Boks heading back to town

THE Springboks will make a grand return to FNB Stadium in Soweto for the final home test when they take on world champions New Zealand in the Castle Rugby Championship.

The much-anticipated encounter is scheduled for 6 October 2012 and Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA), which manages the stadium, said enthusiasm for the encounter was building and preparations were well under way at the world-class venue.

“Stadium Management South Africa is thrilled to be hosting this game at the Soccer City complex for a second time.

“Last year, the stadium made history by accommodating a record-breaking crowd and we are optimistic and excited about the prospects of next year’s test match. Soccer City, which is the iconic World Cup stadium, remains the country’s premier sporting venue,” said Jacques Grobbelaar, the chief executive of SMSA.

In their last Tri Nations Test match in 2010, the Boks and the All Blacks recorded a crowd of 94 000 fans , making it the biggest rugby crowd in South Africa in more than 50 years.

In another international, the Boks will host England in a three-Test series; they will also take on Australia and Argentina in a home programme.

England will touch down on South African soil in June for what will be the first-test tour to South Africa by a single country since New Zealand visited in 1996. The teams will meet for the first time in Durban, before heading to Coca-Cola Park in Joburg.

There will be two tours to South Africa next year. The home test schedule is:

Castle Incoming Tours:

Saturday, 9 June: Springboks vs England – Mr Price Kings Park, Durban
Saturday, 16 June: Springboks vs England – Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg
Saturday, 23 June: Springboks vs England – Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Castle Rugby Championships:

Saturday, 18 August: Springboks vs Argentina – DHL Newlands, Cape Town
Saturday, 29 September: Springboks vs Australia – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Saturday, 6 October: Springboks vs New Zealand – FNB Stadium, Soweto
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