The Springboks will meet the All Blacks at Twickenham in England for only the second time ever when they clash in a Rugby World Cup warm-up fixture on August 25 2023.
The match takes place two weeks before the World Cup kicks off in France, where South Africa will attempt to defend their crown as world champions.
The Test against New Zealand follows another warm-up fixture for the Boks a week earlier against Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on August 19 2023, as Bok coach Jacques Nienaber strives to put the final touches in place for the World Cup.
The Springboks meet Scotland (September 10 in Marseille), Romania (September 17 in Bordeaux), Ireland (September 23 in Paris) and Tonga (October 1 in Marseille) in their World Cup Pool B encounters.
The All Blacks are ranked fourth in the world, one spot behind the Boks, while Wales occupy seventh place.
Nienaber and SA Rugby director of rugby Rassie Erasmus believe a tough fixture against New Zealand will provide excellent preparation for the Boks.
The Boks have faced New Zealand once before at Twickenham, in 2015 when the All Blacks won a tense Rugby World Cup semifinal 20-18 before New Zealand lifted the Webb Ellis Cup a week later at the same venue.
“The Springboks and All Blacks share one of the greatest rivalries in rugby, and to face them at Twickenham will be an exciting experience for the players and our fans,” Erasmus said.
“The match will take place shortly before we kick off our World Cup campaign, and both this encounter and the Test against Wales will be vital for us to measure ourselves before the competition and put the final building in blocks in place so we enter the showpiece in the desired form.”
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster said the match “will form an important part of our preparations for Rugby World Cup”.
“Matches against the Springboks are always hard-fought and we are expecting nothing less than a titanic battle on this unique occasion.”
Bill Sweeney, CEO of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), said the RFU were excited to host the match.
“It’s not often we get the chance to host a Friday evening match under the lights at Twickenham and so it’s fitting that we welcome two of the powerhouses of global rugby,” he said.
“Both nations have sizable expat communities in London and beyond, who will only contribute to what is sure to be an electric atmosphere.”
SA Rugby said tickets “will go on sale from 11am SA time on Thursday (October 27) via Ticketmaster and the RFU” at “£55 [R1,150] for adults and £28 [R580] for under-16s”. Click on these links to enquire about or purchase buy tickets: link 1 or link 2.
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