In the opening round of the truncated Castle Lager Rugby Championship in July 2023, the Springboks will face Australia in Pretoria before facing Argentina in Johannesburg in their penultimate home encounter before beginning preparations for their Rugby World Cup defense.
The Boks will fly to Argentina in August to face the Pumas before facing Wales and the All Blacks in Rugby World Cup warm-up matches in Cardiff and London in the final preparations for the September second-weekend tournament in France.
The Springboks, coached by Jacques Nienaber, will play their first Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test against Australia at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday, July 8, before traveling to New Zealand to face the All Blacks on Saturday, July 17.
Two weeks later, on Saturday, July 29, they will return to South Africa to conclude their season against the Pumas at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg.
This will be the first time since 2016 that the Boks host Australia in Pretoria and the first time since 2013 that they face Argentina in Johannesburg, both of which South Africa won by scores of 18-10 and 73-13.
The away encounter against Argentina is set for August 5, followed by matches against Wales at the Principality Stadium on August 19 and a second Test against New Zealand at Twickenham on August 25.
South Africa will begin their Rugby World Cup title defense against Scotland in Marseille on September 10, followed by matches against Romania in Bordeaux, Ireland in Paris, and Tonga in Marseille (1 October).
On the weekend of 14/15 October, the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals will be played, followed by the semi-finals on 20/21 October and the final on Saturday, 28 October.
“Loftus Versfeld and Emirates Airline Park are iconic stadiums, and we appreciate the fervent support of the home crowds at these venues, so we are ecstatic to begin a crucial season for the team at these venues,” said Nienaber.
The Castle Lager Rugby Championship matches against New Zealand away, Australia at home, and Argentina on the highveld will be perfect preparation for our Rugby World Cup campaign.
“All three teams will enter the international competition in France as potential contenders for the championship, so we anticipate a challenging season.”
SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus added that the match against the Pumas in Argentina ties in nicely with their RWC preparations: “Playing against Argentina in South America is unique because they have a very passionate home crowd that brings out the best in their team, so that environment will serve as good preparation for our team with an eye on the Rugby World Cup, especially after getting a taste of the atmosphere we can expect at the international extravaganza in England.”
Nienaber stated that the national coaches have been diligently preparing for the upcoming international season, where they will try to build on a promising 2022 campaign. “The coaches are off to a fast start this year, and we will continue to put in the work to ensure that we leave no stone unturned prior to the World Cup.
The Springbok coach continued, “We are on track to finalize our season preparations, and we are eager to return to the training field.”
The locations of the Tests in New Zealand and Argentina, as well as the Boks’ training camps, will be announced in due time.
The Springbok 2023 schedule:
Championship for Castle Lager Rugby:
Saturday, July 8th, Springboks take on Australia (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday, July 17th, Springboks take on New Zealand (venue TBC)
Saturday, July 29th – Springboks versus Argentina (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
RWC tune-up matches:
Saturday, August 5: Springboks against Argentina (venue TBC)
Saturday, August 19th, Springboks take against Wales (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)
Friday, August 25: South Africa versus New Zealand (Twickenham, London)
RWC pool fixtures:
10 September, Sunday: Springboks vs. Scotland (Stade Velodrome, Marseille)
Sunday, September 17: Springboks against Romania (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)
Saturday, September 23rd, Springboks versus Ireland (Stade de France, Paris)
Sunday, October 1st, Springboks vs. Tongans (Stade Velodrome, Marseille)
Weekend of October 14-15 – Quarterfinals
Weekend of October 21/22 – Semifinals
Final Saturday, 28 October
»Important Springboks fixtures and locations have been confirmed for 2023«