South Africa’s fly-half Handre Pollard (R) celebrates with teammates after South Africa won the France 2023 Rugby World Cup Final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris, on October 28, 2023. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)
When do the Springboks play in 2024?
The Springboks will have a bumper campaign in 2024 with six Test matches to be played on home soil across the season.
South Africa’s fly-half Handre Pollard (R) celebrates with teammates after South Africa won the France 2023 Rugby World Cup Final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris, on October 28, 2023. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)
It has now been made clear who the Springboks will face across the 2024 season with all their home games now settled.
The Springboks have added a Test against Portugal to their 2024 Test schedule with the one-off match set to follow the two-match series against Ireland.
The team directed by Rassie Erasmus will play Portugal (location TBC) on 20 July 20 after facing Ireland in Pretoria and Durban on 6 July and 13 July 2024.
Springboks add historic Test against Portugal
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When the Springboks play Ireland at Loftus Versfeld, they will have resumed play after a 252-day break. A week later, on their first trip to South Africa in eight years, the Six Nations winners reassemble at Kings Park.
The Springboks prevailed 2-1 in the 2016 series, but Ireland has since won all three encounters (and five of the previous seven) between the two sides, most recently in a thrilling 13-8 triumph in Marseille during the Rugby World Cup pool stage.
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New ground
A week later, on 20 July, the Springboks will take on Portugal in their first Test match. Portugal made a lasting impression at the Rugby World Cup by thrillingly drawing with Georgia and then defeating Fiji 24-23 in their last group encounter.
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As part of the Rugby Championship, fellow World Cup finalists New Zealand will make a return in August and September for a pair of Rugby Championship Tests. For the first time since 2009, the Boks will be looking to defeat the All Blacks three times in a row on 31 August.
The Springboks are also scheduled to play Tests in Australia and Argentina away during the Rugby Championship and have confirmed they will take on France as one of their November opponents in Europe.
The Springboks’ home Test schedule for 2024
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1. Saturday, July 6: Springboks v Ireland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
2. Saturday, July 13: Springboks v Ireland (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
3. Saturday, July 20: Springboks v Portugal (venue TBC)
4. Saturday, August 31: Springboks v New Zealand (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
5. Saturday, September 7: Boks v New Zealand (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
6. Saturday, September 28: Boks v Argentina (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)
