The world champion Springboks will play Wales in a one-off test at neutral Twickenham on June 22 ahead of their tour of Australia. It will be the first fixture since Rassie Erasmus took over as head coach following their Rugby World Cup triumph in France last year. They will also aim to maintain their number one ranking in the world rankings against Ireland in two home tests later this summer.
Warren Gatland’s side will then travel to Australia for two matches with the Wallabies – now coached by former Ireland and All Blacks coach Joe Schmidt. It will be the first time the Welsh Rugby Union has played South Africa on neutral ground.
Wales will be severely depleted for the visit to HQ as several players, including captain Gareth Anscombe and lock Taulupe Faletau, have been named in the URC final against the Sharks on June 10. The match falls outside World Rugby’s international window, so it will not count towards the World Cup qualifiers.
But the game against the Springboks will give Gatland’s side the chance to fine-tune for the Australia tour, which will be their final season series. The Boks will be looking to replicate their stunning display at RFK Stadium in Washington DC as they inflicted a record 35-7 victory on old foes New Zealand and ended the Kiwis’ hopes of winning a fifth successive Webb Ellis Cup.
Ticket prices for the match have been confirmed, with a wide range of price categories available. A new, data-led re-categorization of the stadium reduces the five existing price categories to three, making more tickets available in entry-level categories for this highly-anticipated fixture. A further 50% reduction in ticket prices will be applied for juniors.
The Wales match against the world champions will significantly boost the economy, with an estimated 13,000 visitors expected to attend the game. It will also showcase the best of Welsh culture and sport as the prestigious stadium in London hosts the match against the Springboks alongside the Robbie Deans-coached Barbarians, who take on Fiji later in the day. It will be the first time the RFK has hosted two rugby union matches daily. The venue was previously home to the city’s NFL and Major League Soccer franchises.