DURBAN - The Springboks will depart for Australia on Thursday where they will play their four remaining Rugby Championship matches after Sanzaar confirmed overnight that the tournament was back on and that all games will be played in the state of Queensland.
After twice beating Argentina in Gqeberha, the Boks are back in action on Sunday, 12 September, at the CBUS Super Stadium on Queensland’s Gold Coast, which will be followed by another match-up between the teams at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday, 18 September.
The Boks’ eagerly awaited centenary match against the All Blacks will take on Saturday, 25 September in the northern Queensland city of Townsville and a week later the teams play each other on the Gold Coast.
These matches were initially scheduled to be hosted in Sydney, Brisbane, Dunedin and Auckland respectively.
“We are pleased that the Rugby Championship match schedule has been finalised and we are looking forward to continuing our campaign in Australia,” said Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber.
“We can now continue our planning to ensure that the players are ready for the next four matches from a physical and mental point of view, and we are excited about facing our old foes Australia and New Zealand again after kicking off the tournament well against Argentina.”
The Springboks and Pumas will travel to Australia together on Thursday afternoon, and both teams will be placed in quarantine for two weeks before taking the field, after which they will then operate normally in Australia with no restrictions being placed on their movements.
Despite being in quarantine, the Boks will be allowed to train as they have done in South Africa since the start of the series against the British and Irish Lions.
“The two-week quarantine period means we will be on tour for just under six weeks, but we are looking forward to experiencing normal life after a year-and-a-half of living under several forms of adjusted COVID-19 restrictions in South Africa,” said Nienaber.
“This will certainly assist in ensuring that the players are fresh mentally when they take the field, which is essential for them to peak in form.”
The Springboks had Monday and Tuesday off to rest and recover from the physically and mentally taxing schedule in the last two months, which saw them take on Georgia, the British & Irish Lions and play two matches against Argentina.
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