In an effort to give the Springboks the best possible chance of winning the 2015 World Cup, Heyneke Meyer’s team will play two additional matches this season.
The Boks will not only play Wales at the end of their November tour of Europe, giving them four games instead of the usual three, but also face a World XV at the start of the international season. The extra games will bring to 14 the number of matches Meyer’s men will play this year.
SA Rugby Union CEO Jurie Roux said the decision to play the extra matches is to source additional income for the World Cup preparations as well as provide extra time in camp for the Bok squad. Meyer has regularly spoken about the little time he has to work with his squad and four weeks together in a wet and cold Europe, playing in conditions which the Boks will encounter at the World Cup, can only be beneficial.
The venue for the World XV match on June 7 is still to be decided, but it could well be Cape Town Stadium. Following that will be two Tests against Wales and then a one-off against Scotland.
The Boks will start their Rugby Championship challenge against Argentina and then face Australia and New Zealand away before taking on their biggest rivals at home. The game against the All Blacks in South Africa will be at Ellis Park.
Fixtures
Incoming Series
June 7: SA v World XV (venue TBC)
June 14: SA v Wales (Kings Park, Durban)
June 21: SA v Wales (Nelspruit)
June 28: SA v Scotland (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth)
Rugby Championship
August 16: SA v Argentina (Loftus Versfeld)
August 23: Argentina v SA (venue TBC)
September 6: Australia v SA (Perth)
September 13: NZ v SA (Wellington)
September 27: SA v Australia (Newlands,)
October 4: SA v New Zealand (Ellis Park)
Outgoing Tour
November 8: Ireland v SA ( Dublin)
November 15: England v SA (Twickenham)
November 22: Italy v SA (venue TBC)
November 29: Wales v SA (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)