Boks to kick off season against BaaBaas in Gqeberha

The Springboks will kick off a novel 2026 season against the Barbarians in Gqeberha on Saturday, 20 June – the second home fixture between the teams in as many seasons – at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, exactly two weeks before their inaugural Nations Championship match against England at Ellis Park.

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

The 2026 season will feature two new competitions for Bok coach Rassie Erasmus and his charges as the Nations Championship and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry kick off, making the Barbarians clash a vital occasion for the team to get valuable game time against quality opposition.

The Barbarians coaching quartet will be headed by former All Black 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.

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.

“It’s always exciting to face the BaaBaas and we are looking forward to hosting them in South Africa for the second year in a row – this time at the iconic Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, where we have traditionally enjoyed fantastic support,” said Erasmus.

“With our opening Nations Championship encounter against England two weeks later, this will be an ideal opportunity to get the players match-ready against a side that always boasts top players from across the world.

“The key for us, however, will be to focus on our structures and what we want to achieve on the field. This is a new season with two new exciting competitions, so the sooner we get into a Test match mindset, the better.”

Contepomi was equally thrilled about the fixture and said: “It was a tremendous honour to play for the Barbarians and now to be invited to coach the BaaBaas in a match against the back-to-back world champions in their own country is just as special.

“It’s a recognition of the performance of Los Pumas in recent years and it will be a great challenge to put a team together in a week to face South Africa. I eagerly await that opportunity.”

Robertson added: “The Barbarians brings the rugby world together, so it’s special to be a part of it and to honour the jersey.”

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).

Springbok fixtures 2026

International

Saturday 20 June: Springboks v Barbarians (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha)

Nations Championship

Saturday 4 July: Springboks v England (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

Saturday 11 July: Springboks v Scotland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

Saturday 18 July: Springboks 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)

The strongest international rugby teams and the best players in the world, begin their Nations Championship campaign this July, with iconic global venues confirmed to host the ‘Southern Series’ of fixtures, which span three consecutive weekends and offer a schedule of unmissable clashes.

One Stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand, will be the stage for the first ever Nations Championship fixture, with a heavyweight opener between the All Blacks and France. The two teams have built up a fierce rivalry over the years, whilst vying to establish themselves as the dominant force in their respective hemisphere. It will be the first time an international rugby fixture will be hosted at the new state of the art stadium in Christchurch, adding another layer of history to the landmark occasion.

From Ellis Park in Johannesburg, Allianz Stadium in Sydney, Eden Park in Auckland and the National Stadium in Tokyo, through to neutral venues in the UK, including the new Hill Dickson Stadium in Liverpool, the Nations Championship will visit venues and cities that cement the tournaments status as a global showcase of the best rugby nations and players that the sport has to offer.

Neutral venues in the UK have been selected to host the Fiji ‘home’ fixtures and Japan will host Ireland at a Southern Hemisphere neutral venue, to establish the strongest start to the tournament in its first edition. The schedule also allows more fans access to attend fixtures, whilst balancing team logistics, travel, broadcasting and the stadium infrastructure needed to host elite international rugby fixtures.

The 12 competing nations, split into the two groups of six teams, representing the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, will each play six fixtures against a different opponent from their rival hemisphere group - three in July (Southern Series) and three in November (Northern Series). Match points are on offer across the July and November chapters of the tournament, which will dictate the table standings per Hemisphere group to create the schedule of fixtures for the Nations Championship Finals Weekend in London.

The Finals Weekend is a totally new concept for rugby union and will deliver three days of double-headers at Allianz Stadium, in London, creating a dramatic climax to the tournament. The first ranked team in the Northern Hemisphere group and the first ranked team representing the Southern Hemisphere, will battle to be named the first ever Champion of the new tournament.

Adding to the sporting jeopardy of the Finals Weekend, all teams will be competing to earn points for their group to decide the strongest rugby Hemisphere in 2026. Where a team finishes in their respective group table determines who they will face in the Finals Weekend: The first-placed Southern Hemisphere team will face the first-placed Northern Hemisphere team, through to sixth versus sixth but every fixture matters to every team as they compete for the two titles.

The Nations Championship Finals Weekend will welcome global fans to one of the sporting capitals of the world. London will add to its enviable list of major sporting occasions with the first ever Finals Weekend, and fans will have unprecedented access to tickets to see the best rugby on the planet, thanks to comprehensive pricing and ticket options available across the three days when the pre-sale and general sale ticketing windows open on 25 February and 11 March respectively.

Brendan Morris, CEO of SANZAAR said: “The confirmation of the match venues for the Southern Series chapter of the Nations Championship is another exciting and significant milestone for international rugby.

“The Nations Championship internationals, in July and November, now have real meaning for fans with every match counting to an overall tournament outcome. The July Southern Series matches are now locked in and will bring world class rugby to major cities and venues around the world including Buenos Aires, Christchurch, Johannesburg, Sydney, London and Tokyo.

“We are looking to answer the question, ‘Who will rule the world in 2026?’ as the top teams in the world compete for the Nations Championship crown and we will also determine bragging rights as the Hemispheres Collide and the strongest hemisphere will ultimately be crowned.”

Commenting on the confirmation of venues and cities primed to host the first three weekends of Nations Championship fixtures, Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby added:

“The Nations Championship will stand alongside the worlds best sport and entertainment tournaments and the confirmation of venues hosting fixtures in July highlights the intention to put the best rugby teams and players in the sport in front of global fans, on some of the most iconic stages in world sport.

Every fixture matters to every team in the Nations Championship, with each result in July pointing towards the Finals Weekend in London this November. The added jeopardy and meaning to each fixture will create hugely compelling entertainment for fans and drive longterm growth for the sport. This is why we have approached the Finals Weekend ticketing with the commitment to make it accessible to as many fans as possible, so they have every chance to be there to experience the start of an incredible new era for rugby.”