South Africa, the four-time Rugby World Cup champions, will start their season by hosting the Barbarians at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium for the Qatar Airways Cup on Saturday.
This match against the invitational team, the Barbarians, gives coach Rassie Erasmus a great chance to try out new player combinations across the field, especially in the front row, for the top-ranked Springboks.
The 2024 season was a huge success for Erasmus’s team, with 11 wins and only two losses—both to teams they later beat (Ireland and Argentina). South Africa also won their first Rugby Championship title since 2019.
One of the biggest challenges during an otherwise strong 2024 season came from a game they didn’t play in—a neck injury suffered by prop Steven Kitshoff during a September Currie Cup match for Western Province, which forced him to retire from rugby early in 2025.
After facing the Barbarians, South Africa will play Tests against Italy on July 5 and July 12, followed by another match against Georgia on July 19 before entering the Rugby Championship.
Key details:
Date: Saturday, June 28 at 5:10 PM CAT (3:10 PM GMT, 11:10 AM ET)
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Referee: AJ Jacobs How to watch: The match is available on SuperSport.
Team News:
The Springboks have four players who have not yet played for the team in their 23-man squad. Among them are starting prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye and flanker Vincent Tshituka. On the bench, hooker Marnus van der Merwe and prop Neethling Fouche are eager to make their debut in green and gold.
Lood de Jager is back in the starting lineup at lock after dealing with injuries since his last match for the Springboks during the 2023 Rugby Championship. Although Pieter-Steph du Toit has healed from his injury, he was not included in the matchday 23.
Coach Erasmus has chosen a 5-3 split, featuring scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, flyhalf/fullback Manie Libbok, and center Andre Esterhuizen as the three backs.
The Barbarians last played in June 2024, winning against Fiji with a score of 45-32. They have announced a strong lineup that includes Stormers lock Ruben van Heerden.
Baa-baas coach Robbie Deans has selected seven All Blacks for the game. Loose forwards Sam Cane, Shannon Frizell, and Hoskins Sotutu will play alongside scrumhalf Tawera Kerr-Barlow, utility back Peter Umaga-Jensen, and wingers Leicester Fainga’anuku and Mark Tele’a.
Springboks:
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Jean-Luc du Preez, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen
Barbarians:
Cian Healy, Camille Chat, Paul Alo-Emile, Ruben van Heerden, David Ribbans, Peter O’Mahony (captain), Sam Cane, Shannon Frizell, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Josh Jacomb, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkins, Peter Umaga-Jensen, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Mark Telea, Melvyn Jaminet
Replacements: Ricky Ricatelli, Hassane Kolingar, Will Collier, Josh Beehre, Hoskins Sotutu, Santiago Arata, Joe Marchant, Lachlan Boshier
Stats:
The teams have faced one another on eight occasions, with four Barbarians wins, three Springbok wins, and a draw.
South Africa have won 15 of their last 17 matches.
