Qatar Airways announced on Tuesday that the Qatar Airways Cup will be up for grabs when the Springboks take on the Barbarians in an historic clash on Saturday, 28 June at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
It will be the third edition of the Qatar Airways Cup, an event that has quickly become an exciting staple on the global rugby calendar. The Springboks won both previous encounters for the trophy, against New Zealand in 2023 and Wales last year, both in London.
The Barbarians have already locked in the names of three Test centurions, with tickets for the Qatar Airways Cup selling fast – secure your tickets from Ticketmaster.co.za.
The match, hosted in collaboration with Pitch International, forms part of the airline’s growing footprint in global rugby, complementing Qatar Airways’ sponsorships of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) competitions, as well as the forthcoming Qatar Airways Lions Tour to Australia, later in 2025.
Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Thierry Antinori, said: “We are thrilled to introduce the Qatar Airways Cup to Cape Town for the first time, a city we have proudly served for two decades.
“Rugby has a rich heritage in South Africa, uniting communities across continents, and this match between two of the sport’s most storied teams is a fitting celebration of that spirit.
“Alongside our global partnerships with the URC, EPCR, and the Qatar Airways Lions Tour to Australia, this landmark fixture deepens our commitment to growing rugby’s global reach while connecting fans through seamless travel experiences.”
The Qatar Airways Cup celebrates a series of milestones for the airline, as it commemorates 20 years of operations to South Africa in 2025. The airline connects passengers with 28 weekly flights to three key gateways in the country – Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.
Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with Pitch International to bring this landmark fixture to South Africa, and to Qatar Airways for their support.
“Pitch International’s global expertise in event delivery and promotion makes them the perfect partner to help showcase the Springboks and Barbarians to a worldwide audience. This partnership marks an exciting new chapter in our efforts to grow the game and connect with fans across the globe.”
Pitch International Chief Commercial Officer, Andy Marinos said: “Bringing the Barbarians to South African soil to face the Springboks for the first time, is a proud moment for Pitch.
“This fixture against the Boks, one of the sport’s most iconic sides and current world champions, is a celebration of global rugby and a testament to our ambition to deliver the sport’s biggest events in the most passionate venues around the world — perfectly aligning with and reinforcing Pitch’s deep-rooted involvement in the global rugby landscape.”
The Barbarians are renowned for their flair, creativity and international diversity, and will be coached by the highly experienced and respected Robbie Deans. The squad will feature stars from the Vodacom URC, French Top 14, English Premiership, Super Rugby, and the Japanese League.
The Qatar Airways Cup clash will mark the ninth meeting between the Springboks and the famous black-and-white-clad Barbarians, and their first encounter since an exciting 31-31 draw at Wembley Stadium in London on 5 November 2016.
New Magoo
Sport Trivia: Ghana boycotted the Olympic Games in 1976, in protest at the participation of which country? Answer: New Zealand – The 1976 Games were held in Montreal, Canada. The Ghanaian team, along with almost 30 other African nations, joined in a boycott of the Games to protest at New Zealand\’s All Blacks rugby team having toured South Africa under apartheid.
Round Kick Boomer
Sport Trivia: Who was the first woman swimmer to win both the 100m and 200m breaststroke at the Olympics? Answer: Penny Heyns. She won both the 100m and 200m breaststroke events at the 1996 Olympics, the first woman to do so. She broke the world and Olympic records for the 100m breaststroke and broke the Olympic record for the 200m breaststroke. In 1999 she held 5 out of a possible 6 world breaststroke records, the first time this had ever been achieved (50m, 100m and 200m, plus same distances in 25m short course pool) — the one she \”missed\” was the 200m short course.