World champion Springboks to host Ireland in two Tests

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa will host Ireland, the only country they lost to when winning the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, in a two-Test series next July.

SA Rugby announced that the countries will meet in Pretoria on July 6 and in Durban on July 13.

Since the Springboks won a home series against the Irish in 2016, they have met three times with Ireland winning each international.

The most recent success came in a World Cup pool match three months ago with Ireland finishing 13-8 winners in Paris.

On July 20, South Africa will face Portugal, who drew with Georgia and beat Fiji at the World Cup this year, at a venue to be announced.

South Africa will also have home advantage twice in the Rugby Championship against their greatest rivals, New Zealand, who they edged 12-11 in the 2023 World Cup final.

They play the All Blacks in Johannesburg on August 31 and in Cape Town on September 7. Their other home fixture in the annual competition will be against Argentina in Mbombela on September 28.

South Africa have been world champions a record four times, winning the global showpiece in 1995, 2007, 2019 and 2023.