Everything we know about rugby matches in South Africa 2026 for men’s and women’s teams, including the Nations Championship, Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry and WXV.
So far, rugby matches in South Africa 2026 have produced mostly positive results.
Picking up where they left off from last season’s Rugby Championship win and sweep of the Quilter Nations Series, Race ErasmusThe Springboks made it three from three in the Nations Championshipand beat the Pumas in Buenos Aires.
They have four Tests against the All Blacks next, as the Rugby Championship opens up their place Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour. They then have a game against Australia before heading to Europe for the Northern Hemisphere leg of the Nations Championship as the countdown to the Springboks bid for an unprecedented third straight win Men’s Rugby World Cup begins in earnest.
- Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks will play four Tests against the All Blacks in August and September, the blockbuster finale of the ongoing Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
- The Springbok Women follow the Test series in the USA and Fiji with four matches in the WXV Global Series, against Wales, Italy and Ireland (twice).
- The Springboks begin their World Cup title defense against Italy on October 3, 2027.
The Springbok Women entered 2026 thanks to a successful Rugby World Cup a campaign in which they reached the quarter-finals for the first time. They have since swept the two-Test series against the USA and beaten Fiji in the first of the two South Pacific Tests. They then take on the Black Ferns as part of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour, before plunging into four matches in WXV Global Series.
Other teams’ schedules can be seen in our upcoming guides England, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales fixtures. For other international and club sides, see our detailed overview rugby fixtures around the world.
Dates and times are subject to change.
South Africa Rugby Fixtures: Springboks
Pieter-Steph du Toit is one of many Springboks legends that Rassie Erasmus can call on at this year’s rugby matches in South Africa (Steve Haag/Nations Championship via Getty Images)
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour
Read more: How to watch Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry
Saturday 22 August 2026
- South Africa v New Zealand THE FIRST TEST
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Start: 16.10 BST / 17.10 CET / 17.10 SAST (local) / 1.10 AEST (Sun) / 3.10 NZST (Sun) / 11.10 EDT / 8.10 PDT
Saturday 29.08.2026
- South Africa v New Zealand SECOND TEST
DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Start: 16.10 BST / 17.10 CET / 17.10 SAST (local) / 1.10 AEST (Sun) / 3.10 NZST (Sun) / 11.10 EDT / 8.10 PDT
Saturday 05.09.2026
- South Africa v New Zealand THE THIRD TEST
FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
Start: 16.10 BST / 17.10 CET / 17.10 SAST (local) / 1.10 AEST (Sun) / 3.10 NZST (Sun) / 11.10 EDT / 8.10 PDT
Saturday 12.09.2026
- South Africa v New Zealand FOURTH TEST
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, United States
Start: 10.00pm BST / 11.00pm CET / 11.00pm SAST / 7.00am AEST (Sunday) / 9.00am NZST (Sunday) / 5.00pm EDT (local) / 2.00pm PDT
Read more: Our top 12 Springboks players of all time
Test match
Sunday 27.09.2026
- Australia v South Africa
Optus Stadium, Perth
Start: 10.30am BST / 11.30am CET / 11.30am SAST / 5.30pm AWST (local) / 7.30pm AEST / 9.30pm NZST / 5.30am EDT / 2.30am PDT
Nations Championship 2026
Saturday 07.11.2026
- Italy v South Africa
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Turin
Start: 11.40am GMT / 12.40pm CET / 1.40pm SAST / 10.40pm AEDT / 12.40pm NZDT (Sunday) / 6.40am ET / 3.40am PT
Friday 11/13/2026
- France v South Africa
Stade de France, Paris
Start: 8.10pm GMT / 9.10pm CET / 10.10pm SAST / 7.10am AEDT (Saturday) / 9.10am NZDT (Saturday) / 3.10pm ET / 12.10pm PT
Saturday 21.11.2026
- Ireland v South Africa
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Kickoff: 4.40pm GMT / 5.40pm CET / 6.40pm SAST / 3.40am AEDT (Sunday) / 5.40am NZDT (Sunday) / 11.40am ET / 8.40am PT
Friday 27 – Sunday 29 November 2026
- Nations Championship Grand Final Weekend (matches TBC)
Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027
Sunday 3.10.2027
- South Africa v Italy
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide/Tarntanya
Start: 4.45am BST / 5.45am CET / 5.45am SAST / 2.45pm AEDT / 4.45pm NZDT / 11.45pm ET (Saturday) / 8.45pm PT (Saturday)
Sunday 10.10.2027
- South Africa vs Georgia
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane/Meeanjin
Kickoff: 7.45am BST / 8.45am CET / 8.45am SAST / 5.45pm AEDT / 7.45pm NZDT / 2.45am ET / 11.45pm PT (Saturday)
Sunday 17.10.2027
- New Zealand v Hong Kong China
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne/Narrm
Start: 12.15pm BST / 1.15pm CET / 1.15pm SAST / 10.15pm AEDT / 12.15pm NZDT (Monday) / 7.15am ET / 2.15am PT
Knockout phase of TBC
South Africa Rugby Fixtures: Springbok Women
Can the Springbok Women avenge last year’s Women’s Rugby Cup quarter-final defeat to the Black Ferns in September? (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Test series
Saturday 15.08.2026
- Fiji v South Africa
Churchill Park, Laukota
Start: 2.00am BST / 3.00am CET / 3.00am SAST / 11.00am AEST / 1.00pm NZST (local) / 9.00pm EDT (Friday) / 6.00pm PDT (Friday)
Rugby’s biggest rival
Saturday 05.09.2026
- South Africa – Black Ferns
FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
Start: 12.30pm BST / 1.30pm CET / 1.30pm SAST (local) / 9.30pm AEST / 11.30pm NZST / 7.30am EDT / 4.30am PDT
WXV Global Series
Friday 18.09.2026
- Wales v South Africa
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Start: 7.15pm BST (local) / 8.15pm CET / 8.15pm SAST / 4.15am AEST (Saturday) / 6.15am NZST (Saturday) / 2.15pm EDT / 11.15am PDT
Saturday 26.09.2026
- Italy v South Africa
Stadium Omero Tognon, Pordenone
Start: 1.30pm BST / 2.30pm CET (local) / 2.30pm SAST / 10.30pm AEST / 12.30pm NZST (Sunday) / 8.30am EDT / 5.30am PDT
Saturday 24.10.2026
- South Africa v Ireland
Athlone Sports Stadium, Cape Town
Kick off: 14.00 BST / 15.00 CET / 15.00 SAST (local) / 12.00 AEDT (Sun) / 2.00 NZDT (Sun) / 9.00 EDT / 6.00 PDT
Saturday 31.10.2026
- South Africa v Ireland
Athlone Sports Stadium, Cape Town
Start: 13:00 GMT / 14:00 CET / 15:00 SAST (local) / 12:00 AEDT (Sun) / 2:00 NZDT (Sun) / 9:00 EDT / 6:00 PDT
