Springbok ticket prices: Steep inflation hits the pocket
Springbok tickets have just gone on sale for the July Test matches that will include two games against Italy and one against Georgia, and despite many South Africans ending up in arms over the 'premium' prices, it does seem like these games will be sold out.
Tickets for the Springboks' home matches in their defence of the Rugby Championship title will next go on sale on Friday, 13 June, and there is no doubt that supporters would need to fork out once again for these high-profile fixtures.
To break it down, the Springboks' season-opener against the Barbarians on 28 June saw ticket prices ranging from R250 to R3,000.
For the July internationals, the lower-range tickets prices at R200 and R350 were sold out in a flash, but many in the ticket 'queue' had to accept being left with the only options ranging over R1000, and up to R3000.
Looking at interesting research from highly-respected sports business journalist, Cash N Sport , there were some eye-opening findings over the topic of Springbok ticket prices.
In a comparison looking back a the past 10 years, it was found that 'top-end Springbok tickets are over 11 times more expensive than Bafana's and three times more than the Proteas'.
However, it's really the inflation over the last decade that shows how the Springbok ticket prices have soared over the last decade.
'In 2015, you could get in for around R150, with the best seats costing R750. By 2022, top-end tickets for games like the All Blacks reached R1,500, and in some cases even higher for VIP seats,' Cash N Sport posted on X.
'Entry-level tickets have mostly stayed around R150–R300, but these are very limited with the majority of tickets being over R500 and big games are now priced like major global events, costing up to R3000.'
The point was also well made that although watching the Springboks has now become a premium experience, particularly as the team has achieved so much success since 2018, there is also the risk of now pricing out some supporters.
It also shouldn't be forgotten that the Springboks are expected to extensively experiment with selection this season, and so many fans who have forked out for premium tickets could face the prospect of only seeing a 'second string' side in action for some games.
SPRINGBOKS' 2025 TEST SCHEDULE AND KICK-OFF TIMES (SA TIME):
28 June: vs Barbarians, DHL Stadium, Cape Town. Kick off: 17:05.
5 July: vs Italy, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria. Kick off: 17:10.
12 July: vs Italy, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha. Kick off: 17:10.
19 July: vs Georgia, Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit. Kick off: 17:10.
16 August: vs Australia, Ellis Park, Johannesburg. Kick off: 17:10.
23 August: vs Australia, DHL Stadium, Cape Town. Kick off: 17:10.
6 September: vs New Zealand, Auckland. Kick off: 09:05.
13 September: vs New Zealand, Wellington. Kick off: 09:05.
27 September: vs Argentina, Kings Park, Durban. Kick off: 17:10.
4 October: vs Argentina, London. Kick off: 15:00.
8 November: vs France, Paris. Kick off: TBD.
15 November: vs Italy, Turin. Kick off: TBD.
22 November: vs Ireland, Dublin. Kick off: 19:40.
29 November: vs Wales, Cardiff. Kick off: 17:10.
*SA Rugby are working on adding two more Tests for the Springboks, likely to be against Japan and Portug
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Meanwhile, here is an important reminder on ticket sales for the Springbok men's game against Argentina in the Rugby Championship at Twickenham in October.
Ticket sales
Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.co.uk and England Rugby, starting from just £55* for adults and £28* for Under-16s.
(*booking fees apply)
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