In 2026 the traditional Rugby Championship will be on pause, but fans can still enjoy a nostalgic, high‑profile tour as New Zealand’s All Blacks head to South Africa for an eight‑match extravaganza, including four full‑blown Test matches against the Springboks, all broadcast live on Sky Sports. Marketed in both countries as the "Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour," the series is designed to celebrate more than a century of competition between the two most successful rugby nations in the world. So far the All Blacks have already taken on three of South Africa’s provincial powerhouses, cruising to victories over the Stormers (38‑21 in Cape Town), the Sharks (54‑0 in Durban) and the Bulls (50‑19 in Pretoria). The tour now moves into the Test phase, with the first encounter scheduled for 22 August at Johannesburg’s historic Ellis Park, followed by a second Test in Cape Town on 29 August, a third at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium on 5 September, and a final showdown across the Atlantic at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium on 12 September.
### The Roots of a Rivalry The first meeting between New Zealand and South Africa took place on 13 August 1921 at Carisbrook in Dunedin, when the Springboks were on a three‑Test tour of the Southern Hemisphere. The All Blacks edged the visitors 13‑5, but the Boks answered a week later with a 9‑5 win at Eden Park, and the series concluded with a 0‑0 draw in Wellington.
From that opening three‑match set‑up a rivalry was forged that has endured for a hundred years and counting. To date the two sides have clashed in roughly 110 Test matches. New Zealand have the edge with 63 wins, South Africa have claimed 43, and four games have ended in a stalemate. When the matches are broken down by venue, the balance shifts slightly: in South Africa the hosts have won 28 of 54 Tests (with New Zealand taking 25 and one draw), while on New Zealand soil the All Blacks have triumphed in 34 of 48 Tests (the Springboks 11, three draws).
### World Cup Drama The rivalry has produced some of the most dramatic moments in Rugby World Cup history. South Africa denied New Zealand a title on home soil in the 1995 final, a match forever linked with Nelson Mandela’s iconic appearance in a Springbok jersey.
The Boks repeated the feat in 2023, again beating the All Blacks in a final that went to extra time. In between, New Zealand have also enjoyed World Cup success against the Springboks, notably a 2015 semi‑final win and a 2003 quarter‑final victory, as well as a pool‑stage triumph in 2023.
### Early Tours and the Apartheid Era After the inaugural 1921 series, the two nations met again in 1927 when New Zealand toured South Africa. That tour ended in a 2‑2 draw, with each side securing two wins. The 1930s and 1940s saw South Africa dominate several series, including a 4‑0 whitewash at home in 1949.
New Zealand struck back in 1956 with a 3‑1 home series win, but the pendulum swung again in 1960 when the Springboks took a 2‑1 series victory on their own turf. The political landscape dramatically altered the sporting relationship from the late 1940s onward. Apartheid, the institutionalised system of racial segregation in South Africa, led to international isolation. South Africa’s refusal to allow mixed‑race teams forced New Zealand to exclude Māori players from tours, sparking protests and growing public outcry.
By the mid‑1960s South Africa was barred from the Olympics and expelled from the International Olympic Committee, and throughout the 1970s the country faced widespread bans across many sports, though rugby was slower to act. In 1965 the Springboks toured New Zealand and lost the series 3‑1, but the anti‑tour movement gained momentum.
The Halt All Racist Tours (HART) group formed in 1969, campaigning against any sporting contact with the apartheid regime. The 1970 All Blacks tour of South Africa went ahead, resulting in a 3‑1 series loss for New Zealand. A planned 1973 tour was cancelled due to South Africa’s growing isolation, yet the two nations still managed series in 1976 (South Africa won 3‑1 at home) and 1981 (New Zealand won 2‑1 in a tour marred by massive protests). The 1981 tour saw pitch invasions, nail‑strewn fields, and even flour‑bomb attacks on the All Blacks, highlighting the intensity of the political opposition.
The 1985 series was called off after a New Zealand court ruled that playing South Africa would be incompatible with the New Zealand Rugby Football Union’s purpose of promoting the sport. The Springboks missed the first two Rugby World Cups (1987, 1991) and a 1986 British & Irish Lions tour was also cancelled. ### Rebel Tours and the End of Isolation In 1986 a group of New Zealand players formed the unofficial “Cavaliers” and toured South Africa in a rebel side.
Participants were heavily criticised, received bans, and several never played for the All Blacks again. With the dismantling of apartheid in the early 1990s, South Africa was readmitted to international sport.
Their first Test back was against New Zealand in 1992, a tightly contested match that the Springboks won 27‑24 at Ellis Park. Nelson Mandela’s election in 1994 ushered in a new era of unity. He famously urged all South Africans to support the Springboks, a team that had previously been a symbol of white minority rule.
That same year South Africa toured New Zealand, losing two Tests and drawing one, before hosting the 1995 Rugby World Cup. ### The Professional Era and Modern Dominance The 1995 final, where South Africa beat New Zealand 15‑12, remains one of the sport’s most iconic moments. Controversy still swirls around alleged food‑poisoning that struck the All Blacks before the match, but the Boks’ victory cemented their place in rugby folklore. The following year New Zealand toured South Africa, seeking revenge after their Tri‑Nations triumph.
The All Blacks, dubbed "The Incomparables," won the first two Tests (23‑19 in Durban, 33‑26 in Pretoria) and secured the series with a third Test win in Johannesburg. From 2001 to July 2004 the All Blacks went unbeaten against the Springboks, winning 13 of 17 encounters.
New Zealand’s dominance continued through the 2000s, with four consecutive Tri‑Nations titles (2005‑2008), another in 2010, and three‑year streaks again from 2011‑2013 and 2016‑2018. They added Rugby World Cup trophies in 2011 and 2015, the latter team often hailed as the greatest ever assembled.
South Africa experienced a resurgence under coach Rassie Erasmus. After a low point in 2017‑2018, the Boks travelled to Wellington in September 2018 and pulled off a shocking 36‑34 win – their first on New Zealand soil since 2009. The momentum carried them to a third World Cup triumph in Japan 2023, where they defeated England in the final after eliminating the All Blacks in the pool stage. Since that tournament, the Springboks have held the upper hand in head‑to‑head Tests, winning seven of the last eleven meetings.
They captured the Rugby Championship in 2024 and 2025 and lifted the 2023 World Cup trophy, albeit in a final where the All Blacks were reduced to 14 men due to an early red card. ### The 2026 Tour in Context The upcoming 2026 tour arrives at a fascinating crossroads. The Springboks are currently ranked among the world’s elite, boasting depth and a blend of seasoned veterans and emerging talent. The All Blacks, meanwhile, are in a rebuilding phase under head coach Dave Rennie after the dismissal of Scott Robertson.
Rennie has described the schedule – eight matches in six weeks, including a four‑Test series against the world’s benchmark team – as "the toughest tour in rugby" and an invaluable opportunity to test the squad’s resilience and forge stronger bonds. The itinerary repeats several key fixtures: the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls matches have already been played, and the Test series will span three South African venues before concluding in Baltimore, USA – a nod to rugby’s expanding global footprint. Fans can watch every minute of the tour live on Sky Sports, with streaming options available through NOW.
### Looking Ahead As the All Blacks and Springboks prepare to clash once more, the legacy of their rivalry continues to evolve. From early 20th‑century tours, through the political turmoil of apartheid, to the professional era’s record‑breaking performances, each chapter adds layers to a story that transcends sport.
Whether the 2026 tour produces another historic upset, a reaffirmation of dominance, or simply a showcase of world‑class rugby, it will undoubtedly enrich the tapestry of a rivalry that has defined the very essence of the game for a century.