Sep: SA v Australia (DHL Newlands, Cape Town)
- 4 Oct: SA v New Zealand (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
Castle Lager Outgoing Tour
- 8 Nov: Ireland v SA (AVIVA Stadium, Dublin)
- 15 Nov: England v SA (Twickenham, London)
- 22 Nov: Italy v SA (Venue TBC)
- 29 Nov: Wales v SA (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
SAinfo reporter and SA Rugby
