Scotland first up for Springboks at 2023 World Cup

The venues and dates for the tournament in France were revealed during a live online event in Paris on Friday.

The defending Rugby World Cup-champion Springboks were drawn in Pool B and will take on the Scots at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille. 

A week after their opening match, the Springboks will line up for their second pool match on Sunday, 17 September against a yet to be determined opponent from Europe (Europe 2) at the Stade de Bordeaux.

And another six days later, on 23 September, the Boks and Ireland will clash for the first time ever at a Rugby World Cup when they meet at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on the outskirts of Paris, the scene of the South Africans’ memorable triumph over England in the 2007 final.

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The Boks then return to Marseille for their last group match against an Asian-Pacific 1 qualifier in the Stade Velodrome on 1 October.

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber says the confirmation of the dates and venues will now give more direction in their advance planning for France.

“Friday's announcement is a very important milestone in our planning phase for the 2023 Rugby World Cup,” he explains.

“With the match dates and venues now confirmed, the coaching and management staff have a very clear idea of the overall squad preparations and logistics. For instance, the schedule gives clarity on the number of turnaround days between matches, which in turn will influence our player welfare strategy for the squad.

“And because the game venues have been allocated, it means we can kick on with more intense planning around our logistic operations for items such as team base camps, ” adds Nienaber.  

In Scotland and Ireland, the Springboks face two of world rugby's most formidable teams in the space of 13 days. 

“Like I said at the time of the draw, to be in the same pool as Ireland and Scotland will be a massive challenge, but to win the tournament, you have to be able to beat all the teams and we will be properly tested in the pool phases,” says the Springbok coach.

“The margin for error at any stage of the RWC is very small, so we will plan for every scenario, including a very tough last pools game against an Asian-Pacific qualifier which might be one of Samoa or Tonga.”