Springboks to play first match since Rugby World Cup triumph in another Twickenham Test

South Africa will take on Wales in a mid-year Test at Twickenham following on from their encounter with the All Blacks prior to the Rugby World Cup.

The Springboks are looking to build on the success of that game after legions of South African expats descended on the ‘home of rugby.’

They thrashed the All Blacks 35-7 in that contest before the Boks went on to lift the World Cup for a record fourth time two months later.

Rassie Erasmus’ men will now take on Warren Gatland’s side on Saturday, June 22, in their first match since the World Cup triumph.

Preparation for Ireland series

This one-off international against Wales comes ahead of South Africa’s two-Test series against Ireland in July, while they will also take on Portugal before the Rugby Championship.

“We are thrilled to return to Twickenham in what will mark our first Test since the Rugby World Cup 2023 final in France,” Springboks head coach Erasmus said.

“We have very fond memories of the RWC 23 warm-up Test we played against the All Blacks at Twickenham last year. The atmosphere and occasion were truly remarkable, and we are expecting a very similar experience in June.

“The fact that we’re facing Wales, who we have faced there before in an exhilarating Rugby World Cup 2015 quarter-final, will bring back plenty of other memories as well.

“We may be playing on foreign territory, but we enjoy fantastic support from the expat community in London and its surrounds, so we are really looking forward to the match.”

It will also be useful preparation for a young Wales side, who will head down to Australia after they have faced the mighty Springboks at Twickenham.

“Extremely important experience”

“I’m incredibly excited about the fixture list for Wales this summer,” head coach Warren Gatland said.

“To have the opportunity for our young squad to test itself against the world champions at a neutral venue is an extremely important experience and something that we will relish. It should also be a great occasion for the fans and something a little bit different for them.

“We’re also excited for the opportunity we have with our two Tests in Australia in July. We know the Wallabies will be hurting after Rugby World Cup but Australia is a tough place to go and play rugby and we’re expecting a fired up side led by new head coach Joe Schmidt.”

The match will kick-off at 2pm before a fixture between the Barbarians and Fiji follows at 5:15pm.

General admission tickets go on sale from Friday 23 February at 10am – visit Ticketmaster, Ticketek or RFU to secure your seat.

Each ticket will cover entry for both South Africa vs Wales (K.O. 2pm) and Barbarians vs Fiji (K.O. 5.15pm) on Saturday 22 June, starting from just £55* for Adults and £28* for Under-16s. For a 10% discount on groups of 10 or more, please visit www.eticketing.co.uk/rfu/events. Hospitality packages are also available now, starting from £179 per person – visit www.twickenhamstadium.com to purchase now.

*booking fees apply and match is “subject to World Rugby approval”

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