Boks to kick off season against BaaBaas in Gqeberha

The Springboks will kick off a novel 2026 season against the Barbarians in Gqeberha on Saturday, 20 June – the second home fixture between the teams in as many seasons – at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, exactly two weeks before their inaugural Nations Championship match against England at Ellis Park.

Tickets for the clash against the Barbarians – starting from R250 per person – will go on sale from 10am on Wednesday, 25 February, exclusively on springboks.tmtickets.co.za.

The 2026 season will feature two new competitions for Bok coach Rassie Erasmus and his charges as the Nations Championship and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry kick off, making the Barbarians clash a vital occasion for the team to get valuable game time against quality opposition.

The Barbarians coaching quartet will be headed by former All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson and Los Pumas head coach Felipe Contepomi, who will be supported by Racing-92 head coach Patrice Collazo and Argentina assistant coach Kenny Lynn.

The Springboks won the historic match between the teams by 54-7 in Cape Town last season, after last facing the BaaBaas in November 2016, which ended in a 31-31 draw at Wembley Stadium in London.

“It’s always exciting to face the BaaBaas, and we are looking forward to hosting them in South Africa for the second year in a row – this time at the iconic Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, where we have traditionally enjoyed fantastic support,” said Erasmus.

“With our opening Nations Championship encounter against England two weeks later, this will be an ideal opportunity to get the players match-ready against a side that always boasts top players from across the world.

“The key for us, however, will be to focus on our structures and what we want to achieve on the field. This is a new season with two new exciting competitions, so the sooner we get into a test match mindset, the better.”

Contepomi was equally thrilled about the fixture and said, “It was a tremendous honour to play for the Barbarians, and now to be invited to coach the BaaBaas in a match against the back-to-back world champions in their own country is just as special.

“It’s a recognition of the performance of Los Pumas in recent years, and it will be a great challenge to put a team together in a week to face South Africa. I eagerly await that opportunity.”

Robertson added, “The Barbarians brings the rugby world together, so it’s special to be a part of it and to honour the jersey.”

The Barbarians fixture will be followed by three local matches in the Nations Championship, against England in Johannesburg (4 July), Scotland in Pretoria (11 July), and Wales in Durban (18 July).

They will then meet the All Blacks in four tests in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in August and September – TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE. This will be followed by an away test against the Wallabies in Australia (27 September).

The second leg of the Nations Championship kicks off in Europe at the end of the year, with matches against Italy (7 November), France (13 November), and Ireland (21 November), before the Finals Weekend in London (27 to 29 November).

For more information on pre-registration for tickets to the Finals Weekend, CLICK HERE.

SPRINGBOK FIXTURES 2026:

INTERNATIONAL:

Saturday 20 June: Springboks v Barbarians (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha)

NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP:

Saturday 4 July: Springboks v England (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

Saturday 11 July: Springboks v Scotland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

Saturday 18 July: Springboks v Wales (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)

RUGBY’S GREATEST RIVALRY:

Saturday 22 August: Springboks v All Blacks (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

Saturday 29 August: Springboks v All Blacks (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)

Saturday 5 September: Springboks v All Blacks (FNB Stadium, Johannesburg)