Wales will prepare for the tour of Australia when they face world champions South Africa at Twickenham in June. Cardiff’s Principality Stadium is unavailable because Taylor Swift will perform there on June 18 and the Foo Fighters will play there next week.
The Springboks’ first game since winning the World Cup in France will be played on June 22. After this game, the Barbarians will face Fiji. The last time Wales played against South Africa at Twickenham was during the 2015 World Cup, when the Springboks won a tense quarter-final 23-19.
After the Springbok game, Wales will play two Test matches against Australia, facing the Wallabies in Sydney on July 6 and the Kangaroos in Melbourne seven days later.
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Wales will be without these players if they reach this season’s Rugby Union Championship final, which is scheduled to take place on the same day as the Springboks game. The Ospreys were Wells’ highest-ranked region at seventh, with the top eight of the 16 teams making the playoffs. Cardiff City, Scarlets and Dragons were further behind. The same would apply if South Africa reaches the URC final. The Bulls and Storm are ranked second and sixth respectively.
“I’m very excited about Wells’ schedule this summer,” Wells head coach Warren Gatland said. “Giving our young team the opportunity to play against the world champions at a neutral venue is an extremely important experience and we will be delighted.
“We are also delighted to have the opportunity to play two Tests in Australia in July. We know the Wallabies will have injuries following the Rugby World Cup [Australia made a pool stage exit], but we look forward to a passionate team led by new head coach Joe Schmidt. “
