The rugby summer tour series is set to kick off this year starting in June and excitement has only built up more and more over the past few months, and with it only being a few months to go, fans can’t wait to get started.
Each time the summer series kicks off, it’s sure to have ups, downs and a lot of surprises as nations battle it out for top spot. Just like when you’re playing your favourite casino online, both players and fans are raring to go for the tournament.
The summer series, featuring nations such as England, Scotland, Wales, Italy and Japan will see games being played around the world such as in Twickenham England and the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo. It’s a chance to see smaller rugby nations up against some of the best in the world and bring the sport of rugby to new fans.
In this article we’ll be looking into some of the best games the fans can get excited for.
England
This will be an interesting watch for England fans, as some of the key players that played at the last world cup have since retired, making this a new look England squad. Only time will tell to see if the new faces can step up to the task and fill their boots, however with England in a period of transition, it may be the perfect time to bed the newer players in and give them a chance to show what they can do.
Some of the key fixtures include Japan Vs England at the Japan national stadium on Saturday 22nd June, New Zealand Vs England at the Forsyth Barr stadium on Saturday 6th July and they take on New Zealand again at the Eden Park on Saturday 13th July.
Ireland
Just like in the previous World Cup, Ireland will go up against the strong side of South Africa. Although Ireland claimed the match, it was South Africa that ultimately won the war as they were crowned world champions. This time around South Africa will be looking for revenge, and with both sides being extremely physical, it’s sure to be one to watch.
Some of their fixtures include South Africa at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday 6th July & going against South Africa again on Saturday 13th July at the King Park Stadium.
Wales
A fresh faced Wales team look to make history as they try and turn doubters into believers. Under new head coach Warren Gatland, he’ll be looking to instil some much needed confidence into this Wales team and use all his experience to turn them into champions. Playing games in both England and then heading down under, Wales will be hoping the extra travel doesn’t have an effect on their performances.
Games to watch out for are South Africa vs Wales on Saturday 22nd June at the Twickenham Stadium, Australia Vs Wales on Saturday 6th July at Allianz Stadium before going against Australia on Saturday 13th July at AAMI Park.
France
France have been pitted against Argentina this time around and sees mirror matches from 2012 and 2016. Although they’ll be without key player Antoine Dupont as he’s currently preparing for the Olympics, they should be in good faith they should come out on top against this Argentina team.
Although the venues have yet to be confirmed, France go against Argentina on Saturday 6th and 13th July.
Scotland
Scotland appear to be using this tournament as a way to fully view their squad talents, work on building chemistry within the squad and ensuring the current players are the right fit for the team. They’ll face off against four different opponents and although they will be using it for experience and testing, they’ll still hope to come out on top.
Although the venues are yet to be confirmed, their fixtures include Canada Vs Scotland on Saturday 6th July, USA Vs Scotland on Saturday 13th July, Chile Vs Scotland on Saturday 20th July and Uruguay Vs Scotland on Saturday 27th July.
Italy
Not much has been announced regarding Italy, with only one fixture being confirmed which is Japan Vs Italy on Saturday 20th with the venue yet to be confirmed. However once other fixtures are confirmed, we’re sure they’ll be looking to pull out some unexpected results.
Rugby is a game watched by millions all around the world every year, and the Summer Series is just one of the many tournaments fans love and enjoy. Fans have been gearing up for this for months, and as the excitement builds, there’s no sign of it slowing down. It’s sure to be a top notch tournament with surprises around every corner and results no one saw coming. Who do you think will come out on top?
