Springboks’ curtain-raiser fixture confirmed as South Africa A’s four-year hiatus ends
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu playing for South Africa A and an inset of Zimbabwe's Godwin Mangenje.
A South African A team will face the Zimbabwe Sables as a curtain raiser for the first Springboks game of the year, SA Rugby has confirmed.
It will be the first time that an SA A team has played since the 2022 end-of-year tour, when the team coached by Mzwandile Stick faced off against Munster and Bristol Bears.
The clash between SA A and the Sables will take place on 20 June in Gqeberha at 12h00 (local) and will be preceded by the Springboks versus the Barbarians at 15h00.
Confirmed: South Africa A to tackle Zimbabwe Sables in Springboks’ curtain-raiser
“The match between the SA ‘A’ team and Zimbabwe will serve as a fantastic opportunity for both teams to achieve some of their objectives with the Rugby World Cup in mind, and from a South African point of view, we have seen the benefits of having an SA ‘A’ team playing against quality opposition,” Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus said.
“Players such as Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu), Ruan (Nortje), Grant (Williams), Aphelele (Fassi), and Elrigh (Louw), among others, all played for the team in the early stages of their international careers, and have become important members of our squad since, so this match will offer us another chance to give guys within our squad and others who have really put up their hands to prove what they can do against international opposition.
“We have done well to rotate our squad and give several players a chance in the last two seasons, but there are others who have performed really well outside of that group, who we would like to see in action, so we’ll be able to cast our net wider as we prepare for that encounter.”
The match between the two African nations comes after Zimbabwe’s 2027 Rugby World Cup qualification, with the Sables set to make their first appearance at the tournament since 1991.
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Exciting opportunity for Sables
Sables head coach Pieter Benade was equally thrilled about his charges facing the SA ‘A’ team and said: “We’re excited for the opportunity to test ourselves against one of the world’s top rugby nations and a truly elite system. It’s a challenge we embrace and one that promises to push our standards to another level.
“Experiences like this are invaluable, as they expose our players to the highest level of competition, accelerate their growth, and play a key role in the continued development of our squad. We’re looking forward to the lessons ahead and the chance to showcase our progress on the international stage.”
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SA Rugby added that the coach of the SA A team will be announced in due course.
Meanwhile, the Springboks are set to host their second alignment camp in May with Erasmus naming his squad for the first official training camp in June a few weeks later.
The Boks begin the 2026 international season with the friendly against the Barbarians before hosting England, Scotland and Wales in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban, respectively. The All Blacks then arrive on South African shores for the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series.
Springbok fixtures in 2026:
International:
Saturday 20 June: Springboks v Barbarians and SA ‘A’ v Zimbabwe (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha)
Nations Championship:
Saturday 4 July: Springboks v England (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday 11 July: Springboks v Scotland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday 18 July: Springboks v Wales (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry:
Saturday 22 August: Springboks v All Blacks (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday 29 August: Springboks v All Blacks (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
Saturday 5 September: Springboks v All Blacks (FNB Stadium, Johannesburg)
Saturday 12 September: Springboks v All Blacks (M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA)
Once-off Tests:
Saturday 8 August: Argentina v Springboks (Estadio Jose Amalfitani, Buenos Aires)
Sunday 27 September: Wallabies v Springboks (Optus Stadium, Perth)
Nations Championship:
Saturday 7 November: Italy v Springboks (Venue TBC)
Friday 13 November: France v Springboks (Stade de France, Paris)
Saturday 21 November: Ireland v Springboks (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November: Finals Weekend (Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London)