Game on – Go Bokke

2021 Rugby Championship New Zealand vs Argentina

Plan properly for this not-to-be-missed match

With tens of thousands of fans expected to make their way to Mbombela and surrounds on the weekend of August 6, it is essential that proper planning is done to ensure the best possible experience for you, your colleagues, your friends and your family.

One of the essential factors to keep in mind is time. Roelf Kotze, the manager of the stadium, urged supporters to arrive early. “If you think of arriving at 13:00, plan for 12:00,” he said. He encouraged fans to make use of the convenient park-and-ride system that will be operating from the various pickup points to the stadium from 12:00. A match ticket includes a stadium return trip with a Buscor bus, and no ticket fee is payable on presentation of the ticket.

Dedicated, clearly marked buses will transport supporters back to pick up points after the match. The buses will be operational after the match until 21:00. It is important to note that the stadium closes at 22:00, so do not be left behind.

A R50 parking fee will be payable at secure parking at the following park-and-ride pickup points:

Church Unlimited
TUT • Penryn College
Laerskool Laeveld
Lowveld High School
Nelspruit Primary
Hoërskool Bergvlam
Hoërskool Nelspruit
Laerskool Nelspruit
Laerskool Witrivier
Hoërskool Rob Ferreira
Curro Academy.

Free parking:

Riverside Mall
Valley Hyper
The Grove
White River Crossing Corner

AG Visser: President Mpumalanga Rugby Union

It is with great pride that we acknowledge that to be trusted by SA Rugby to host the Springbok vs All Black Test in our home stadium, the iconic Mbombela Stadium, on August 6, 2022, is both an honour and responsibility we are grateful for. The economic and publicity benefits to our region will be massive, and so, together with our City of Mbombela and Provincial Government partners, we are committed to ensuring that the match day experience is a lifelong positive memory for our community and visitors, both domestic and international. On behalf of the Mpumalanga Rugby Union and the greater Pumas family, we look forward to welcoming the Springboks and the All Blacks to Mbombela and our beautifull region, as we promote and broadcast the amazing game of rugby across the world.

“Our Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks at the Mbombela Stadium will certainly be a special occasion, not only because it is our first game in the 2022 edition of the tournament, but also the first time that we meet our arch-rivals at this great venue. “The rivalry between the Boks and All Blacks is steeped in history, and hopefully we’ll be able to build on that in Nelspruit. “We’ve played here three times before, and on each occasion the support we received from the people of Mpumalanga was superb – we’re sure it will be exactly the same when we visit again in August. “Adding to the significance of this match, it will also be important for us as a team to set the tone for the rest of our campaign, which will feature another match against the All Blacks a week later in Johannesburg and a tour to Australia and Argentina before we return to Durban for our final test against the Pumas.”

Jacques Nienaber: Springbok Coach

Lowveld blood flows in Springboks’ veins

FAF DE KLERK

Rugby - 2022 Castle Lager Incoming Series - South Africa v Wales - Loftus Stadium - Pretoria

Faf was born in Mbombela on October 19, 1991. From an early age (U9), he played for Laerskool Bergland’s A teams and also captained Bergland’s first team. He attended Hoërskool Nelspruit for Grade Eight and Nine before he went to Hoërskool Waterkloof. From 2012 to 2015, he played 56 matches for the Pumas, scoring four tries. He made his Bok debut in 2016 and has 25 caps.

KWAGGA SMITH

Kwagga was born in Lydenburg on June 11, 1993. He attended Laerskool Lydenburg and HTS Middelburg. He played his first match for the Springboks in 2018 and has 16 caps. From 2013 to 2017 he played 158 matches for the Blitzboks.

TREVOR NYAKANE

Trevor was born on May 4, 1989, in Bushbuckridge. He attended school in Limpopo’s top rugby school, Ben Vorster, where he played for the first team for two years. He made his Springbok debut in 2013 and earned 52 caps.

VINCENT KOCH

Vincent made his debut for the Pumas in 2013 and has played 52 matches for the team, scoring eight tries. He left for the Stormers in 2016. He made his national debut in 2015 and has been capped 28 times.

