Johannesburg and Durban host 2015 Castle Lager Rugby Championship matches
South African Rugby Union (SARU) confirmed the home venues for the 2015 Castle Lager Rugby Championship.
South African Rugby Union (SARU) on Friday December 12 confirmed the home venues for the 2015 Castle Lager Rugby Championship.
The Springboks will play New Zealand at Emirates Airline Park (formerly Ellis Park), Johannesburg, on Saturday July 25 and Argentina at Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban, on Saturday August 8.
The schedule was amended as a result of the condensing of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship competition to three rounds because of the Rugby World Cup, which begins in mid-September.
Durban was due to host the Springboks’ home match against Australia – which was one of the matches to be removed from the schedule.
It will now receive the visiting Pumas while Western Province, which was due to host that Test, will be the venue for a match against a World XV on either August 22 or 29.
The match against New Zealand was always scheduled to be held in Johannesburg.
SARU CEO Jurie Roux said that the recent practice of hosting New Zealand only at Johannesburg venues had been reviewed during the allocation process.
“Member unions have made a case for hosting the draw card of a Springbok v All Blacks match at their venue and we have heard them,” he said.
“In the next round of allocations from 2016 onward that fixture will be moving around the country including to coastal unions such as DHL Western Province and the Cell C Sharks.”
Springbok Fixtures 2015:
* Saturday July 18: Australia v South Africa – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (Castle Lager Rugby Championship)
* Saturday July 25: South Africa v New Zealand – Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg (Castle Lager Rugby Championship)
* Saturday August 8: South Africa v Argentina – Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban (Castle Lager Rugby Championship)
* Saturday August 15: Argentina v South Africa – Venue TBC (Test)
* Saturday August 22 or 29: South Africa v World XV – DHL Newlands, Cape Town (Friendly)
* Saturday September 19: South Africa v Japan – Brighton (Rugby World Cup)
* Saturday September 26: South Africa v Samoa – Birmingham (Rugby World Cup)
* Saturday October 3: South Africa v Scotland – Newcastle (Rugby World Cup)
* Saturday October 7: South Africa v USA – London (Rugby World Cup)
