Portugal Test is added to Bok roster

The Springboks will be back playing Test rugby in Bloemfontein this year, for the first time since 2022’s Test against Wales, which they lost 13-12.

And it will be something of an historic event with the world champions taking on Portugal for the first time in the Test arena.

The match will take place on Saturday, 20 July, following the two Test series against Ireland. Those Tests will be staged at Loftus Versfeld and King’s Park.

Portugal may not be a rugby powerhouse like the back-to-back world champion Boks, but they did beat Fiji at the 2023 World Cup in France.

The announcement of the Portugal match was made yesterday when SA Rugby released the full home fixture list for the Incoming Tours and Rugby Championship matches.

Following the Ireland Tests and one-off match against Portugal, the Boks will turn their attention to the Rugby Championship.

The Rassie Erasmus-coached team will face New Zealand in the Rugby Championship in Tests in Johannesburg and Cape Town on 31 August and 7 September respectively, before lining up against Argentina in Nelspruit on Saturday 28 September.

“We are delighted that we will be returning to Bloemfontein for this historic match, and we are determined to continue making our passionate supporters proud,” said Erasmus.

“With the venue now confirmed we can go full steam ahead with our planning for the home Tests from an operational perspective.

“There’s no doubt it has added to the excitement for the season, especially after capping off the 2023 season by defending the Rugby World Cup title.”

Ticketing details are being finalised and will be announced soon, but supporters are warned to only buy from official outlets.