Springboks to start season with clash against England at Ellis Park

The international season for the Springboks will start with a crunch clash against England at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on July 4 as part of the newly established Nations Championship.

That Test will be followed by encounters against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria (July 11) and Wales at Kings Park in Durban (July 18).

The new schedule brings old foes back to South Africa for the first time in several years, as England last toured the country in 2018 and Scotland more than a decade ago in 2014, while Wales were the most recent visitors in 2022.

“We’re excited to announce the three venues for our home games in the Nations Championship, with the Springboks’ full roster of home Tests for 2026 now locked in after the stadiums for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry against New Zealand were confirmed a while ago,” said SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer.

“England are on a good winning run and will arrive in South Africa confident, facing the Boks at Ellis Park, where the last Test between the sides, in 2018, went down to the wire.

“Amazingly, Scotland have never played the Boks at Loftus Versfeld, though they played two Rugby World Cup matches at the stadium in 1995.

“Wales’ last visit to Durban was in 2014, and we are looking forward to closing out our July roster at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, and with every match counting towards the standings, no team can afford to rest on their laurels.”

During the November window of the Nations Championship, the Boks will face Italy (weekend of November 6-8), France (weekend of November 13-15) and Ireland (November 21) in Europe next year to complete their fixtures against all Six Nations teams.

This will be followed by the finals weekend, scheduled for November 27-29 at the Allianz Stadium in London, with three days of double headers as the Nations Championship draws to a dramatic climax.

Springbok Tests in South Africa in 2026:

Nations Championship

• July 4: Boks vs England (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
• July 11: Boks vs Scotland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
• July 18: Boks vs Wales (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry

• August 22: Boks vs New Zealand (First Test) – Ellis Park, Johannesburg
• August 29: Boks vs New Zealand (Second Test) – DHL Stadium, Cape Town
• September 5: Boks vs New Zealand (Third Test) – FNB Stadium, Johannesburg