The All Blacks will play the Springboks in Auckland after confirming the locations for their domestic Rugby Championship matches in 2023.
On Saturday, July 15, South Africa will play at Mount Smart Stadium for the first time; they have never done so before. This is in contrast to the All Black stronghold of Eden Park, where the Springboks last triumphed in 1937.
The Springboks last participated in a Rugby Championship game at Eden Park in 2013, when Heyneke Meyer served as the team’s head coach. The Boks lost that game 29-15.
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Following their match against Argentina in Mendoza on July 8, this will be the All Black’ second match in a week. The All Blacks will play two games at home against Australia, the first on July 29 (location TBD) and the second in Dunedin on August 5.
Ian Foster, the New Zealand’ coach, referred to the Test match against the Springboks as “massive” after the locations were made official. The Rugby Championship is a thrilling but challenging draw,” Foster said.
After not having been there since 2019, playing the Argentinians in Argentina is an exciting task.
We are thrilled to play this significant South African Test at Mt Smart despite the difficulties with venue availability in Australasia. We think it’s important for the connection with our fans to have this massive game in our backyard and can’t wait.
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The Dunedin Test is similarly crucial for us because it’s our final opportunity to perform in front of our supporters before leaving for the thrilling Rugby World Cup, he continued.
When South Africa plays New Zealand in the Rugby Championship this year, they will need to end an eight-decade losing streak. This year, the All Blacks will host two Test matches at home: one against South Africa in Auckland and the other against Australia in Dunedin.
The nearest the Springboks have come to winning in Auckland since 1937 is an 18-all draw with the All Blacks in 1994 at Eden Park. The Rugby Championship match, on Saturday, July 15, will, however, take place at Mount Smart Stadium, a different Auckland location.
A multi-use stadium called Mount Smart Stadium is located in the Penrose neighborhood of Auckland, roughly 10 kilometers south of the city’s center.
The New Zealand Warriors National Rugby League team calls it their primary home field. It is constructed inside the Rarotonga/Mount Smart volcanic cone’s quarried remains.
The Bledisloe Cup will return to Dunedin for the first time since 2017 on August 5 at the Otago Stadium for a rare afternoon home Test match for the All Blacks (kickoff is at 14.35).
Ian Foster, the N coach, described the Rugby Championship as an exciting yet challenging draw. After not having been there since 2019, playing the Argentinians in Argentina is an exciting task.
The All Blacks will play five Test matches in 2023 as they prepare for the World Cup in France in September. The two home matches will be a part of that calendar.
The ability for the NZ to play in Aotearoa during a World Cup year is crucial, according to Chris Lendrum, Head of Professional Rugby and Performance for New Zealand Rugby.
The Test matches performed this year will undoubtedly have an advantage despite the condensed Rugby Championship calendar, Lendrum remarked.
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“The Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup continue to be crucial events for New Zealand Rugby, and I know Foz [Foster] and the team are eager for the new season to begin as they prepare for the September World Cup.
All Blacks 2023 Test Schedule
Rugby Championship
- All Black v Argentina, Saturday, July 8 at Estadio Malvinas Argentina, MENDOZA
- All Black v South Africa, Saturday, July 15 at Mt Smart Stadium, AUCKLAND
- All Black v v Australia, July 29 at TBC