Rugby World Cup winners South Africa will play a two-Test series at home against Ireland in July of next year, followed by their first-ever match against a significantly upgraded Portugal team.

Following the Lobos Test, the Springboks will play their longtime rivals New Zealand, who are now rated third in the world, in international matches in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The men led by Rassie Erasmus will play Ireland at Pretoria and Durban on July 6 and July 13. Then, on July 20, they will play Portugal (location to be confirmed).

Argentina returns to the Lowveld for the first time in eight years to wrap up the Rugby Championship following back-to-back games against the All Blacks.

The Springboks’ home Test schedule for 2024

Ireland vs. South Africa on Saturday, July 6 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria
Ireland vs. South Africa on Saturday, July 13 at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban
South Africa vs. Portugal on Saturday, July 20 (venue TBD)
South Africa vs. New Zealand on Saturday, August 31 at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg
South Africa vs. New Zealand on Saturday, September 7, at DHL Stadium in Cape Town
Argentina vs. South Africa on Saturday, September 28 at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit

When the Springboks play Ireland at Loftus Versfeld, they will have resumed play after a 252-day break. A week later, on their first trip to South Africa in eight years, the Six Nations champions reassemble at Kings Park.

The Springboks prevailed 2-1 in the 2016 series, but Ireland has since won all three encounters (and five of the previous seven) between the two sides, most recently in a thrilling 13-8 triumph in Marseille during the Rugby World Cup pool stage.

A week later, on July 20, the Springboks will take on Portugal in their first Test match. Portugal made a lasting impression at the Rugby World Cup by thrillingly drawing Georgia and then defeating Fiji 24-23 in their last pool encounter.

As part of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand, another World Cup finalists, will make a return in August and September for a two-Test series. The Springboks will be aiming for a third successive victory over the All Blacks for the first time since 2009 on August 31.

A week later the show moves on from Johannesburg to Cape Town where the All Blacks will play at the DHL Stadium for the first time. The teams’ last meeting in the Mother City was a 25-24 defeat for the Boks at Newlands in 2017.

The final home Test match of the season will take place at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Friday, May 5, when the Pumas and the Boks visit the Lowveld site. They had a perfect record on the outskirts of Nelspruit, having defeated Scotland, Wales, and New Zealand in their previous visits. They defeated the Pumas 30-23 at the ground in 2016.

The Springboks’ away Test itinerary consists of two games in Australia in August against the Wallabies, an away game in the Rugby Championship in September against Argentina, and games in Europe in November 2024.