Exclusive: Wembley in line to stage Springboks match against Japan
The world champion South Africa rugby team will play at Wembley Stadium in November in a repeat of their “Miracle of Brighton” match against Japan, Morning Wire understands.
The Springboks, currently playing in the southern hemisphere Rugby Championship, will head to Europe in November for their traditional tour.
They’re listed to face France on 8 November, before matches against Italy in Turin, Ireland in Dublin, Wales in Cardiff and Argentina at Allianz Stadium; the latter as part of their Rugby Championship campaign, as revealed by Morning Wire last November.
But Morning Wire understands that they’ll front this autumn campaign with a match on 1 November against Japan’s Brave Blossoms.
Wembley Stadium was approached for comment.
Springboks at Wembley?
Japan, coached by former England boss Eddie Jones, beat Wales earlier this year and will also face Ireland and Wales across their autumn internationals campaign.
If confirmed, the match will be the latest high profile encounter in London between teams that are not represented by the Home Nations.
Further to South Africa’s pair of matches against Japan and Argentina later this year, an All Blacks XV will take on the touring Barbarians at Brentford on 1 November.
It means the capital will host three major rugby events on the same day, with the All Blacks XV at Brentford, the Springboks at Wembley and England taking on former British and Irish Lions hosts Australia at Allianz Stadium.
Wembley is no stranger to hosting rugby union but more recently has been neglected for other London stadiums.
But a match between Japan and South Africa on 1 November will mark two major rugby matches in two weeks at the home of English football, with England taking on Australia in the rugby league Ashes a fortnight earlier.
And the match will be part of a wider busy sporting schedule for the 90,000 capacity stadium, with England’s men taking on Serbia in a Fifa World Cup qualifier on 13 November and the European champion Lionesses facing China on 29 November.