The Springboks look set to commence a four-Test series against the British & Irish Lions at Murrayfield on Saturday, 17 July.

Reliable sources with insight into the British & Irish Lions tour have confirmed that a leaked schedule of the matches is in fact legitimate.

The schedule appears to show that the ‘tour’ will kick off on 26 June with the Lions hosting Japan in the first of seven warm-up matches leading up to the first Test.

The Boks are in action the next day at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and follow this up with matches against the French Barbarians (3 July) and Japan (9 July) while an SA ‘A’ team is set to take on the the Lions in Dublin on 7 July.

Should this schedule be ratified, the Tests would take place on 17 July (at BT Murrayfield), 24 July (Principality Stadium), 31 July (Wembley Stadium) and end on 7 August (Twickenham).

This could finally end months of speculation about where the tour will be hosted, if at all, and provides much relief for rugby stakeholders across the globe who depend on the revenue generated from this jewel in the crown of rugby traditions.

The ‘leaked’ schedule reads as follows: