S Africa to host test double- headers

South Africa will host Scotland, Samoa and Italy in a four- team tournament next year that will have two rugby tests on the same day at the same stadium.

Wales and Scotland again will tour South Africa for mid- year internationals in 2014. The South African Rugby Union announced the Springboks’ home fixtures up to 2015 yesterday and also said next season would be the first time the national body owns the test matches.

Previously, South Africa’s provincial rugby unions were awarded international games to host at their home grounds and were able to commercialise them.

South Africa will start their 2013 international season on June 8 against Italy at the Mbombela Stadium in the northern city of Nelspruit. Scotland will play Samoa at the same stadium earlier the same day.

There will also be double- headers involving the four teams at Kings Park in Durban on June 15 and Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on June 22. Fans will be able to watch both games on each day for the price of one ticket, Saru said.

South Africa was drawn with Scotland and Samoa in the group stage of the 2015 World Cup. Saru said it had previously been the only major rugby union not to own its home test matches, which were effectively sold to provinces to stage.

South Africa’s national rugby body will now take money from ticket sales and ‘‘ commercial activity’’ in and around the stadium.

The fixtures were subject to terms being agreed between Saru and the host union, however. ‘‘ The key benefits will be in allowing us to plough a share of the profits back into all the provincial unions,’’ Saru chief executive Jurie Roux said.

The Mbombela game will be the Springboks’ first appearance at the colourful giraffe- and zebra- themed stadium built for the 2010 football World Cup.

In next year’s Rugby Championship, South Africa will host Argentina at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, Australia at Newlands in Cape Town and world and southern hemisphere champions New Zealand at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

Wales will play two tests in 2014 at Johannesburg and Nelspruit while Scotland will play a one- off game in Port Elizabeth.