South Africa will play Scotland, Wales and France in a November tour to Europe, the national rugby union association said Wednesday.

Argentina full-back Martin Rodriguez (C) is tackled by South Africa's Springboks scrum-half Francois Hougaard (R) and centre Jean de Villiers (L) during a match in Mendoza, some 1050 km west of Buenos Aires, Argentina on August 25, 2012. South Africa will play Scotland, Wales and France in a November tour to Europe, the national rugby union association said Wednesday.

It will be the first visit of the Springboks to France since 2009 when they lost 20-13 in Toulouse, and the venue for the November 23 Test has still to be decided.

South Africa defeated Scotland 21-10 last November on a tour that also brought victories in Ireland and England while they triumphed 29-25 the last time they played in Wales three year ago.

In a novel start to the season during June, South Africa will be involved in a four-nation tournament with Italy, Samoa and Scotland in Durban, new venue Nelspruit and Pretoria.

After double-headers on consecutive weekends, the top two teams on a mini-league will play each other at Loftus Versfeld after a Test between the bottom two sides.

South Africa, who won the World Cup in Johannesburg in 1995 and in Paris in 2007, are in the same 2015 world championship group in England as Samoa and Scotland.

The Rugby Championship -- formerly Tri-Nations -- schedule is similar to last season with South Africa facing Argentina home and away before playing Australia and New Zealand away and then at home.

Springbok schedule

Home tour

June 8

At Durban

Scotland v Samoa, South Africa v Italy

June 15

At Nelspruit

Samoa v Italy, South Africa v Scotland

June 22

At Pretoria

Two Tests involving Italy, Samoa, Scotland and South Africa

Rugby Championship

Aug 17

At Bloemfontein

South Africa v Argentina

Aug 24

At Mendoza

Argentina v South Africa

Sept 7

At Brisbane

Australia v South Africa

Sept 14

At Auckland

New Zealand v South Africa

Sept 28

At Cape Town

South Africa v Australia

Oct 5

At Johannesburg

South Africa v New Zealand

Away tour

Nov 9

At Edinburgh

Scotland v South Africa

Nov 16

At Cardiff

Wales v South Africa

Nov 23

TBC

France v South Africa