Jan 22 (Reuters) - The self-styled Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour between South Africa and New Zealand will conclude with a fourth test in Baltimore in the U.S., officials said on Thursday, with the fixture scheduled for the M&T Bank Stadium on September 12.
The All Blacks will tour South Africa for three tests, two in Johannesburg and one in Cape Town, as well as four midweek games against United Rugby Championship sides.
One of the Johannesburg tests will be played at the cavernous 94,000-seater Soccer City stadium in Soweto that hosted the 2010 Soccer World Cup final.
The teams will then travel to Baltimore for the fourth game as South African Rugby and their New Zealand counterparts seek to maximise commercial benefit.
But with the 2031 men’s Rugby World Cup and 2033 women’s global finals to be hosted in the U.S., World Rugby has had a hand in the decision to play in Baltimore.
"Partnering with unions to bring world-class content to key U.S. cities is at the heart of the sport’s strategy to grow the market," World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin said in a statement.
"There are few bigger rivalries than New Zealand v South Africa, and to be able to showcase the best of our sport in Baltimore, one of 27 super-engaged cities and regions in the Rugby World Cup hosting process, is an exciting prospect, inspiring more sports fans in the U.S. to fall in love with rugby."
Tour fixtures:
August 7: Stormers v All Blacks, Cape Town
August 11: Sharks v All Blacks, Durban
August 15: Bulls v All Blacks, Pretoria
August 22: Springboks v All Blacks, Johannesburg (Ellis Park)
August 25: Lions v All Blacks, Johannesburg
August 29: Springboks v All Blacks, Cape Town
September 5: Springboks v All Blacks, Johannesburg (Soccer City)
September 12: Springboks v All Blacks, Baltimore, United States
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Ken Ferris)
