Handre Pollard of the Springboks on the offensive against Georgia in a 2021 Test. (Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images)

  • Georgia will play the Cheetahs in a warm-up game in Bloemfontein before they take on the Springboks a week later.
  • The Springboks host the Georgians in a Test-match at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.
  • The Free State team are currently competing in the SA Cup.
  • For more news on the Springboks, visit our dedicated section.

Georgia will play a warm-up game against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein in preparation for their Test-match against the Springboks in July.

The Georgians requested an additional game before they take on the world champions at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on 19 July.

It will be Georgia’s second tour to South Africa following a Covid-19 interrupted two-match Test series in 2021, which saw the Boks win the opener 40-9 before the second Test was cancelled due to an infection breach.

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SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer felt the Cheetahs were a suitable opponent, with the tourists set to travel to Bloemfontein for their match on 12 July.

“We received a request from Georgia for an extra match on their tour and what better opponent than the Cheetahs, who will be in the middle of their season at that stage,” Oberholzer said in a press statement.

“We believe it’ll be a great occasion for Cheetahs fans and rugby supporters in central South Africa, and it will give our visitors a proper hit-out before they take on the Springboks.”

Springbok fixtures in 2025:

Incoming Series:

5 July: SA v Italy, Pretoria

12 July: SA v Italy, Gqeberha

19 July: SA v Georgia, Nelspruit

Rugby Championship:

16 August: SA v Australia, Johannesburg

23 August: SA v Australia, Cape Town

6 September: New Zealand v SA – Eden Park, Auckland

13 September: New Zealand v SA – Sky Stadium, Wellington

27 September: SA v Argentina, Durban

4 October: Argentina v SA – Twickenham, London

Year-end tour:

8 November: France v South Africa, Paris

15 November: Italy v South Africa, TBA

22 November: Ireland v South Africa, Dublin

29 November: Wales v South Africa, Cardiff

The Cheetahs are competing in the ongoing SA Cup. They lost 45-29 to Boland Cavaliers in the opening round in Wellington on Saturday. The 10-team SA Cup serves as a qualifier for the Currie Cup Premier Division, with the top four set to join the four United Rugby Championship teams.

“We are thrilled to host Georgia at Toyota Stadium for what promises to be an exciting encounter. This is a fantastic opportunity for our supporters to witness top-class rugby in Bloemfontein,” said Rory Duncan, CEO of the Free State Cheetahs.

“Playing against Georgia will be a great test for the Cheetahs. The team is up for the challenge, and we are eager to see how we measure against an international side.”

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Former England hooker and current head coach of Georgia, Richard Cockerill, was equally excited about the warm-up match.

“Playing the Cheetahs will be a great opportunity for us to prepare for the Test match against the Boks,” said Cockerill, who was interim coach of England between Eddie Jones and Steve Borthwick’s tenures before taking up the position with the Lelos.

“Bloemfontein is a great place to play rugby, and the Toyota Stadium is an amazing venue. We are excited about testing ourselves against a great rugby nation.”

The Boks kick off their home series with a two Tests against Italy, on 5 July in Pretoria and a week later in Gqeberha.

Src: News24.com