The SABC will broadcast the Ellis Park showdown between the Springboks and All Blacks in the Rugby Championship.
South African Rugby Union President Mark Alexander and Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie announced the news on Friday evening ahead of the clash.
The match will still be shown on the usual broadcaster Supersport, who own the broadcasting rights for Springboks‘ Test match, but the deal struck with the SABC will mean that more South Africans will have access to the clash against the All Blacks, which is effectively a rematch of the 2023 Rugby World Cup final.
Springboks v All Blacks on SABC
Supersport announced that the partnership was agreed in celebration of 30 years of democracy in the country.
In collaboration with SA Rugby and the Ministry of Sport, Arts & Culture and SuperSport, the concluded a once-off agreement to mark the landmark gives the SABC the rights to broadcast the iconic Rugby Championship match between the Springboks and the All Blacks on Saturday 31 August 2024.
“We want to express our heartfelt appreciation to SuperSport for collaborating with the SABC, which allows all South Africans to be a part of this historic event,” said Mr Mark Alexander, president of the South African Rugby Union.
“This partnership is a major milestone for our sport, showcasing the advances we’ve made over the last thirty years and reaffirming our dedication to promoting social unity.
“As we honour this tradition, we take pride in embracing our diversity as a strength, both in the game and within our organisation.”
SuperSport CEO Rendani Ramovha added: “Having had discussions with SARU and Minister Gayton McKenzie, we decided to join hands in celebration of 30 years of democracy. It is fitting that we have partnered with the SABC on this one particular occasion to bring this match to television viewers.
“This special match between the two great rugby-playing nations sits at the centre of the birth of democracy in our country, coupled to the fact that it is exactly 30 years ago that the Springboks and the All Blacks clashed for the first time in the post-election era; hence the broadcasting of this particular match by both SuperSport and the SABC in this once-off celebration.”
The SABC Group Chief Executive Officer, Nomsa Chabeli, concluded: “We are delighted that we have worked tirelessly to ensure that the larger part of the South African population experience the rugby euphoria this weekend.
“The SABC has historically played a pivotal role in recording the successful story of the national rugby team for many decades and has been part of celebrating their key milestones, including the SABC being a host broadcaster of the 1995 World Cup.
“The SABC takes pride in fulfilling its commitment to providing universal access to sport of national interest and enabling South African citizens to enjoy and be part of the national moments. The SABC’s extensive reach and footprint allow for a wider access to the game of such national importance as part of celebrating 30 years of democracy.”
Springboks v All Blacks at Ellis Park: The stats behind rugby’s greatest rivalry at the iconic ground
South Africa v New Zealand lineups and match details
Springboks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard
All Blacks: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Scott Barrett (c), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tamaiti Williams
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Mark Tele’a
Date: Saturday, August 31
Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 17:00 local (16:00 BST, 15:00 GMT, 03:00 NZST)
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Matthew Carley (England), Jordan Way (Australia)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
South African broadcasters: SuperSport, SABC Sport
READ MORE:Rugby Championship: Round Three fixtures, match officials, global kick-off times and TV coverage
