Date for start of ticket sales for Boks vs Georgia match at Mbombela Stadium announced
Date for start of ticket sales for Boks vs Georgia match at Mbombela Stadium announced
The Lowveld's green and gold army can purchase tickets for the test match between the Springboks and Georgia at Mbombela Stadium from Friday, May 16.
The Boks are undefeated at Mbombela Stadium with a record of played five, won five.
The Springboks take on Italy in a two-test series in Pretoria (July 5) and Gqeberha (July 12), before meeting Georgia in Mbombela (July 19) in the Castle Lager Incoming Series.
The start to the Bok season not only represents an opportunity to see the back-to-back world champions in action locally, but also launches a year in which the Boks will be fighting to defend their number one world ranking to secure the most favourable draw for Rugby World Cup 2027.
Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby, said: 'This is more than just the start of the season – it's a chance for South Africans to once again unite behind a team that brings pride to the nation in a critical year for world cup preparation. We had an amazing 2024 and we're looking forward to seeing South Africans fill stadiums with passionate supporters, enjoying the experience as a memorable kick-off to a year filled with big challenges and even bigger opportunities.'
Fans are urged to act quickly when tickets become available on May 16, as demand is expected to be exceptionally high following last season's 100% sellout of home Springbok matches.
Georgia are ranked 11th in the world, above Wales and Japan. They are renowned for their powerful, aggressive scrumming and are undefeated in 35 consecutive matches over eight seasons in the Rugby Europe Men's Championship.
The South Africa vs Georgia test at Mbombela Stadium will be only the third match between the two sides in history.
The first two matches between the nations were in Sydney, during the 2003 Rugby World Cup (SA 40 – Georgia 16), and in Pretoria in 2021 (SA 40 – Georgia 9), with the latter being played in an empty stadium due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The Boks have won all five of the matches they have played at Mbombela Stadium. In 2013, they defeated Scotland 30-17 and in 2014 beat Wales 31-30. In 2016, South Africa played against Argentina at Mbombela Stadium and won 30-23. They went on to win the 2022 match against the All Blacks 26-10 and also defeated Argentina 48-7 in 2024.
Tickets will be available at https://www.ticketmaster.co.za and at the Mbombela Stadium ticket office.
• Tickets for the Springboks' home matches in their defence of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship title will go on sale on Friday, June 13.
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
eNCA
7 hours ago
- eNCA
Proteas seek end to trophy misery in WTC final against Australia
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa captain Temba Bavuma believes his team can put their shocking record in knockout games behind them when they face defending champions Australia in next week's World Test Championship final. The Proteas have won just one International Cricket Council trophy –- the ICC Knockout -- a forerunner of the Champions Trophy, back in 1998, alongside a list of agonising near-misses. By contrast, the top-ranked Australians, who beat India in the 2023 WTC final, have an enviable record at the sharp end of tournaments in the white-ball game. They have won the one-day World Cup a record six times, lifted the Champions Trophy twice and have also triumphed at the T20 World Cup. "It is different," Bavuma said ahead of the WTC final at Lord's starting on Wednesday. "Australia have had success. They know what they need to do." But the 35-year-old batsman is adamant South Africa will not be overawed when facing Pat Cummins' team. "For us it is about being confident in our ability," said Bavuma. "We haven't been handed this opportunity to play in the final, we have performed accordingly. We respect them (Australia) but it is still a 50-50 chance in our eyes." Heartache has been the recurring theme of South Africa's history at global events going back to the 1992 World Cup, when they returned to the international fold after two decades of exclusion as a result of the country's apartheid regime. South Africa reached the semi-finals only for a cruel rain rule, that left them needing 21 off one ball, to wreck their chances against England in Sydney. That set a pattern for the next three ODI World Cups. South Africa dominated their group stage in Pakistan in 1996 before falling to a Brian Lara-inspired West Indies in the quarter-finals. A farcical run-out with the scores tied in a 1999 semi-final against Australia meant they were eliminated on net run-rate. On home soil in 2003, rain and a miscalculation of the run-rate formula against Sri Lanka led to an embarrassing group-stage exit. Not until last year's T20 World Cup did South Africa reach a major final. Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada is the only current player who would be a contender for a place in a South Africa all-time team. But Bavuma has an impressive record of eight wins and a draw in the nine Tests in which he has captained. The skipper lauded coach Shukri Conrad for helping create a strong team spirit, saying: "We don't boast legendary names. For us to achieve what we have is a tribute to him." Conrad has spent time with Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus in a bid to sharpen his side's winning edge. Erasmus has guided South Africa to back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles, with the Springboks showing extraordinary mental strength in winning three successive knockout matches by a single point on the way to their 2023 triumph in Paris. "Obviously they are doing a lot of things right," said Conrad, who was clear about the key lesson he had learned from Erasmus. "Playing for the Springboks has got to be the biggest thing -- playing for the Proteas has got to be the biggest thing for our players," he explained. "That is what we have to hone in on."
The Citizen
8 hours ago
- The Citizen
Evan Roos called up to Springbok squad
The Boks will kick off their season against the Barbarians in Cape Town on Saturday, 28 June. BLOEMFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA – JULY 20: Evan Roos of the Springboks during the 2024 Castle Lager Incoming Series match between South Africa and Portugal at Toyota Stadium on July 20, 2024 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. (Photo by Charle Lombard/Gallo Images) Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus on Sunday added DHL Stormers No 8 Evan Roos to his squad for the matches against the Barbarians and Castle Lager Incoming Series, increasing the size of his group to 55 players. Roos, who attended the first alignment in Cape Town in February, has run out seven times in the green and gold. His last Test was against Portugal in Bloemfontein in the 2024 Castle Lager Incoming Series, before he was sidelined for several months due to shoulder surgery. The Springbok squad will report for duty in Johannesburg on Sunday afternoon and begin their on-field preparations on Monday, as the team gets the wheels in motion for the international season starting in under three weeks. The Boks will kick off their season against the Barbarians in Cape Town on Saturday, 28 June, in the first ever match between the sides on South African soil, before taking on Italy in back-to-back Tests in Pretoria and Gqeberha on 5 and 12 July, and Georgia in Nelspruit on 19 July in the Castle Lager Incoming Series. With the Vodacom Bulls and Leinster battling it out in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final at Croke Park in Dublin next week Saturday, and Bath and Leicester meeting in the Gallagher Premiership final on the same day, the players will join the squad based on a staggered approach, until the completion of respective club commitments.
The Herald
8 hours ago
- The Herald
Bulls into third URC final with win over Sharks
The Bulls have qualified for their third United Rugby Championship final after a hard-fought 25-13 win over a stubborn Sharks side at Loftus on Saturday night in an exciting match between two teams laden with Springbok stars. This crucial victory that was secured through tries from Sebastien de Klerk, Canan Moodie and David Kriel will see the Bulls take on Leinster in the anticipated decider away from home on Saturday in Ireland. Leinster eased into a home final with a commanding 37-19 semifinal victory over defending champions Glasgow Warriors in Dublin in the other semifinal played earlier. Bulls coach Jake White had experienced campaigners in his starting line-up with Boks Willie Le Roux, Canan Moodie, Embrose Papier, Cameron Hanekom, Ruan Nortje, Marcell Coetzee, Wilco Louw, Johan Grobbelaar and Jan Hendrik Wessels. Also, Sharks coach John Plumtree had Springboks aplenty with the likes of Aphelele Fassi, Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi, Jordan Hendrikse, Jaden Hendrikse, Siya Kolisi, Vincent Koch, Bongi Mbonambi and Ox Nche in his starting XV.
