Cape Town - The Springboks will head to Bloemfontein for the first time since 2010 and New Zealand will be in action in Cape Town as SA Rugby confirmed the home venues for the 2017 Rugby Championships on Monday.



The first match of the Rugby Championship will take place on Saturday, August 19 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, when Argentina clash with the Boks.



The following week, the Springboks will be in action in Argentina against Los Pumas (Saturday, August 26 in Salta), where after it’s the first bye weekend.



The Boks’ traditional tour to Australasia is in early September for matches against the Wallabies (Saturday, September 9 at NIB Stadium in Perth) and All Blacks (Saturday, September 16 at QBE Stadium in Albany).



Although the Springboks have played in Perth before, they have never been in action at NIB Stadium, home ground of the Western Force.



The match in Albany will be the South Africans’ third visit to QBE Stadium after they played two matches in the 2011 Rugby World Cup - against Samoa and Namibia - at this stadium, which is used as secondary home base by the Blues.



A second bye weekend follows the tour before the Springboks head home for their last two encounters, on Saturday September 30 against Australia at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, and Saturday, October 7 against New Zealand in Cape Town.



The venue in Cape Town is dependent on the outcome of an application for a safety certificate in relation to the first choice venue, Newlands.



This will be the All Blacks’ first visit to the Mother City since 2008 and the 10th time these two teams will clash in a Test in the Western Cape in 89 years, when New Zealand first played in Cape Town.



Springboks’ Rugby Championship fixtures:



August 19 - Springboks v Argentina, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

August 26 - Argentina v Springboks, Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena, Salta

September 9 - Australia v Springboks, NIB Stadium, Perth

September 16 - New Zealand v Springboks, QBE Stadium, Albany

September 30 - Springboks v Australia, Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein

October 7 - Springboks v New Zealand, (Venue TBC), Cape Town

