Springboks home fixtures for 2016

THE Springboks will open their 2016 account with a three test series against the current Six Nations champions, Ireland. The matches will be played in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth in June 2016.

The South African Rugby Union (Saru) also confirmed that back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions, New Zealand, would venture away from Johannesburg for the first time since 2011 when they meet the Springboks at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban, on October 8 in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.

Rugby World Cup finalists, Australia, return to Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, while their semi-final opponents, Argentina, will venture into new territory for the Pumas, in Nelspruit, when they take on the Boks in the opening round of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship on August 20.

Springbok home fixtures in 2016:

Castle Lager Incoming Series

· June 11: South Africa vs Ireland, DHL Newlands, Cape Town

· June 18: South Africa vs Ireland, Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg

· June 25: South Africa vs Ireland, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

Castle Lager Rugby Championship home fixtures

· August 20: South Africa vs Argentina, Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit

· October 1: South Africa vs Australia, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

October 8: South Africa vs New Zealand, Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban