SA Rugby and NZ Rugby will both cash in from playing the fourth Test of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in Baltimore on Saturday.
According to Daily Maverick, each union will earn R90-million more from the Test at the 71,000-capacity M&T Bank Stadium than they would have if the match had been played in South Africa.
The first three Tests of the series in Johannesburg and Cape Town reportedly generated between R60-million and R80-million each.
Ticket prices for the Baltimore Test ranged from $112 to $145 (R1,792 to R2,320) in the upper tier of the stadium, $191 to $450 (R3,050 to R7,200) in the lower bowl and up to $1,792 (R28,672) in VIP hospitality/suites.
The Baltimore windfall is understood to include a financial contribution from World Rugby, which is encouraging leading nations to take Test rugby to the USA ahead of the 2031 World Cup there.
Australian-based events and touring company TEG ultimately secured the deal to stage the match at M&T Bank Stadium.
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Speaking to SA Rugby magazine before the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour kicked off, SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer made no secret of the financial motivation behind taking the fourth Test abroad.
“This game was always about finding an option where we could make as much financial gain as we could,” he said.
“At SA Rugby, it is essential that we keep working on our financial stability. To do that, we have to take our brand wider than South Africa.
“We know the support we have in London, but the USA is an important market for us to grow into as we build towards 2031.”
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Oberholzer said generating additional revenue in 2026 was particularly important because of the challenges awaiting both unions in 2027, a World Cup year.
“We only have three international fixtures in South Africa, which affects sponsorship and affects broadcast rights.
“We have to make as much money as we can out of this 2026 season and this series so that we and New Zealand can have a bit of a buffer going into 2027.”
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The post How much Boks will bank from Baltimore appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
SA Rugby and NZ Rugby will both cash in from playing the fourth Test of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in Baltimore on Saturday.
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