Zimbabwe builds a new stadium in Victoria Falls for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup! [update #6]

update (21 November 2025): Three Men On a Boat (kudos!) realeased a video update on the progress of theMosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls about a month ago.

update (06 October 2025): According to ESPN cricinfo (on 25 August 2025), the (Fale) Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls is scheduled to be ready by August 2026 and is expected to host matches in the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup. The website further reports that the stadium has already had the main pitch planted, irrigation installed, and grass embankments completed. Work is now being done on the players' pavilion and media centre, as well as with the water and power supply infrastructure. 

update (22 August 2025): The Cabinet of Zimbabwe reported in early August 2025 that construction of the Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls is progressing well, with the media centre and training pitch now 50 percent and 40 percent complete, respectively. 

update (21 March 2025): Earlier this month, the Zimbabwe Cricket Managing Director, Givemore Makoni, announced significant progress at the Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls. Most of the groundwork has been completed. The new stadium is set to be finished in time for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.

update (22 July 2024): Construction has begun on the Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls. According to Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) managing director Givemore Makoni has confirmed that civil works, including water works and fencing, are underway. 

update (27 May 2024): Worth reading!  > "Concerns grow over costs and impacts of controversial Victoria Falls Cricket Stadium proposal" 

Zimbabwe is set to build a new multi-purpose stadium in Victoria Falls. According to the 14th post-cabinet briefing 2024, Zimbabwe Cricket, the national governing body for competitive cricket in Zimbabwe, was allocated 10 hectares of land for the construction of an (international cricket) stadium and ancillary facilities in the Masuwe Special Economic Zone for Tourism in Victoria Falls. The new stadium will be used in the hosting of the 2026 ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup, which will be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia, and the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. According to news repots from Zimbabwe, the country's President Emerson Mnangagwa is expected to lay the foundation stone on the site of the new stadium on 23 May 2024. The stadium is expected to be completed in August 2025. The venue will seat 10,000 and will also be able to host other sports such as rugby, tennis, hockey, and squash We'll keep you posted!

Rugby: SA Rugby and British & Irish Lions confirm revised tour schedule! [update]

update (21 July 2021): SA Rugby and the British & Irish Lions confirmed on 20 July 2021 that agreement had been reached to conclude the Castle Lager Lions Series in Cape Town. The Series was scheduled to return to Johannesburg following the first Test in Cape Town on Saturday. All three test matches will now take place at the Cape Town Stadium (24 July 2021, 31 July 2021 and 07 August 2021). According to SA Rugby, the decision to remain in Cape Town was made following extensive consultation with medical experts on the risks associated with the delta variant of Covid-19.

update (01 July 2021): The kick-off in the Castle Lager Lions Series match between the Cell C Sharks and the British & Irish Lions at Emirates Arline Park in Johannesburg on 07 July 2021 has been brought forward by an hour to 19:00 (18:00 BST).

The South African Rugby Union (also known as SA Rugby) and the British & Irish Lions have confirmed a revised Castle Lager Lions Series fixture list and venues. In order to minimise the risks of disruption that could be caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, all eight matches of the tour in South Africa will be played in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town. The schedule accommodates stable team bases and training venues and significantly reduces travel.
The British & Irish Lions Tour of South Africa 2021 ("Castle Lager Lions Series") will now kick off in Gauteng with three matches against provincial opposition in Johannesburg and Pretoria before moving to Cape Town for two more warm-up matches before the first test at Cape Town Stadium on 24 July 2021. The Castle Lager Lions Series then returns to Johannesburg for the second and third tests at the FNB Stadium. There is one team change in the revised schedule with the Emirates Lions replacing the South Africa Invitational team. The adjustment was made to reduce the risks associated with drawing a squad from around the country.  

