REVEALED: Boks' venue for historic match against Portugal
NEWS: Bloemfontein has been confirmed as the venue when the Springboks face Portugal in the historic first Test between the nations on Saturday, July 20.
The back-to-back World Cup champions return to the Free State Stadium for the first time since their narrow 12-13 defeat against Wales in the City of Roses in 2022 and will be expecting a competitive challenge against Portugal.
The Portuguese defeated RWC quarterfinalists Fiji in their final pool match in France last year.
The confirmation of Bloemfontein as the venue for the Test match completes the domestic Test schedule, which begins with a two-Test series against top international rivals Ireland in Pretoria and Durban on July 6 and 13 respectively. This will be followed a week later by the Portugal Test.
The Springboks will then face New Zealand in the Rugby Championship in two Tests in Johannesburg and Cape Town on August 31 and September 7, before lining up against Argentina in Nelspruit on Saturday, September 28.
“We are delighted that we will be returning to Bloemfontein for this historic match, and we are determined to continue to make our passionate supporters proud,” said SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus.
“With the venue now confirmed we can go full steam ahead with our planning for the home Tests from an operational perspective.
“There’s no doubt it has added to the excitement for the season ahead, especially after capping off the 2023 season by defending the World Cup title.”
SA Rugby added that Ticketing details for all six Tests are being finalised and will be announced soon.
However, supporters are warned to only buy from official outlets and not websites such as Viagogo.
The Springboks’ home Test schedule for 2024 is:
Saturday, July 6: SA vs. Ireland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday, July 13: SA vs. Ireland (Kings Park, Durban)
Saturday, July 20: SA vs. Portugal (Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein)
Saturday, August 31: SA vs. New Zealand (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday, September 7: SA vs. New Zealand (Cape Town Stadium)
Saturday, September 28: SA vs. Argentina (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)
