South African rugby is about to host something no fan under 35 has ever seen at home: a full, old-fashioned All Blacks tour. Promoted as Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, the 2026 New Zealand tour of South Africa runs through August and September — the first traditional New Zealand tour of the Republic in 30 years.
Confirmed on 16 October 2025 by the South African Rugby Union and New Zealand Rugby, the tour revives one of sport’s grandest traditions: the touring side criss-crossing the country to face provincial teams between Test matches, filling stadiums and towns along the way.
Eight Matches, Five Great Stadiums
The All Blacks will play eight matches in the tour window — four against South Africa’s United Rugby Championship franchises and four Tests against the Springboks. The August leg alone is a feast for home fans:
- Friday 7 August — Stormers vs All Blacks, Cape Town Stadium
- Tuesday 11 August — Sharks vs All Blacks, Kings Park, Durban
- Saturday 15 August — Bulls vs All Blacks, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
- Saturday 22 August — Springboks vs All Blacks, first Test, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
- Tuesday 25 August — Lions vs All Blacks, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Venues across the tour include Ellis Park, FNB Stadium, Cape Town Stadium, Kings Park and Loftus Versfeld — a showcase of South Africa’s world-class rugby grounds.
History for the Freedom Cup — and for the Women’s Game
For the first time in the rivalry’s history, the Freedom Cup will be contested over four Tests, with the fourth to be staged at a neutral venue. And in another first, the tour will feature a South Africa women vs New Zealand women match at FNB Stadium on 5 September, ahead of the third Test — a landmark stage for the women’s game in front of a home crowd.
The occasion is so significant that SANZAAR restructured the Rugby Championship itself, moving the annual Southern Hemisphere competition to a biennial format to make room for the revival of traditional tours.
The Squads Are In
Both camps have named enlarged touring parties for the marathon ahead. New Zealand announced a 44-player squad on 27 July, while South Africa named a 43-player group on 22 July covering the Test against Argentina and the four-match series against the All Blacks.
From the first whistle in Cape Town on 7 August to the final Test, South Africa becomes the centre of the rugby world for six weeks — hosting the fixture every rugby nation envies, in the stadiums that made the rivalry legendary. The wait of a generation is over.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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