The Springboks will kick off their 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan with a blockbuster opening encounter against the reigning champions New Zealand on September 21 at the International Stadium Yokohama.
World Rugby announced the draw for RWC 2019 in Tokyo. The tournament will start on September 20 with a match between the hosts Japan and the qualifier from Europe.
The tournament will culminate with the final on November 2 in Yokohama.
South Africa, World Cup champions in 1995 and 2007, face three-time winners New Zealand in the first of four matches during the pool stages of the tournament.
The last time the Springboks and All Blacks clashed at the World Cup was in 2015 when New Zealand defeated South Africa by two points in an epic semi-final match at Twickenham in London, England. The Boks then overcame Argentina in the third-place playoff to clinch the bronze medal.
Photo: Annette van Schalkwyk.
Following their huge opening encounter against their traditional rivals, the Springboks’ next group match is against the top qualifying team from Africa on September 28 at the City of Toyota Stadium.
In their third group match, the Springboks play Italy on October 4 in the Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa. Kick off, as in the case of the first two matches, is set for 6.45pm local time (11.45am SA time).
The Springboks finish their group fixtures four days later in the Kobe Misaki Stadium with this match starting at 7.15pm (12.15pm SA time).
The quarter-finals are scheduled for October 19 and 20 (in Oita and Tokyo), followed by the two semi-finals on October 26 and 27 (both in Yokohama) and the bronze medal match on November 1 (in Tokyo).
The full match schedule for the Rugby World Cup in Japan in 2019 is available at www.rugbyworldcup.com. The ticketing programme was also announced on Thursday and World Rugby encouraged supporters planning to attend the tournament to register their interest via the official ticketing website.
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