Boktown brings fans face to face with Springbok spirit at historic Barbarians clash
Local fans will gather to watch the Springboks face the Barbarians for the first time on SA soil at the Wanderers Oval in Johannesburg on June 28.
Castle Lager Boktown is a travelling fan park series that brings the full Springbok match-day atmosphere to supporters nationwide.
Locals can enjoy a stop featuring a giant-screen broadcast, SA music, appearances by former Boks, family zones and partner activations. This will create a festive and safe space for fans to celebrate the green and gold.
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said, 'Castle Lager Boktown carries that heartbeat into towns and cities across the country, giving supporters a front-row view and offering partners a platform to enrich the Springbok story.'
ALSO READ: Development rugby takes centre stage at Saints SportsFest day 4
Set up as a full-scale festival, supporters can expect live performances by GoodLuck, Shekhinah and the 4am Band, food markets, appearances by current and former Springboks and activations from official Springbok partners.
'Boktown turns every Test into a nationwide gathering,' said Thomas Lawrence, the Castle Lager brand director.
'From the anthem to the final whistle, we want fans shoulder to shoulder, singing, cheering and making memories.
'With our partners on board, we've packed the day with music, legends and family fun so everyone goes home smiling,' he added.
The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, said this should be something that unites communities regardless of race. He emphasised that sport is one of the few things that brings people together.
First event details:
Event: Castle Lager Boktown;
Date: Saturday, June 28;
Venue: Wanderers Oval, Johannesburg;
Early-bird tickets: From R80;
Gates open: Noon;
Big-screen kick-off: 17:00.
Boktown stops in 2025:
June 28: Springboks vs Barbarians – Johannesburg;
July 5: Springboks vs Italy – Bloemfontein;
July 12: Springboks vs Australia – Witbank;
August 16: Springboks vs Australia – Nelspruit;
August 23: Springboks vs Australia – Durban;
August 23: Springboks vs Australia – Soweto;
September 27: Springboks vs Argentina – Nylstroom;
October 4: Argentina vs Springboks – Pretoria;
November 8: France vs Springboks – Boland;
November 22: Ireland vs Springboks – Benoni.
Tickets can be purchased on howler.co.za
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
10 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Van der Merwe says a try would be a bonus against Wallabies but is not vital
Rugby Given another shot to add to his three Springbok appearances, winger Edwill van der Merwe is not motivated by increasing his try scoring record but in helping the team start the Rugby Championship on a winning note. Van der Merwe will start against Australia in what is expected to be a packed Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday to add to the Test matches he has featured in against Wales, Italy and Georgia. In those three Tests, the speedy trickster has made a strong statement by scoring five tries and he is excited to be back at a venue he used to call home as a Lions player. Coach Rassie Erasmus picked Van der Merwe in the place of Cheslin Kolbe, who has been given an extra week of training after recovering from injury, and he is not perturbed about trying to fill the boots of the World Cup winner. 'I am excited about the opportunity to play against Australia and to take the field in a Test for the first time at Ellis Park,' said Van der Merwe. 'This is an opportunity and a new challenge to improve my game. That's where my focus is presently. There's an expectation that if you play for the Springboks and it is hard to become one and equally hard to stay here. 'So each day we go onto the field, training is a challenge and an opportunity to improve, and the key for me is to be able to say that with each session I got better. Scoring a try will be a bonus [but] I am more focused on my position in the system.' On what he expected against the Wallabies, Van der Merwe said they have improved in recent times. 'I have always watched and heard about the rivalry between the teams, so it's going to be special to play against them. They are a big and physical team who started building momentum against the British and Irish Lions in Australia and they have improved a lot. 'I expect the breakdown to be a focus point in the Test and I am looking forward to it.' Having scored five tries already in his short international career, Van der Merwe is not under pressure increase his tally. 'There is no pressure on me to score tries, but rather to ensure that I am accurate in implementing what the coaches want me to do. Scoring tries would be a bonus. 'The main challenge is to make the right decisions, both on attack and defence, especially against the stronger teams that have more experience.'
