New South African venue likely to host All Blacks

The All Blacks are likely to play at a new test venue in South Africa as part of next year's expanded Tri-Nations tournament.

The Royal Bafokeng Stadium on the outskirts of Rustenburg in the Northwest province is in line to host one of the two matches the All Blacks will play away to the Springboks in 2006.

Leopards rugby union chief executive Louis du Plessis told South African website news24.com that plans were finalised to use the ground, with just a date now required for confirmation.

"It will be the first time that the Boks play a test in a black residential area," du Plessis said.

"This is an important step in the transformation process. We are making history by bringing the test to the community."

The ground, opened in 1999, houses an athletics track and can seat 43,000 spectators.

South Africa has played an international soccer match against Mauritius at the stadium, which is also a proposed venue for South Africa's 2010 World Cup soccer bid.

Rustenburg, located near the famous Sun City resort, is an economic dynamo in an expanding part of South Africa.

- NZPA