South Africa 'A' set for first match in four years this Summer

It marks the first outing for the South Africa 'A' team since their 2022 end-of-year tour, where they faced Munster (28-14 L) and Bristol Bears (26-18 L). and comes at a crucial time with both the Boks and Sables building towards the Rugby World Cup 2027.

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus sees the fixture as a key development tool within the national setup.

“The match between the SA A team and Zimbabwe will serve as a fantastic opportunity for both teams to achieve some of their objectives with the Rugby World Cup in mind, and from a South African point of view, we have seen the benefits of having an SA A team playing against quality opposition,” said Erasmus.

“Players such as Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu], Ruan [Nortjé], Grant [Williams], Aphelele [Fassi] and Elrigh [Louw], among others, all played for the team in the early stages of their international careers, and have become important members of our squad since, so this match will offer us another chance to give guys within our squad and others who have really put up their hands to prove what they can do against international opposition.

“We have done well to rotate our squad and give several players a chance in the last two seasons, but there are others who have performed really well outside of that group, who we would like to see in action, so we’ll be able to cast our net wider as we prepare for that encounter.”

Zimbabwe head coach Pieter Benade welcomed the challenge of facing one of the game’s heavyweights.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to test ourselves against one of the world’s top rugby nations and a truly elite system. It’s a challenge we embrace and one that promises to push our standards to another level.

“Experiences like this are invaluable, as they expose our players to the highest level of competition, accelerate their growth, and play a key role in the continued development of our squad. We’re looking forward to the lessons ahead and the chance to showcase our progress on the international stage.”

Kick-off for the South Africa A clash is scheduled for 12pm, before the Springboks face the Barbarians at 3pm in what promises to be a blockbuster day of rugby in the Eastern Cape.