All Blacks coach Graham Henry inadvertently revealed on Friday that New Zealand and South Africa will play their Tri-Nations rugby match next month at the Soccer City stadium in Soweto.

South African officials have yet to announce their decision to move the August 21 match from Ellis Park in Johannesburg to the 95,000-seat Soweto venue used for the football World Cup.

Henry let slip the information in an interview with the stuff.co.nz website.

He confirmed the venue for the match in answer to a question then recognised his error and sought advice from the All Blacks' media manager.

"I've just said it, haven't I? It's been speculated ... no, I'm not allowed to say that. No, it's only speculated we're playing in a stadium that holds 97,000. Gee, that would be great, wouldn't it? I can't wait."

A rugby Test in Soweto is a symbolic event in post-apartheid South Africa. A decade ago it would have been unthinkable for an international to move from the bastion of white sport in Johannesburg to the one-time home of former president Nelson Mandela on the impoverished outskirts of the city.

The move follows the successful hosting of the Bulls Super 14 semifinal and final in Soweto's smaller Orlando Stadium in May - a change forced by the unavailability of Pretoria's Loftus Versfeld due to soccer World Cup commitments.

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