One of the most fearsome and highly-anticipated rivalries in world rugby will once again take centre stage in 2021 when The British & Irish Lions lock horns with the Springboks.

The Lions have toured South Africa on 13 previous occasions since their first meeting in 1891, with the tourists winning four of those Test series, losing eight and drawing one.

Castle Lager Lions Series schedule confirmed

This time around Warren Gatland’s men will contest eight matches across four different venues, including the concluding three-match Test series against the reigning world champions.

A Tour like no other, the Castle Lager Lions Series will provide both Lions players the opportunity to experience some of the most imposing venues in world rugby.

And as Warren Gatland’s men prepare to avenge their 2009 defeat to the Springboks, we have looked at the challenge posed by each of the stadiums to the world’s greatest touring team.

Cape Town Stadium (Cape Town)

The scene of the opening Test match and Tour games against South Africa A and Stormers, Cape Town Stadium is one of South Africa’s newest, most impressive venues with a capacity of 55,000.

Opened in 2009, the grand stadium sits upon the former site of the Green Point Stadium and hosted a number of matches during the 2010 Football World Cup.

Stadium cape town

The clash between the Lions and South Africa A will be the first time the tourists have played in the venue, which also staged the South African Sevens tournament in 2015.

Gatland’s side will face South Africa A on Wednesday 14th July before returning to the venue at the weekend to face the Stormers on Saturday 17th July. The Lions will then face the mighty Springboks in the opening Test on Saturday 24th July.

Loftus Versfeld Stadium (Pretoria)

The oldest venue featured on the 2021 Tour schedule, Loftus Versfeld Stadium was opened in 1923 and, unsurprisingly, has a long and illustrious history of hosting sporting events.

With a capacity of 51,762, the ground hosted fixtures during the 1995 Rugby World Cup and 2010 Football World Cup as well as multiple Tests between the Lions and the Springboks.

The ground’s first Test match came in 1955 when the travelling Lions narrowly defeated South Africa 9-6, while it also hosted the now famous second Test of the 2009 Tour.

That particular match ended up going in South Africa’s favour but the Lions will be counting on better fortune when they face the Vodacom Bulls on Saturday 10th July.

FNB Stadium (Johannesburg)

Stadium

The second and third Tests of the 2021 Tour will pit the Lions against the Springboks at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, which has a capacity of 95,000 after being expanded in 2009.

Originally opened in 1989 and briefly known as Soccer City for the 2010 Football World Cup, it has hosted numerous African Cup of Nations finals but never a Lions Test match.

Nicknamed The Calabash and inspired by the design of an African pot, it was the site of Nelson Mandela’s first speech in Johannesburg after his release from prison in 1990.

Having already hosted Tri Nations and Rugby Championship matches between South Africa and New Zealand, the stadium will be the setting for the decisive final two Tests of the 2021 Tour.

The second Test between the tourists and the Springboks will be staged at FNB Stadium on Saturday 31st July, before the two rivals come face to face again seven days later on Saturday 7th August.

Emirates Airline Park (Johannesburg)

Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg will be the scene of the opening two Tour matches for the Lions in South Africa.

The touring Lions are no strangers to battling it out with the Springboks at the venue, playing seven Test Matches at Emirates Airline Park since 1938 and winning two of them.

It was also the venue of the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, where President Nelson Mandela famously handed the trophy to triumphant South Africa captain Francois Pienaar.

Opened in 1929 and expanded in 2009, it should provide a fitting location for the 2021 Tour to begin as the Lions take on the Emirates Lions and the Cell C Sharks.

The first match of the Tour against the Lions’ namesakes will take place on Saturday 3rd July before the tourists do battle again in Johannesburg on Wednesday 7th July against the Sharks.

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