Boks, All Blacks to square off twice before Rugby World Cup

The Boks and the All Blacks are set to clash as part of a shortened Rugby Championship tournament on July 15 in New Zealand before meeting again at Twickenham on August 25.

The clash in London will be the final warm-up for both nations before the World Cup kicks off in France on September 8.

The Boks and the All Blacks could meet again as early as the quarter-finals of the World Cup, should one team finish first in their pool and the other second.

The two powerhouse rugby nations - who share six of the nine Rugby World Cup trophies handed out to date - have a rivalry dating back to 1921.

They faced each other twice in 2022, with the Boks claiming a 26-19 victory in Mbombela before suffering a 35-23 loss in Johannesburg.

SA Rugby has not yet released a full schedule for the Boks in 2023 but the defending champions are expected to play six times before beginning the defence of their trophy.

As things stand, the Boks are expected to play three matches in the Rugby Championship against Australia, New Zealand and Argentina before playing three more warm-up games against the Pumas, Wales and the All Blacks.

The action is expected to begin at home to Australia on July 8, with the Rugby Championship concluding in July before the three warm-up matches take place in August.

South Africa are in a tough World Cup pool that includes Ireland, Scotland, Tonga and Romania, with only two teams set to go through.