Today, SANZAAR officially announced the six-game Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship schedule.
The typical 12-match tournament is shortened to a one-round, home-or-away, six-match tournament in July as is customary during a Rugby World Cup year. Following the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship and before the Rugby World Cup in France, which begins in early September, two more games have also been scheduled for early August. These include a second Bledisloe Cup encounter and a second South Africa vs Argentina match.
It has been difficult to find venues because the FIFA Women’s World Cup is also being held in Australia and New Zealand in July-August. This is why the New Zealand versus South Africa game will be held at Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium. Australia will hold its two domestic matches at the MCG in Melbourne and CommBank Stadium in Sydney.
the All Blacks Pool for the 2023 Rugby World Cup
Argentina will host its home TRC match in Mendoza, while South Africa will host its matches in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship 2023
ROUND 1 – Saturday 8 July
South Africa v Australia, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, 17:05
Argentina v New Zealand, Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza, 16:10
ROUND 2 – Saturday 15 July
New Zealand v South Africa, Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, 19:05
Australia v Argentina, Comm Bank Stadium, Sydney, 19:45
ROUND 3 – Saturday 29 July
Australia v New Zealand, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, 19:45 (Bledisloe Cup 1)
South Africa v Argentina, Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg, 17:05
Additional Fixtures – Saturday 5 August
New Zealand v Australia, Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, 14:35 (Bledisloe Cup 2)
Argentina v South Africa, Estadion Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires, 19:10
*All times and dates are local