Japan Brave Blossoms Could Be Set To Face the Springboks in Brighton on 2025 November Tour

Reports from South African media suggest the reigning world champions will play the Brave Blossoms in Brighton on November 1st 2025 – a decade since the famous victory for the Japanese Men’s XV rugby side over South Africa at RWC 2015.

Photo Credit – Justin Tallis (AFP)

Update – the match was confirmed to take place at Wembley Stadium on 1 November 2025.

Currently, there has been no confirmation from the JRFU of the added test match. The Brave Blossoms are due to already play Ireland, Wales, and Georgia on their November tour.

Japan are currently 14th in the world rankings and recently drew a two-match home series 1-1 with Wales, with the Welsh breaking a record run of losses by winning the second test. They next play in the Pacific Nations Cup 2025 before hosting the Wallabies in late October.

For South Africa, the test against Japan, if it goes ahead, would be their November tour opener with fixtures against France (8 November), Italy (15 November), Ireland (22 November) and Wales (29 November) already confirmed. The match would take their total tally of Tests in 2025 to 14 (15 matches including the non-cap clash against the Barbarians).

SA has already beaten Italy twice and Georgia this year, and will next participate in the Rugby Championship 2025.

Photo Credit – Reuters / Eddie Keogh –  Brighton RWC 2015

RWC 2015 Brave Blossoms Drama

The famous Japanese victory over the Springboks at RWC 2015 in Brighton, their first and only win over them, was made into a film called The Brighton Miracle, depicting Heyneke Meyer’s Springboks’ 34-32 loss to Eddie Jones’ Brave Blossoms.

Karne Hesketh scored the match-winning try in the 84th minute after Japan, then ranked 13th in the world, turned down a penalty goal that would have drawn the game and scored in the corner.

Since then, the Springboks and Brave Blossoms have met twice in 2019, with South Africa winning a World Cup warm-up match in Saitama 41-7, and a RWC 2019 quarter-final in Tokyo 26-3 en route to lifting the Webb Ellis Cup in Japan.

Brave Blossoms end-of-year 2025 Tour Schedule

Local KO times shown.

• 25 October: Japan vs Australia, National Stadium, Tokyo.
• 1 November: SA vs Japan, Brighton. Kick off: TBC.
• 8 November: Ireland vs Japan – Aviva Stadium, Dublin. 12:40 KO
• 15 November: Wales vs Japan – Principality Stadium, Cardiff. 17:40 KO
• 22 November: Georgia vs Japan – Venue and time TBC (in Georgia)

Springboks November 2025 Tour Schedule

Local KO times shown.

• 1 November: SA vs Japan, Brighton. Kick off: TBC.
• 8 November: SA vs France, Paris. Kick off: 22:10.
• 15 November: SA vs Italy, Turin. Kick off: 14:40
• 22 November: SA vs Ireland, Dublin. Kick off: 19:40.
• 29 November: SA vs Wales, Cardiff. Kick off: 17:10.

2025 International Men’s Rugby News

• Japan XV Add Australia A Fixture To Busy 2025 Calendar.
• Japan Sakura Fifteens and Brave Blossoms 2025 Domestic Fixtures Announced.
• Pacific Nations Cup 2025 Details Announced.
• Philippines Men Crowned Unions Cup 2025 Champions.