Boks return to Buenos Aires for the first time in 10 years
The Springboks will return to Buenos Aires for the first time in 10 years when they face Argentina in a special round of matches in preparation for the Rugby World Cup following the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, SANZAR announced on Monday.
With the 2015 Rugby World Cup looming large, the four Castle Lager Rugby Championship teams will play an additional round of international matches on Saturday 15 August following the conclusion of the competition a week earlier.
This round will see New Zealand host Australia at Eden Park in Auckland, while the Springboks will battle it out with Argentina in Buenos Aires – a venue they last visited in 2005 when they defeated Argentina 34-23. The venue and time of the Springboks’ match will be announced in due course.
Meanwhile, the Springboks will begin their Castle Lager Rugby Championship campaign against Australia at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday 18 July at 12h05 before returning to South Africa for back-to-back Tests against New Zealand and Argentina respectively in Johannesburg on July 25 and in Durban on 8 August at 17h05.
New Zealand and Australia will kick off the condensed tournament in Christchurch on Friday 17 July, while the clash between South Africa and Argentina at Growthpoint Kings Park will conclude the tournament. Each team will face each other only once in this format, with the winner crowned following the match in Durban.
Interestingly, the opening match will serve as AMI Stadium’s debut match in The Castle Lager Rugby Championship, although the temporary Addington Christchurch venue previously hosted the All Blacks on two occasions (a 22-19 victory over Ireland in 2012 and a 30-0 whitewash of France in 2013).
The Rugby Championship will commence a fortnight after the Vodacom Super Rugby final on 4 July with the last round of matches concluding on 15 August, giving teams just over a month before launching their Rugby World Cup campaigns.
Castle Lager Rugby Championship fixtures (all times reflected are SA Times):
09h35 – New Zealand v Argentina (AMI Stadium, Christchurch)
12h05 – Australia v South Africa (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
17h05 – South Africa v New Zealand (Emirates Airlines Park, Johannesburg)
00h40 – Argentina v Australia (Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza)
12h05 – Australia v New Zealand (ANZ Stadium, Sydney)
17h05 – South Africa v Argentina (Growthpoint King’s Park, Durban)
Additional week of International matches – Saturday 15 August (times reflected are SA Times):
09h35 – New Zealand v Australia (Eden Park, Auckland)
TBC – Argentina v South Africa (Buenos Aires, Stadium TBC)
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