The Citizen
10 hours ago
- The Citizen
Blockbusters loading: What a weekend of sport
There is plenty on offer to keep every sports fan entertained over the coming days. Strap yourselves in – a blockbuster weekend of sport awaits. Not only are South Africa's favourite team, the Springboks, in action in the opening game of this year's Rugby Championship, but the Proteas are also playing in a final Down Under, while Dricus du Plessis puts his MMA title on the line in the USA. On top of this, Brad Binder is racing in MotoGP in Austria while locally it's the MTN8 semi-finals and there's Currie Cup action as well so every South African sports fans has something to look forward to. And, if the weekend of sport wasn't big enough already, the 2025/26 English Premiership season kicks off as well, with defending champions, Liverpool, in action in the opener on Friday night. Arne Slot's team take on Bournemouth to get the season underway, while there are also matches on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. On Saturday, rugby and cricket fans are in for a feast, with both the Boks and Proteas in action, and as it's turned out, against one of the country's biggest sporting rivals, Australia. First up Aiden Markram's Proteas take on the Aussies in Cairns in the third and final match of the T20 series, with both teams having won a game so far. The South Africans will take momentum into the final after winning the last match in Darwin on Tuesday, where Dewald Brevis scored a record 125 not out to guide the Proteas home. Can he repeat that knock, or will it be someone else's turn to stand up, maybe Lhuan-dre Pretorius or Kwena Maphaka, who's enjoyed a good series, or captain Markram himself? The Proteas have never beaten Australia in a T20 series Down Under so there's plenty to play for in Cairns. In fact, the last time the Proteas beat the Aussies in a T20 series anywhere was back in 2009. The Proteas take on Australia in the third T20 match on Saturday. Picture:Boks get Rugby Championship underway Later on Saturday attention will turn to the reigning rugby world champions, the Boks, who host Australia at Ellis Park in the Rugby Championship opener. The visitors are coming off a good win in the third Test against the British and Irish Lions, while the Boks warmed up for the competition by playing the Barbarians, Italy and Georgia. Who'll be sharper and fresher first up? Bok boss Rassie Erasmus has been forced to make a few unexpected selections because of injuries to men such as Cheslin Kolbe and Damian de Allende, and the suspension of Jasper Wiese, but still the Boks look a formidable side. In good dry conditions expect a fast-paced game by the Boks, where Manie Libbok will run the show at flyhalf and have his country's eyes on him at goal-kicking time, while Siya Kolisi will captain the side from eighthman, for the first time. After the appetiser last month, the Rugby Championship is the main course and what a feast awaits. Dricus du Plessis in action on Sunday Early Sunday, Du Plessis will put his UFC middleweight title on the line for the third time, on this occasion against Russian powerhouse Khamzat Chimaev, in Chicago, USA. Du Plessis has defended his title in stunning fashion in recent times, but this is his big test. Should he win on Sunday he will go down as one of the biggest MMA fighters of all time. It promises to be a thrilling contest. For South African sports fans it doesn't get much bigger than what's on offer this weekend. Go the Bokke, Proteas and Dricus!
The Citizen
11 hours ago
- The Citizen
The Rugby Championship: History and stats favour the All Blacks, but the Boks have other ideas
The Rugby Championship: History and stats favour the All Blacks, but the Boks have other ideas The Springboks begin their defence of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship – as the tournament is branded in South Africa – against Australia at Emirates Airline Park on Saturday. The annual tournament, officially known as The Rugby Championship, is contested by Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and has been dominated by the All Blacks since 2012, when Argentina joined. Numbers and stats have no bearing on the next match to be played, but they do define the past. New Zealand have won the Rugby Championship nine times, South Africa twice and Australia once. Los Pumas are yet to win the title. Statistics back up the dominance of the All Blacks. New Zealand have won 51 of their 63 matches played since 2012. South Africa have won 33, Australia 26 and Argentina 12. The All Blacks have scored 2 154 points, the Springboks 1 683, the Wallabies 1 411 and Los Pumas 1 196. New Zealand have conceded 1 197 points, South Africa 1 383, Australia 1 735, and Argentina 2 063. Of the 12 players who have scored 13 or more tries in the Rugby Championship, nine are All Blacks. Judging by the four Rugby Championship nations' form over the past two years, this year's title has two contenders – New Zealand and South Africa. The fixture list already has the Springboks at a disadvantage. Both matches against the All Blacks will be played in New Zealand. 'Disadvantage' might be putting it mildly. New Zealand have only lost two consecutive home test matches against South Africa once in their history – in 1937. The Boks need to win at least one of the two matches against the All Blacks and ensure they come out of the two matches with at least one more log point than their rivals. The matches will be played at Eden Park in Auckland and the Sky Stadium in Wellington on consecutive Saturdays in September. The Springboks have not won at Eden Park since their famous victory in 1937, while the All Blacks have not lost to any opponent in Auckland since 1994. Wellington has been a happy hunting ground for South Africa, with a win in 2018 and a draw in 2019 against the All Blacks. History suggests two All Blacks wins against the Boks in the 2025 Rugby Championship, but present form points to two close matches. There is one statistic that might just give the Boks the edge – 65 million South Africans. The Rugby Championship winners: 2012 – New Zealand 2013 – New Zealand 2014 – New Zealand 2015 – Australia 2016 – New Zealand 2017 – New Zealand 2018 – New Zealand 2019 – South Africa 2021 – New Zealand 2022 – New Zealand 2023 – New Zealand 2024 – South Africa Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.
