Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu of South Africa is tackled by Wallace Sititi, 2025 Photo: MICHAEL BRADLEY / AFP
They're calling it 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry', but it might as well have been called rugby's worst kept secret. After over a year of conjecture, an All Black tour which includes a four test series against the world champion Springboks, has finally been confirmed.
Three of the tests will take place in South Africa, with the fourth at a yet to be determined venue. The All Blacks will also face all four of South Africa's URC sides in midweek matches, which will be the first time they have played the full might of the country's rugby sides on one tour since 1976.
The All Blacks have toured South Africa in 1928, 1949, 1960, 1970, 1976 and 1996. In apartheid-era South Africa, these were hugely controversial, with the 1976 tour leading to a mass Olympic boycott by African countries.
All Black coach Scott Robertson said, "it's great to do it again and get old school on it".
Photo: Catherine Kotze / Photosport
South Africa Springboks v New Zealand All Blacks, in Cape Town, South Africa in September 2024.
"With our storied history with the Springboks…it's pretty special. The amount of big occasions we've had against one another, now we have other ones ahead next year," he said, noting that the open secret nature of the tour had meant that advanced planning for the five week trip had already begun.
"We've worked closely with it, with our scheduling and timing. The more you see, the more excited you get. I was fortunate enough to play Super Rugby and coach as well, so I know what it's like to play the Stormers, Shark, Bulls and Lions…so it's that full package and you're all in."
Meanwhile, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus compared the series with a World Cup campaign.
"You play probably two tough pool games and then a quarterfinal, semifinal, final. So it's probably very like for like," he said.
"So there's always these many little targets that you can set yourself, but without a doubt, playing four tests against New Zealand is a total new challenge."
Despite handing the All Blacks the heaviest ever defeat in their history earlier this season, Erasmus is in no doubt of the threat they will pose on the tour.
"We must try and beat a team who's probably been the benchmark…and we all know some way they're going to get back onto the horse and really get a gallop on that horse."
Justin Marshall (L) and Zinzan Brooke celebrate the series win in South Africa at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, 1996. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The tour includes a fourth test with a venue to be announced, with Erasmus in no doubt that his side would like to return to Twickenham. The Springboks handed the All Blacks a 35-7 defeat when they met there in 2023.
Robertson said that the size of the squad and management group is still yet to be determined, however they are looking to the British & Irish Lions as a reference point. As for looking back to the famous 1996 tour, when the All Blacks famously took their only ever series win in South Africa, it was likely they would be using that as a powerful motivational tool.
"Part of my job as the head coach is to connect back into the legacy and learning stories that have to be passed down. What you did well and what did you learn from, helps shape how tough the tour is and what it's going to take out of you… how do you create an environment where you can get the best of each other over that period of time?"
While the tour concept is being hailed as a potential financial windfall for both NZ Rugby and SA Rugby, it does leave some serious questions around the future of The Rugby Championship. It is expected that the Wallabies and Pumas will announce a bilateral series of their own, however with the emergence of World Rugby's Nation's Cup concept, just where the traditional southern hemisphere championship fits in on an annual basis remains to be seen.
All Blacks tour to South Africa 2026
Friday 7 August: Stormers v All Blacks, DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Tuesday 11 August: Sharks v All Blacks, Kings Park, Durban
Saturday 15 August: Bulls v All Blacks, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Saturday 22 August: Springboks v All Blacks, Ellis Park, Johannesburg (first test)
Tuesday 25 August: Lions v All Blacks, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Saturday 29 August: Springboks v All Blacks, DHL Stadium, Cape Town (second test)
Saturday 5 September: Springboks v All Blacks, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg (third test)
Saturday 12 September: Springboks v All Blacks, Venue to be announced (fourth test)
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