The Springboks will face their Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B opponents, Scotland and Samoa (as well as Italy), in an innovative new tournament featuring double-header Test matches in 2013, the South African Rugby Union announced on Thursday.
sarugby
Fans will be able to watch two Test matches for the price of one after a ground-breaking decision of the Executive Council (Exco) overhauled the way that Test matches are run in South Africa.
For the first time in Springbok history, Test matches will be solely hosted by the mother body.
The decision was taken by the Exco after consulting the 14 member provinces. The Exco also took the unique step of announcing the Test schedule for the next three seasons – featuring Tests in Nelspruit for the first time.
However, SARU cautioned that all matches were subject to conclusion of commercial terms with planned hosting venues.
“SARU was the only major union in world rugby that didn’t properly own its own Test matches,” explained CEO Jurie Roux. “The decision by the Exco now gives ownership to SARU.
“The key benefits will be in allowing us to plough a share of the profits back into all the provincial unions and, that by controlling the ticket office and all commercial activity in the stadium, we will be able to provide an experience for our stakeholders on a par with what we experience when playing overseas.”
Roux explained that the existing model had seen SARU effectively ‘sell’ Springbok Test matches to the major provinces. The Test-hosting unions paid a rights fee (the amount of which was dependent on the stature of the opponent) and then set ticket prices and kept all receipts as well as commercialising aspects of the match as they saw fit.
“This is a major change in how rugby is run and will present challenges,” said Roux. “But the major effect is that it has placed Springbok Tests in the ownership of the mother body, for the benefit of all rugby’s stakeholders.
“We are taking the Springboks to a new venue in 2013 and have an exciting new competition format for the June Tests – by coincidence against two of our Rugby World Cup opponents of 2015. We have also been able to map out a home fixture schedule for the next three years – something the provinces had also wanted.”
The new-look quadrangular tournament for 2013 is between the Springboks, their RWC 2015 opponents, Scotland and Samoa, as well as Italy.
The tournament – which will be played on a log basis over two rounds to determine finalists – will open at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on June 8.
The fixtures are:
Castle Incoming Tour 2013
- Saturday, June 8 (Mbombela Stadium): Scotland v Samoa; Springboks v Italy
- Saturday, June 15 (Mr Price Kings Park): Samoa v Italy; Springboks v Scotland
- Saturday, June 22 (Loftus Versfeld): Team 3 v Team 4 ; Team 1 v Team 2
The Castle Rugby Championship 2013
- Saturday, August 17 (Free State Stadium): Springboks v Argentina
- Saturday, September 28 (Newlands): Springboks v Australia
- Saturday, October 5 (Coca-Cola Park): Springboks v New Zealand
2014 Fixtures (dates to be confirmed):
- Castle Incoming Tour: Springboks v Wales (Johannesburg)
- Castle Incoming Tour: Springboks v Wales (Nelspruit)
- Castle Incoming Tour: Springboks v Scotland (Port Elizabeth)
- Castle Rugby Championship: Springboks v Argentina (Pretoria)
- Castle Rugby Championship: Springboks v Australia (Cape Town)
- Castle Rugby Championship: Springboks v New Zealand (Johannesburg)
2015 Fixtures (no Castle Incoming Tour due to Rugby World Cup):
- Castle Rugby Championship: Springboks v Argentina (Cape Town)
- Castle Rugby Championship: Springboks v Australia (Durban)
- Castle Rugby Championship: Springboks v New Zealand (Johannesburg)
Please note: All fixtures subject to the agreement of commercial terms with planned hosting venues.
So that means we have to fork out hundreds to attend a test. All season ticket and box holders are going to be screwed by SARU.
Not sure what to make of the incoming tours next year? Probably to generate interest seeing we will be playing a under strength Scottish team. Italy will be full strength though they not a team we should worry about. I know they almost beat Australia but the sh teams were exhausted this eoyt. So it looks like we will play Samoa in the final doubt it will be Scotland as some of their top players will be touring with the BIL in Oz.
For me it makes sense to play the All Blacks in Joburg. Bigger stadiums and at altitude. We need to have our own “House of Pain” here. So far FNB as beautiful as the stadium is has not proven that. So back to the stadium where Boks have their best record Ellis Park. Also sure that Ellis Park are getting games due to the very poor treatment of the Lions being relegated and a way to compensate them. Fair enough I think.
See Durbs not getting any tests in 2014 or for that matter no RC this year or next or the next either. Fair enough if we don’t we fill our stadium. I do remember for the Currie Cup final in 2008 and 2010 we filled the stadium totally, so no idea what has happened since. Could be people struggling now have not idea at all. Though think the East Stand in both corners high up is where they hardly fill it. Just terrible seats those. Also think they may be pushing us to move over the road. I may be in a minority with the Shark Supporters here as I am all for Sharks moving over to the world class MM Stadium. I love the Tank and will forever have great memories going there but truly it is so dated now. For me it is time to move over the road. They just need to build more suites and it would be a magnificent stadium for Sharks games and if we hold any tests. When I went to see Portugal and Brazil there in the wc I thought it was brilliant. The view I had was awesome and would be for rugby as well. They also have two screens which the Tank does not have. Something the Sharks should do is put up another screen at the tank if they have no intention at all to move over. Also need to sort out the drainage system there, as we saw this year with the huge amount of rain, it was heavy going playing rugby.
Think it is no longer called Coca-Cola Park it is back to being called Ellis Park.
We get Australia at Newlands, which is nice because it’s a test we may actually win, so it will be a “Jol”.
Although we’ll have to put up with the degenerates at our night life venues for the week. I guess we have to take the good with the bad.
4 @ Stormersboy:
I suppose until we full our stadium that is fair. Then we get Australia in a world cup year, will they be full strength? Will the Boks be full strength?
Getting Oz twice at Newlands is excellent. We getting the under strength Scots and Italy…
I have no problem with Boks/ABs playing in Joburg each year. We have to play a stadium where it is home of the Boks. That should be Ellis Park.
full = fill
@ Puma:
Also, we will almost always play the AB’s at altitude these days, the rest get spread around the country.
Plus those Scots and Italy games could be really entertaining. You will probably see more entertaining rugby than against the AB’s if you know what I mean.
Interesting to see that Scotland are due to tour South Africa two years in a row according the fixture lists and then are also in Springboks group at World Cup, is this all coincidental? When would the 2013 and 2014 tours have been decided on?
Anyway its also really great to see Nelspruit get some international games, will make it easier for our local contributors to get to the games
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