Rugby-Springboks to face Australia in Perth in September

South Africa will play a one-off ​test against Australia in Perth ​in September and start their ‌season ​at home against a Barbarians side led by former New Zealand coach Scott Robertson and Argentina’s Felipe ‌Contepomi, team officials said on Tuesday. The fixture against the 2027 Rugby World Cup hosts on September 27 takes the number of scheduled tests to 11 in ‌2026 for the Springboks. They will also be involved in the finals ‌weekend of the new Nations Championship in London.

The Barbarians game in Gqeberha on June 20 is not an official test, but will be used by coach Rassie Erasmus to ⁠fine-tune ahead ​of the international ⁠season, as he did when the sides met in Cape Town in 2025, where the ⁠Springboks won 54-7. South Africa will host England at Ellis Park in the Nations Championship ​on July 4, which is the official start of their season. ⁠They then play Scotland and Wales at home in consecutive weekends.

Erasmus’ side host New Zealand ⁠for ​three tests in August and September as part of the "Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry" tour, before the teams head to Baltimore, United States for a fourth ⁠fixture on September 12. The Springboks face Australia in Perth two weeks later, before ⁠three matches ⁠in the Nations Championship against Italy, France and Ireland.

Where they finish in the table will determine who they play ‌on finals ‌weekend from November 27-29.