Brace and Dickson to referee in Nelson Mandela Bay

The Springboks will make their return to the Castle Lager Rugby Championship on Saturday, 14 August against Argentina at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, with Irish referee Andrew Brace set to take charge of this opening round encounter.

Brace will be assisted by England’s Karl Dickson, as well as South Africa’s AJ Jacobs (assistant referees), while Tom Foley (England) was appointed as the television match official (TMO).

The Springboks and Pumas are due to meet each other again one week later in a second-round clash at the same Eastern Cape venue.

This time Dickson will be the man handling the whistle, with South Africans Marius van der Westhuizen and Jacobs performing the assistant refereeing roles and Foley scheduled to perform the TMO duties for a second successive week.

The Springboks won the Castle Lager Rugby Championship in 2019, the same year the Boks also clinched their third Rugby World Cup. However, last year the South Africans were unable to take part in the 2020 edition of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship due to the COVID-pandemic.

Following the completion of their two opening round matches, the Springboks are set to travel to Australia, where they will complete their competition fixtures against the Wallabies and All Blacks.

Springboks v Argentina: Match official appointments:

Round 1 – 14 August
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Match referee: Andrew Brace
Assistant referees: Karl Dickson and AJ Jacobs
TMO: Tom Foley

Round 2 – 21 August
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Match referee: Karl Dickson
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen and AJ Jacobs
TMO: Tom Foley

Karl Dickson Andrew Brace Springboks Argentina Castle Lager Rugby Championship

Hanekom: “Unbelievable experience” with the Boks...

Cameron Hanekom described the last week with the national team in Jersey as a “dream come true” and said he was so surpr...

Stick pleased with building blocks for Bok tour...

Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said he was pleased with the team’s first two days of preparations for the Cas...

Hendrikse to replace injured Malherbe in Bok squad...

Jordan Hendrikse (flyhalf) has been called up to replace Frans Malherbe in the Springbok squad for the Castle Lager Outg...

Boks arrive in Jersey ready to begin tour preparat...

The Springboks arrived in Jersey in high spirits on Monday keen to get their preparations underway for the Castle Lager ...

Hanekom replaces injured Willemse in Bok squad...

Cameron Hanekom earned his first call-up to the Springbok squad on Sunday after being drafted into national coach Rassie...

Malherbe praises growth of Springbok pack

Frans Malherbe praised the growth of the Springbok pack as a unit in the last few weeks and said the concerted effort from the players and coaches to learn from one another was one of the main contributing factors to their improvement from the first to the second Tests in the Castle Lager Lions Series.

World Rugby Sevens Series 2021 schedule update

Following the thrilling and very successful Olympic competitions in Tokyo, rugby sevens returns to HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series action on 18-19 September with BC Place in Vancouver hosting the first event of the 2021 Series, which sees a men’s Series event combined with a women’s fast-four tournament.

Morne Steyn returns for De Allende's 50th Test

Damian de Allende will become the third Springbok in the Castle Lager Lions Series to reach the career milestone of 50 Test caps in Saturday’s decider in Cape Town, where Morné Steyn could earn his first Test cap since 2016.

Six changes to Lions team for final Test

British & Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland has made six changes to the starting XV which lost to the Springboks last Saturday in Cape Town, with Liam Williams and Josh Adams named in the back trio.

Springboks fired up for big training week

The Springboks realise the importance of raising the bar in terms of their performance as they prepare for the Castle Lager Lions Series decider against the British & Irish Lions at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

Springbok Women back in action against Kenya

The Springbok Women will return to the field against Kenya in two Tests that will mark their first international action in almost two years, with the matches scheduled for 12 and 16 August in Stellenbosch.

Kolisi: “This is the match that counts the most"

Siya Kolisi and Mzwandile Stick said the Springboks were ready to give everything on the field to secure the unique double of a Rugby World Cup title and a Castle Lager Lions Series victory after wrapping up their preparations for their final Test against the British & Irish Lions in Cape Town on Saturday.

Lions edge Griquas in try fest in Kimberley

The Sigma Lions had to withstand a ferocious Tafel Lager Griquas onslaught in the second half of their Carling Currie Cup clash in Kimberley on Friday, but held on for a nail-biting 45-42 win over their Northern Cape rivals.

Sharks blitz Bulls to soar to the summit

A Grant Williams-inspired Cell C Sharks side rediscovered their attacking edge to clinch a 35-28 victory over the Vodacom Bulls in Durban on Friday night.

Finding solutions helped Boks beat the Lions – Nienaber

Their motto of “not looking for excuses, but finding solutions” helped the Springboks on their way to a 2-1 win in the Castle Lager Lions Series, Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber said on Saturday after a pulsating 19-16 win in the decider at the Cape Town Stadium.