The South Africans and the United States are to play an historic test match later this year, only the second time the two sides will have ever met.

The first time the two nations met was back in 1981 when the Springboks toured New Zealand and the States in the middle of ant-apartheid demonstrations.

Three games, including the test match and two provincial games, were eventually played in America, thanks largely to a policy of keeping venues secret and the help of state troopers who had to keep demonstrators from disrupting games.

The test match itself only went ahead after Springbok's not included in the side were used as decoys to put protestors and the American media off the scent while the real team were whisked to the Owl Creek polo field in Glenwood, New York state, the venue of the test.

After the goal posts were erected by USA Eagles officials and the lines painted on the pitch, described as a "paddock" and characterised by a distinct slope from one end to the other the game went ahead.

Playing down hill in the second half the South Africans, coached by Wynand Claassen, ran out 38-7 winners thanks largely to a hat trick of tries from Ray Mordt, who had also scored three in the previous match against the All Blacks in Eden Park earlier in the tour in the notorious "flour bomb" test.

The inclusion of the Eagles match, confirmed by the IRB, takes the number of tests the Springboks will play this year to 11, with France expected in South Africa early in the year and Italy for a one-off test.

Following the Tri-Nations series the South Africans will then head to the northern hemisphere for their Autumn tour and game against France and Italy again and England before travelling across the big pond to the USA.