Sensational plans are being hatched behind the scenes for the Springboks to make a surprise visit to Gqeberha to play a blockbuster match against a star-studded Barbarians team at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on June 27.
Insiders say a project to bring the world champions to Gqeberha is being driven by Bok coach Rassie Erasmus, who wants to fit in an extra game before his team’s busy international season kicks off.
If the ambitious plan comes to fruition, it would be the cherry on top of a busy programme of mainly high-profile junior international matches scheduled for the Bay in 2026.
Gqeberha has not been awarded a Test match in 2026, and a clash against a Barbarians XV would serve to placate Bay fans who voiced their disappointment with the Boks’ original Test match schedule.
A decision to play the fourth and final Test in the “Greatest Rivalry” series against New Zealand in Baltimore in the US also irked Bok supporters who believed South African rugby bosses had snubbed fans in heartland centres such as Gqeberha and Bloemfontein.
In 2025, the Boks kicked off their season against a Barbarians team in Cape Town in a fixture designed to give Erasmus an early opportunity to assess the merits of his wider squad.
With Cape Town hosting the All Blacks for a Test and a match against the Stormers, it would make sense for a Barbarians game to be played in Gqeberha.
The Cape Town game against the Barbarians failed to attract a capacity crowd, and if a similar game is played in Gqeberha, it is sure to draw a sellout 46,000 attendance.
Thanks to a commanding 45-0 win over Italy in Gqeberha in 2025, the Boks stretched their imposing unbeaten record to nine matches at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The only occasion SA failed to end on the winning side was in 2012 when they were held to a 14-14 draw by England.
A decision on whether a star-studded Maori All Blacks team will play an SA XV in Gqeberha during 2026 is expected to be made shortly.
Apart from senior international rugby, the world’s top junior teams will be in Gqeberha to play in the U20 Rugby Championship tournament in May.
In addition, a star-studded South African Schools team will face a powerful SA Schools A team combination in Gqeberha at the conclusion of the Under-18 Craven Week tournament, which will be held at Grey High School in 2026.
Craven Week is returning to Gqeberha for the first time since 2012, when the world-famous youth week was held at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The Nations Championship Test series kicks off in Johannesburg against England on July 4 and will be followed by encounters against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria (July 11) and Wales at Kings Park in Durban (July 18).
The new schedule brings old foes back to SA for the first time in several years.
England last toured SA in 2018 and Scotland more than a decade ago, in 2014.
Wales were the most recent visitors in 2022.
Sellout crowds will watch the three home Tests against the All Blacks at Ellis Park (63,000 capacity), Cape Town Stadium (55,000) and FNB Stadium (94,000).
The fourth Test in Baltimore ensures that the third game of the series will not be a dead rubber even if one of the teams win the opening encounters in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Springbok Tests in SA in 2026:
Nations Championship:
July 4: Boks vs England — Ellis Park, Johannesburg
July 11: Boks vs Scotland — Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
July 18: Boks vs Wales — Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry:
August 22: Boks vs New Zealand (First Test) — Ellis Park, Johannesburg
August 29: Boks vs New Zealand (Second Test) — DHL Stadium, Cape Town
September 5: Boks vs New Zealand (Third Test) — FNB Stadium.
The Herald