Springboks fixtures, kick-off times, World Cup history

South Africa are in Pool B alongside New Zealand, Italy, Namibia and Canada in the 2019 edition of the Rugby World Cup. Their biggest challenge will be New Zealand but both teams should qualify without difficulty.

Fixtures, dates and kick-off times

Match one

South Africa vs New Zealand
International Stadium Yokohama
Saturday, 21 September  at 9:45 GMT 

Match two: 

South Africa vs Namibia
City of Toyota Stadium
Saturday, 28 September at 9:45 GMT

 Match three:

South Africa vs Italy
Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa
Friday, 4 October at 9:45 GMT

Match four:

South Africa vs Canada
Kobe Misaki Stadium
Tuesday, 8 October at 10:15 GMT

History

The Springboks have played six out of the eight World Cup Tournaments, not being able to partake in the first two tournaments due to the sports boycott during the Apartheid era.

With 36 matches in six tournaments and won 30 for a winning record of 83.33%.

Best result: Winners in 1995 and 2007. 

Last tournament: Third.

Springbok RWC 2019 squad

The Bok squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup has not been revealed yet. However, South Africa Rugby announced a radical contract overhaul in 2019, in an attempt to reverse the trend of talented players leaving the country.

At the time of the announcement, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said the existing model had to be “disrupted”.

“We have been agonising over how to keep players in the country since the game went professional more than 20 years ago,” Erasmus said.

“And the bottom line is that the rand is too weak and the economy of South African rugby too small to compete.

“A South African player can earn more from a two-month contract in Japan than he can if he were to win the World Cup with the Springboks this year. That’s the reality we have to face up to.

“Once we have done our work, the new strategy could see as many as 75 players in Springbok succession planning and being financially rewarded for it. We had to disrupt the model.”