Neutral venue confirmed for Boks' Rugby Champs finale

NEWS: The Springboks will be heading north for one of their Rugby Championship showdowns this year.

On Tuesday, SANZAAR and Unión Argentina de Rugby confirmed that this year’s Rugby Championship clash between Argentina and South Africa will be played at Twickenham in London.

Felipe Contepomi’s Los Pumas lock horns with the Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks on Saturday, October 4 (Kick-Off: 14.00 local; 15.00 SAST) in the final round of this year’s Rugby Championship, where everything could be on the line to decide who will be crowned champions.

The match will take place seven days after they meet in a Round Five encounter in South Africa.

The fixture will be only the second Rugby Championship match ever to be played outside of the four core territories of Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Argentina followed up their run to the semifinals of the 2023 Rugby World Cup with victories over South Africa, Australia and New Zealand in last year’s Rugby Championship, and head coach Felipe Contepomi is delighted to be facing the world champions again.

“Facing the world champions is always a great challenge and a tough test that we have year after year thanks to the Rugby Championship,” he said.

“Playing against the best teams raises our level and is a great opportunity to keep growing.”

Gabriel Travaglini, UAR President, added: “For the Argentine Rugby Union, it is an honour that Los Pumas have the opportunity to face the Springboks, the current World Champions, at the legendary Allianz Stadium known as the Home of Rugby.

“We thank World Rugby and SANZAAR for this opportunity, which represents a recognition of the growth and level of our rugby and helps us to continue strengthening the development of Argentine rugby.

“Undoubtedly, it will be an unforgettable experience for our players and a great opportunity to show our rugby to all the fans around the world.”

For South Africa, the showdown against Argentina marks a return to a familiar venue, having played three Test matches over the last 18 months at Twickenham.

Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks bested England (29-20) and Wales (41-13) in London last year, having beaten New Zealand 35-7 in front of a sold-out crowd in 2023 as they warmed up to successfully defend their World Cup crown.

And with a thriving community of South African rugby supporters in London, Erasmus is excited for his side to return to the home of English rugby once more in 2025.

“It’s always exciting to play at Allianz Stadium and we look forward to facing Argentina for the first time in the UK,” said the Springbok head coach.

“We’ve played two neutral-venue Test matches at the iconic stadium since 2023 against New Zealand and Wales, and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience, especially with the passionate crowd filling the stadium and the large contingent of Springbok supporters based in the UK.

“We have no doubt this match is going to be another exciting spectacle given the intense battles between the Springboks and Los Pumas over the last few years, and we are looking forward to the challenge.”

Los Pumas also hosted the only previous Rugby Championship match played outside of the competition’s four core territories of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina – losing out 21-33 in a thrilling contest against the Wallabies in 2016.

This year’s clash between Argentina and South Africa will be played in the final round of the Rugby Championship 2025, and SANZAAR Chief Executive Brendan Morris notes the fixture could well determine the ultimate destination of the trophy.

He said: “The Rugby Championship is one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious international rugby tournaments, and it is exciting that we can take this big Southern Hemisphere clash between Argentina and South Africa to Allianz Stadium in London.

“South Africa are the current World Champions and incumbent Rugby Championship champions, while Argentina is now fifth in the world rankings. This is an exciting opportunity to showcase The Rugby Championship in the UK, and we look forward to a sell-out crowd and global broadcast audience.

This is the second time Argentina has played a Rugby Championship match in London, following the 2016 match against Australia. As in 2024, The fixture will be a final-round match and may well play an important part in determining the eventual champion in 2025.”

Springbok fixtures in 2025 (all venues in SA will be confirmed):

Incoming Series:

5 July: SA v Italy
12 July: SA v Italy
19 July: SA v Georgia

Rugby Championship:

16 August: SA v Australia
23 August: SA v Australia
6 September: New Zealand v SA – Eden Park, Auckland
13 September: New Zealand v SA – Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington
27 September: SA v Argentina
4 October: Argentina v SA – Twickenham, London

Tickets will go on general sale from 10.00 on Thursday, 13 February via Ticketmaster.co.uk and England Rugby, starting from just £55* for adults and £28* for under-16s. Hospitality packages are also available, visit www.allianzstadiumtwickenham.com