Photo by Alberto Di Maria on Unsplash

SA Rugby is organising all games in the schedule to comply with the regulations on attendance as will apply at the time of play. All ticket holders for the original schedule will receive a full refund. SA Rugby also confirmed that South African resident ticket holders would have first right to purchase tickets for the revised schedule if restrictions on attendance at sports events were lifted.

The full Castle Lager Lions Series 2021 is:

• 03 July 2021: Emirates Lions v The British & Irish Lions (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg) kick off 18:00 (SAT) / 17:00 (BST)
• 07 July 2021: Cell C Sharks v The British & Irish Lions (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg) kick off 20:00 (SAT) / 19:00 (BST) 19:00 (SAT) / 18:00 (BST)
• 10 July 2021: Vodacom Bulls v The British & Irish Lions (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria) kick off 18:00 (SAT) / 17:00 (BST)
• 14 July 2021: South Africa ‘A’ v The British & Irish Lions (Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town) kick off 20:00 (SAT) / 19:00 (BST)
• 17 July 2021: DHL Stormers v The British & Irish Lions (Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town) kick off 18:00 (SAT) / 17:00 (BST)
• 24 July 2021: Springboks v The British & Irish Lions (1st test, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town) kick off 18:00 (SAT) / 17:00 (BST)
• 31 July 2021: Springboks v The British & Irish Lions (2nd test, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg) kick off 18:00 (SAT) / 17:00 (BST)
• 07 August 2021: Springboks v The British & Irish Lions (3rd test, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg) kick off 18:00 (SAT) / 17:00 (BST)

British & Irish Lions announce itinerary for 2021 Tour of South Africa! [update]

update (19 February 2021): There are rumours that the British and Irish Lions series against South Africa will be staged in Australia!

update (10 February 2021): According to World Rugby vice-chairman Bernard Laporte, a decision on whether the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa will go ahead will be made at the end of March 2021.

update (06 January 2021): According to news reports, the British and Irish Lions board is currently discussing three contingency plans for the 2021 British and Irish Lions' tour of South Africa: bringing the series to the UK and Ireland (Edinburgh, London, Cardiff, and Dublin), playing the series behind closed doors in South Africa, or postponing the tour until 2022. We'll keep you posted!

update (16 July 2020): SA Rugby and the British & Irish Lions confirmed on 15 July 2020 the 2021 tour to South Africa will go ahead as scheduled. The eight-game tour kicks off on 03 July 2021 when the Lions play Vodacom Super Rugby’s DHL Stormers in Cape Town.

The British & Irish Lions, a rugby union team selected from players eligible to play for the national teams of England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland, has announced the itinerary for the 2021 Tour of South Africa (03 July - 07 August 2021). The eight-game schedule includes three test matches against the Springboks in Johannesburg and Cape Town as well as three matches against Super Rugby teams (Vodacom Bulls, Cell C Sharks and DHL Stormers) and two fixtures against an invitational side and South Africa "A" in Port Elizabeth, Durban, Nelspruit and Pretoria.

The British & Irish Lions have toured South Africa on 13 previous occasions, with the first Tour taking place in 1891. In that time, the Lions have won four Test series, lost eight and drew one. Their overall record against the Springboks is played 46, won 17, lost 23 and drawn six.

British & Irish Lions 2021 Tour of South Africa (03 July - 07 August 2021):

• Saturday 03 July 2021: British & Irish Lions v DHL Stormers – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
• Wednesday 07 July 2021: British & Irish Lions v South Africa Invitational – Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
• Saturday 10 July 2021: British & Irish Lions v Cell C Sharks – Jonsson Kings Park, Durban
• Wednesday 14 July 2021: British & Irish Lions v South Africa "A" – Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
• Saturday 17 July 2021: British & Irish Lions v Vodacom Bulls – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
• Saturday 24 July 2021 (First Test): Springboks v British & Irish Lions – FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
• Saturday 31 July 2021 (Second Test): Springboks v British & Irish Lions – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
• Saturday 7 August 2021 (Third Test): Springboks v British & Irish Lions – Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg