Defending world champions South Africa will confront rivals New Zealand twice in the build-up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
The Boks and All Blacks are set to clash in the Rugby Championship southern hemisphere tournament on 15 July in New Zealand.
They will meet again at Twickenham in London on 25 August in the final warm-up for both nations before the World Cup kicks off on 8 September.
The sides would face each other at the quarter-finals stage of the World Cup if one of them wins a pool and the other finishes second in theirs.
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Although SA Rugby have not released a complete 2023 itinerary, AFP understands that the Boks will play six Tests before arriving in France.
They launch their campaign in the Rugby Championship, reduced from two rounds to one because of the World Cup, at home to Australia on 8 July.
After tackling New Zealand, South Africa will host Argentina in the final round of the Championship on 29 July.
On 5 August they face the Pumas again, this time in Buenos Aires, before further World Cup warm-ups against Wales in Cardiff on 19 August and New Zealand six days later.
Seeking to emulate New Zealand and become the second nation to win successive World Cup tournaments, South Africa had a mixed 2022 season, winning eight Tests and losing five.
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The Boks and All Blacks share the record for World Cup titles with three each while the Wallabies have been champions twice and England once.
Last year, a rivalry that began in 1921 continued with two dramatic Tests. South Africa hosted both and won 26-10 in Nelspruit before a 35-23 loss in Johannesburg.
Highlights for the Boks in 2022 included the Nelspruit victory over the Kiwis, ending a long run of losses in Australia with a convincing win in Sydney, and an end-of-season triumph over England in London.
But an inconsistent team fell at home to Wales for the first time and were flattered to lose by only eight points against Australia in Adelaide after a woeful performance.
On a tour of Europe last November, the Boks lost narrowly to Ireland and France, two of the pre-World Cup favourites this year.
South Africa are in Pool B at the World Cup with Ireland, currently the top ranked team, Scotland, Tonga and Romania, and the sides coming first and second advance to the knockout phase.
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: @Springboks/Twitter
