The Allianz Stadium, Twickenham will host the final Rugby Championship game of 2025 between the World Champions and los Pumas
The Rugby Championship is famously a contest between the best rugby sides in the southern hemisphere, but the final game of this year’s tournament – and the last Rugby Championship game until 2027 – will kick off north of the equator.
That’s because South Africa’s match against Argentina on Saturday 4 October will take place at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, a week after the venue hosted the sell-out Women’s Rugby World Cup final.
Below we explain why these two SANZAAR giants are playing so far from home, and whether it’s happened before.
Why are South Africa and Argentina playing their final Rugby Championship fixture in London?
With the two sides having met in Durban last weekend (a game the Springboks won by a comfortable 67-30 margin), Saturday’s return leg is, technically at least, Argentina’s home fixture against South Africa.
The UAR (Argentine Rugby Union) has opted to host the match at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, even though London is some 7,000 miles from Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires – and in an entirely different hemisphere.
Why have Argentina given up home advantage?
This match could be extremely lucrative for the UAR. With a capacity of 82,000, England’s home is significantly bigger than equivalent grounds in Argentina – Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba and José Amalfitani Stadium in Buenos Aires (the two stadia that have hosted the Pumas this season) can hold around 57,000 and 48,000 spectators, respectively.
It’s also been suggested that the UAR can charge significantly more for a ticket in London than they would back home, meaning this Rugby Championship fixture could be a significant payday for the union.
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Could the location shift actually work in South Africa’s favour?
Given the number of South African expats in the UK and London in particular, Saturday’s fixture could easily feel like a home game for the Springboks.
South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus even suggested as much when the fixture was announced, saying: “We’ve played two neutral-venue test matches at the iconic stadium since 2023 against New Zealand and Wales, and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience, especially with the passionate crowd filling the stadium and the large contingent of Springbok supporters based in the UK.”
Springbok fans back home certainly won’t be complaining about the kick-off time, either: 2.00pm UK equates to 3.00pm in South Africa, arguably a much better time to watch rugby than 10.00am in Argentina.
Twickenham last hosted a Rugby Championship match in October 2016 (Kieran Galvin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Have any previous Rugby Championship matches been played in the northern hemisphere?
While this is the first time South Africa and Argentina have met in the UK, it’s not the first time the Pumas have hosted one of their Rugby Championship rivals at Twickenham. In 2016, Australia were the “visitors” in a match the Wallabies won 33-21.
The Springboks are also no stranger to playing teams other than England at Twickenham: in an August 2023 Test they thrashed the All Blacks 35-7, while in June 2024 they beat Wales 41-13.
In the first South Africa rugby fixture after the Rugby Championship they’ll move across London to play Japan at football stronghold Wembley on Saturday 1 November.
Where can I watch the match?
UK viewers can tune in on Sky Sports, while fans in South Africa can watch on SuperSport.
Going to be outside your usual country on the day of the match? Don’t worry, because you can use a VPN to watch your usual subscription from overseas. You can find more information – along with viewing options around the world – in our guide to watching the Rugby Championship wherever you are.
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