THE Springboks will start the defence of their Castle Lager Rugby Championship title when they return to the
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium for the first time since 2018 against Argentina in the opening two tests of their
2021 campaign.
SA Rugby announced on Monday that the two tests against Los Pumas will be played on consecutive weekends
straight after the Castle Lager Lions Series and are scheduled for 14 and 21 August, with both kicking off at
17:05 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The last time the Boks played at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was on 29 September 2018, when they beat
Australia by 23-12 in the penultimate round of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.
“We are very grateful to Argentina for having agreed to play their home match against the Boks in the Castle
Lager Rugby Championship here in South Africa,” said Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby.
“Unfortunately, there is little prospect that spectators will be allowed to attend matches, but we are pleased
to be returning to the Eastern Cape for these important tests.”
Cllr. Nqaba Bhanga, Executive Mayor, said: “Nelson Mandela Bay is proud to host the Springboks and Argentina
for these matches. As a Metro we are fast becoming known as a sporting destination of choice.
“We have in recent months hosted many incident free sports fixtures at our world-class Nelson Mandela Bay
Stadium, and look forward to doing so again.”
Argentina’s last visit to the Friendly City was in 2018, when the Boks scored four tries in a comprehensive 37-
15 win.
“Because of all the health and safety and logistical considerations that come with COVID-19 we decided to
minimise the risks and reduce the logistical challenges by playing both tests in one city and venue,” said Roux.
“We will work with the Eastern Province Rugby Union on delivering a safe and enjoyable experience for the
teams in a world-class facility.”
The Springboks have a very good record at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, having won five and drawn one
of their six matches at the venue.
