South Africa to host Italy for two-Test series in 2025

World champions South Africa will host Italy in a two-Test series in July 2025, a South Africa Rugby official confirmed.

This will be the first time the Springboks face the Azzurri since their last encounter in Genoa two years ago, where South Africa claimed a dominant 63-21 victory.

The matches are scheduled to take place mid-year, although specific dates and venues have yet to be announced.

The Springboks have a strong history against Italy, having won 15 of their 16 encounters since their first meeting in 1995, the year South Africa won their first Rugby World Cup.

Italy, however, comes into this series after their most successful Six Nations campaign, which included wins against Scotland and Wales and a draw with France.

The two-Test series will be a significant part of South Africa's mid-year rugby calendar as they continue to build on their recent Rugby World Cup victory.

Matches could be held at any of the Springboks’ regular venues, including Pretoria, Cape Town, Johannesburg, or Durban, but the final selections are yet to be confirmed.

In addition to the Italy series, South Africa is expected to host a second-tier rugby nation, most likely Georgia, during the same period.

South Africa has faced Georgia twice before, winning both encounters, the most recent of which took place in Pretoria in 2021.