There are now less than 60 days to go until Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks kick off their 2026 season against former All Blacks’ coach Scott Robertson’s star-studded Barbarians team.
After the BaaBaas clash, the Boks will host England, Scotland and Wales in three Tests in the new Nations Championship in July, before they welcome the All Blacks for three Tests in the so-called Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, a new series that will play out every four years.
“I can’t wait for the season to start and what better place than Gqeberha, where we’ve always enjoyed enormous support,” said Erasmus.
Rassie Erasmus and Springboks have lots to look forward to
The Springboks have never lost in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, winning eight of their nine Tests at this iconic venue, while one clash ended in a draw.
Last year, a crowd of 44,282 packed the stands to see a clinical Springbok performance as they beat Italy by 45-0.
“We’ve been told that the average attendance at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is over 95% of stadium capacity and we hope to see the stands packed out again this year when we welcome to BaaBaas to the game,” Erasmus added.
“They are coming to South Africa with an experienced and esteemed coaching team, and we know they will provide us with a proper test.
“At the same time, we’re very excited to see the rest of our wider squad in action in a proper match when the SA ‘A’ team take on the Sables from Zimbabwe. They have qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup and I’m sure it will be a great match.”
Fixtures for 2026:
International:
Saturday 20 June: Springboks v Barbarians (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha)
Nations Championship:
Saturday 4 July: Boks v England (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday 11 July:Boks v Scotland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday 18 July: Boks v Wales (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry:
Saturday 22 August: Boks v All Blacks (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday 29 August: Boks v All Blacks (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
Saturday 5 September: Boks v All Blacks (FNB Stadium, Johannesburg)
Saturday 12 September: Boks v All Blacks (M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA)
Once-off Test:
Sunday 27 September: Wallabies v Boks (Optus Stadium, Perth)
Nations Championship:
Saturday 7 November: Italy v Boks (Venue TBC)
Friday 13 November: France v Boks (Stade de France, Paris)
Saturday 21 November: Ireland v Boks (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November: Finals Weekend (Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London)
