Fans outraged over Bok tickets

SPOTLIGHT: Springbok Test matches in South Africa always coincide with a wave of euphoria and pure joy.

But the sad reality is that many South Africans are often priced out of the stands, and the backlash to ticket prices has started.

After SA Rugby announced the Springboks’ opening match of the international season when they host the Barbarians at the Cape Town Stadium (June 28) in early May, fans immediately started slamming the ticket prices online.

Tickets went on sale at 09.00 on Tuesday, May 6, exclusively via Ticketmaster.

Only a limited number of tickets were priced at R250 and R350, which quickly sold out.

The next best price ranges between R850 to R3000 per ticket.

The tension between financial necessity and rugby’s cultural meaning remains unresolved. Rugby in South Africa is more than a game; it represents unity, resilience, and the ongoing story of a nation finding itself.

For many South Africans, being priced out of the stands feels like a betrayal of rugby’s core values. Fans, who once saw themselves reflected in the team’s slogans of unity and resilience, now watch from a distance.

The latest showdown over ticket prices has inflamed ongoing conversations about who really gets to experience the thrill of a live match – and what sport means in a society wrestling with rapid change.

On Friday, May 16, tickets for the Springboks’ July Test matches also went on sale.

The Springboks face Italy at Loftus Versfeld on July 5 and in Gqeberha on July 12, followed by the Georgia Test match in Mbombela on July 19.

And where suite owners and season ticket holders (also called memberships) benefited as Test tickets were included in their annual ticket, it is now excluded.

For the Barbarians match, Stormers season ticket holders had a shot at early access.

By giving them early access to the Barbarians tickets, allocated by an electronic system, the limited low-cost tickets were sold out before tickets officially opened.

This will also be the case for Loftus Versfeld and the Ellis Park Test match (vs Australia) on August 16.

According to SA Rugby’s new Test match model, season tickets do not include Test matches.

Last week, Edgar Rathbone, CEO at the Bulls, informed suite owners at Loftus Versfeld they need to buy Test tickets for their own suite at the stadium, or clear it out so SA Rugby can sell the suite for the Test against Italy.

Under the new Test model, it has been agreed that all Test venues would get a share of revenues (even in seasons they don’t have a match) to an agreed value.