The Springboks will start their 2026 season with a mouth-watering clash against England at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, when the newly established Nations Championship kicks off. SA Rugby confirmed the three venues for the July tests on Friday.
The test against England is on Saturday, 4 July, and will be followed by encounters against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria (11 July), and Wales at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban (18 July).
The new schedule brings old foes back to South Africa for the first time in several years. England last toured South Africa in 2018 and Scotland more than a decade ago in 2014. 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 Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby.
“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 enough, Scotland have never played the Boks at Loftus Versfeld, although 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 6-8 November), France (weekend of 13-15 November) and Ireland (21 November) in Europe next year to complete their fixtures against all Six Nations teams.
This will be followed by the Finals Weekend, scheduled for 27-29 November 2026 at the Allianz Stadium in London, with three days of double headers as the Nations Championship draws to a dramatic climax.
Details on ticket sales and kick-off times for the home tests will be announced in due course.
CONFIRMED SPRINGBOK TESTS IN SOUTH AFRICA IN 2026:
Nations Championship:
4 July: Boks v England – Ellis Park, Johannesburg
11 July: Boks v Scotland – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
18 July: Boks v Wales – Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry:
22 August: Boks v New Zealand (First test) – Ellis Park, Johannesburg
29 August: Boks v New Zealand (Second test) – DHL Stadium, Cape Town
5 September: Boks v New Zealand (Third test) – FNB Stadium, Johannesburg