Springboks Officially Confirm Final 2027 Rugby World Cup Warm-Up Game in Gosford
- The Springboks confirmed a Test match against Fiji at the Central Coast Stadium in Gosford on 18 September 2027
- The fixture will be South Africa's last outing before their Rugby World Cup campaign begins against Italy in Adelaide on 3 October
- Bok coach Rassie Erasmus named Fiji as a top-10 ranked side capable of testing the world champions before the tournament
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The Springboks will meet Fiji in their final Test fixture ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, with the match set to take place at the Central Coast Stadium in Gosford, Australia, on Saturday, 18 September 2027.
The 20,000-capacity venue last hosted a clash between the two nations back in 2004, making this only the fourth time South Africa and Fiji will have met in Test rugby. Kick-off is scheduled for 10 am South African time.
Springboks chasing historic third consecutive title
Siya Kolisi's squad will have just 15 days between the Gosford fixture and their opening World Cup pool match, which comes against Italy in Adelaide on Sunday, 3 October. A victory in that tournament would make the Springboks the first nation to win the Rugby World Cup three consecutive times.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus said the match against the Flying Fijians is precisely the kind of preparation his side needs at this stage of their campaign.
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"We are very excited about the announcement of the clash against Fiji as part of our preparations for the 2027 World Cup in Australia, and for the opportunity to play another Test match in Gosford on the Central Coast after last facing the Pacific Islanders there in 2004," Erasmus said.
Erasmus flags Fiji's threat
Fiji arrive at the fixture with strong recent pedigree, having reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. Erasmus acknowledged that the Pacific Islanders will arrive motivated to make a statement against the defending world champions.
"Fiji are a quality team who have consistently tested some of the top sides in the world over the last few years, and they proved that they can be a force to be reckoned with by advancing to the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup, so it's certainly going to be a great test for our team before the international spectacle in Australia," he said.
Erasmus added: "They are one of the top-10 ranked teams in the world, and they are a physical and talented side who will undoubtedly want to take full advantage of the match, similarly to us, before the World Cup kicks off."
Both teams will establish high-performance training camps on the Central Coast around the Test and are also expected to participate in community engagement activities in the region.
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Source: Briefly News
