Barbarians to face Springboks in historic clash on South African soil
Barbarians will face the Springboks in South Africa for the first time on 28 June in Cape Town
©PA
Rugby history will be made this June as the Barbarians men's team takes the field in South Africa for the first time ever to face the reigning world champions, the Springboks.
The high-profile encounter is set for Saturday, 28 June at DHL Stadium in Cape Town, and marks the ninth meeting between the two rugby giants.
The Barbarians, one of the sport’s most iconic invitational teams, will be coached by the experienced Robbie Deans, who will be supported by Patrice Collazo (France), Atsushi Kanazawa (Japan), and former All Black lock Sam Whitelock.
The team will be assembled from elite players competing across the French Top 14, English Premiership, Vodacom URC, Super Rugby, and Japan Rugby League One. The full squad will be announced in due course.
“The history between South Africa and the Barbarian F.C stretches back some 70-plus years yet we will make further history this June with a Barbarians men’s team play on South African soil for the first time,” said Barbarian F.C President John Spencer.
“We are proud of our previous fixtures against the Springboks but to have the opportunity to face them, as World Champions on their home soil will be very special.”
Deans, who previously coached Australia and the Crusaders, highlighted the significance of the clash:
“It is exciting news to have the iconic Barbarians announced to play against the World Champion Springboks in Cape Town in late June – these are two of the biggest brands in the game.
“The last occasion these two teams met at Wembley resulted in a draw. The Springboks have achieved a lot since that day, this will be an altogether different challenge on-site in South Africa.”
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer described the fixture as a milestone:
“This is an historic moment – not only will we welcome the Barbarians to South Africa for the first time, but after our victories over New Zealand and Wales in London, it’s also the first time the Springboks will play a match for the Qatar Airways Cup on home soil.”
The game will serve as the Springboks’ warm-up ahead of the Castle Lager Incoming Series, which includes two Test matches against Italy (5 and 12 July) and one against Georgia (19 July).
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus emphasized the importance of the fixture for team readiness:
“It’s always exciting to face the BaaBaas, and this match will be particularly special as it marks the first time that we will face them in South Africa.
“For us this will be the perfect opportunity to get the players match-ready for the official international season, which starts a week later.
“With the Barbarians team featuring players from across the world, they are tough to analyse, so the key for us will be to focus on our structures and what we want to achieve on the field.”
Looking ahead, Erasmus added:
“We may have had a satisfying 2024 season, but this is a new year and a fresh challenge, and we’d like to start strong and build momentum as the season progresses.
"We have a tough year ahead, and the Barbarians, who are usually laden with seasoned internationals, will provide the perfect test before the Castle Lager Incoming Series.”
The last encounter between these two sides ended in a thrilling 31-31 draw at Wembley Stadium in 2016. In their eight previous clashes since 1952, the Barbarians have won four, the Springboks three, with one draw. This time, history will be made on South African soil.
