Updated Springbok fixtures as another game added to 2026

In what is already a jampacked 2026 season schedule, the Springboks have now added a ‘warm up’ game against the Barbarians at the end of June.

It will be the second home fixture between the teams in as many seasons, with the 2026 ‘rematch’ set to take place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, exactly two weeks before the Springboks’ inaugural Nations Championship match against England at Ellis Park.

The Springboks won the historic match between the teams by 54-7 in Cape Town last season, after last facing the BaaBaas in November 2016, which ended in a 31-31 draw at Wembley Stadium in London.

Tickets for the clash against the Barbarians – starting from R250 per person – will go on sale from 10:00 on Wednesday, 25 February, exclusively on springboks.tmtickets.co.za.

The Barbarians coaching quartet will be headed by former All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson and Los Pumas head coach Felipe Contepomi, who will be supported by Racing-92 head coach Patrice Collazo and Argentina assistant coach Kenny Lynn.

New-look season in store for Springboks

The Barbarians fixture will be followed by three local matches in the Nations Championship, against England in Johannesburg (4 July), Scotland in Pretoria (11 July), and Wales in Durban (18 July).

They will then meet the All Blacks in four Tests in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in August and September. This will be followed by an away Test against the Wallabies in Australia (27 September).

The second leg of the Nations Championship kicks off in Europe at the end of the year, with matches against Italy (7 November), France (13 November), and Ireland (21 November), before the Finals Weekend in London (27 to 29 November).

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: Springboks v All Blacks (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

Saturday 29 August: Springboks v All Blacks (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)

Saturday 5 September: Springboks v All Blacks (FNB Stadium, Johannesburg)

Saturday 12 September: Springboks v All Blacks (M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA)

Once-off Test:

Sunday 27 September: Wallabies v Springboks (Optus Stadium, Perth)

Nations Championship:

Saturday 7 November: Italy v Springboks (Venue TBC)

Friday 13 November: France v Springboks (Stade de France, Paris)

Saturday 21 November: Ireland v Springboks (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)

Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November: Finals Weekend (Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London)