SA seeking first home win in eight years

Nearly eight years have passed since the Springboks last defeated the All Blacks in South Africa at Ellis Park on October 5, 2014. South Africa won 27-25. The last time the Springboks played the All Blacks in South Africa was on October 6, 2018 at Loftus Versfeld. New Zealand won 32-30.

2022 Castle Lager Rugby Championship fixtures:

Saturday August 6; 17:05 – Springboks v All Blacks (Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela)
Saturday August 13; 17:05 – Springboks v All Blacks (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday August 27; 07:30 – Australia v Springboks (Adelaide Oval, Adelaide)
Saturday September 3; 13:35 – Australia v Springboks (Allianz Stadium, Sydney)
Saturday September 17; 21:10 – Argentina v Springboks (Estadio Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires)
Saturday September 24; 17:05 – Springboks v Argentina (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban).

Boks undefeated at Fortress Mbombela

The Springboks are undefeated at Mbombela Stadium. The match against the All Blacks will be their fourth here. The home of the Airlink Pumas has 43 500 seats and 27 suites. The pitch is 688m above sea level. The stadium held its first rugby match on August 27, 2010, when the Pumas beat the Blue Bulls 22–21. The Boks have played three matches and won three at Mbombela Stadium. In 2013, they defeated Scotland 30- 17 and in 2014 beat Wales 31-30. In 2016, South Africa played their home Rugby Championship match against Argentina at Mbombela Stadium and won 30-23.

101-year rivalry steeped in history

The first test match between the Springboks and New Zealand was played at Carisbrook, Dunedin, on August 13, 1921. The All Blacks won 13-5. The Springboks’ first win over the All Blacks came three weeks later in the second test match at Eden Park, Auckland. South Africa won 9-5. The countries have played each other 101 times. New Zealand has won 60 and South Africa 37 matches. Four games ended in draws.

In 45 matches played in New Zealand, South Africa has won 10 times. Fifty games have been played in South Africa, of which the home team won 25. New Zealand’s biggest defeat of South Africa was a 57-0 thrashing at North Harbour Stadium in Albany on September 16, 2017.

The Springboks biggest win over the All Blacks was at Kingsmead in Durban on June 30, 1928. South Africa won 17-0. New Zealand’s top scorer versus the Springboks is Dan Carter with 221 points. The top South Africa points scorer in matches against new Zealand is Percy Montgomery with 103. Handré Pollard is just seven points behind Montgomery and could become South Africa’s all-time leading points scorer against New Zealand during the 2022 Castle Lager Rugby Championships. All Black Christian Cullen has scored the most tries against South Africa – 10. Springbok Brian Habana has scored eight tries against the All Blacks.

Visitors will experience first-hand the excitement and emotion of the haka being performed for the first time at Mbombela Stadium, in Mpumalanga, the Place of the Rising Sun. You will feel awe-inspired by the full force of this ceremonial dance. Traditionally, the Maori people of New Zealand performed the haka to display a tribe’s pride, strength and unity. The haka is commonly known as a war dance used to fire up warriors on the battlefield, but it’s also a customary way to celebrate, entertain, welcome and challenge visiting tribes. The very first New Zealand representative rugby team, known as The Natives, performed a haka during a tour of Britain and Australia in 1888-89. The haka performed then, Ka Mate, is still performed by the All Blacks today.

“Ka mate, ka mate! ka ora! ka ora! means I die! I die! I live! I live!” Originally, the haka was only performed by the All Blacks when they played overseas. It wasn’t until 1986 that the haka was included in home matches. From then on, the haka was taken more seriously by the All Blacks and performed with the precision, respect and passion it is known for today.

Ka Mate (Maori )

Ka mate, ka mate! ka ora! ka ora! Ka mate! ka mate! ka ora! ka ora! Tenei te tangata puhuruhuru Nana nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te ra A, upane! ka upane! A, upane, ka upane, whiti te ra! Ka Mate (English) I die! I die! I live! I live! I die! I die! I live! I live! This is the hairy man Who summons the sun and makes it shine A step upward, another step upward! A step upward, another… the sun shines!