In 2026 the traditional Rugby Championship will be on pause, but rugby fans will still be treated to 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. Billed in both countries as the "Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour," the series is designed to honour more than a century of fiercely contested encounters between the two most successful rugby nations in the world. So far the All Blacks have dispatched the Stormers (38‑21 in Cape Town), the Sharks (54‑0 in Durban) and the Bulls (50‑19 in Pretoria). The headline Tests are scheduled for August 22, August 29, September 5 and September 12, with the final match taking place at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, USA, a nod to the sport’s growing global footprint.
### Early Beginnings (1921‑1930s) The rivalry dates back to August 13, 1921, when the Springboks arrived in New Zealand for a three‑Test tour. The first clash at Carisbrook in Dunedin saw the All Blacks triumph 13‑5. A week later the Boks answered back at Eden Park, winning 9‑5, and the series concluded with a 0‑0 draw in Wellington, leaving the tally at one win each. Over the next decade the two sides met sporadically, but each series added new layers to the competitive narrative.
### The Interwar Years and the Rise of Dominance The 1927 tour reversed the venue, with New Zealand traveling to South Africa. That series ended in a 2‑2 dead‑heat, each nation securing two victories.
South Africa then enjoyed a period of ascendancy, winning the 1937 tour in New Zealand 2‑1 and sweeping a home series in 1949 with a clean 4‑0 record. ### Post‑War Swings (1950s‑1960s) The 1956 All Blacks tour of South Africa restored balance, as New Zealand claimed a 3‑1 series win on home soil. Yet the Boks quickly rebounded, clinching a 2‑1 series in 1960 when they hosted the All Blacks.
These back‑and‑forth results cemented the rivalry as one of the sport’s most evenly matched contests. ### Apartheid and Sporting Isolation From 1948 to 1994 South Africa’s apartheid regime imposed strict racial segregation, including in sport.
The South African government refused to allow mixed‑race teams, which forced New Zealand to exclude its Māori players from tours. Protests erupted in New Zealand during the 1960 tour, marking the first major public outcry over the policy.
By the mid‑1960s South Africa was barred from the Olympic Games and expelled from the International Olympic Committee, and throughout the 1970s the nation faced widespread bans across international sport. Rugby, however, proved slower to act, allowing a few contested tours to proceed.
In 1965 the Springboks toured New Zealand and lost three of four Tests. The following year the New Zealand “Halt All Racist Tours” movement formed, demanding an end to sporting contact with the apartheid state.
The 1970 All Blacks tour of South Africa ended in a 3‑1 defeat for New Zealand, and a planned 1973 New Zealand tour of South Africa was cancelled amid growing global condemnation. The 1976 and 1981 tours were especially turbulent.
South Africa won the 1976 home series 3‑1, but the 1981 All Blacks tour of New Zealand was marred by massive protests, pitch invasions, and even flour‑bomb attacks on the field. Two matches were cancelled outright, and the tour left a lasting scar on the sport’s political conscience. A planned 1985 series was ultimately called off after New Zealand courts ruled that such a tour would be "incompatible with the NZRFU’s legally stated purpose of fostering and encouraging the game of rugby." The Springboks missed the inaugural Rugby World Cups in 1987 and 1991, while a 1986 British and Irish Lions tour was also scrapped. ### The Rebel Cavaliers and the End of Isolation In 1986 a privately organised New Zealand side, the Cavaliers, toured South Africa without official sanction.
Participants faced bans and, for many, the end of their international careers. The rebel tour underscored the deep divisions within rugby over apartheid. With the dismantling of apartheid in the early 1990s, South Africa was readmitted to international sport. The first post‑isolation Test came in 1992, with the Springboks edging the All Blacks 27‑24 at Ellis Park – a symbolic victory for a nation emerging from decades of exclusion.
### The Mandela Era and the 1995 World Cup Miracle Nelson Mandela’s election in 1994 brought a new spirit of unity. He famously urged all South Africans, black and white, to support the Springboks, a team that had long been a symbol of white minority rule. That same year the Boks toured New Zealand, losing two Tests and drawing one, before hosting the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Against all odds, South Africa defeated the heavily favoured All Blacks 15‑12 in the final at Ellis Park.
The match remains one of rugby’s most iconic moments, not only for the on‑field drama but also for the political symbolism of a newly democratic South Africa triumphing on the world stage. Rumours of food poisoning and conspiracy theories involving a "disappearing waitress" swirled, but the consensus is that a sudden illness struck many All Blacks players in the days leading up to the final, contributing to the upset.
### Professionalism and the Modern Era (1996‑2009) The All Blacks exacted revenge the following year, sweeping a three‑Test series in South Africa after already winning the inaugural 1996 Tri‑Nations. Known as "The Incomparables," the 1996 New Zealand side set the tone for a decade of dominance, winning 13 of the next 17 Tests against the Boks and collecting Tri‑Nations titles in 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2003. South Africa broke through again in 2004, capturing the Tri‑Nations, and repeated the feat in 2009. Meanwhile, New Zealand amassed an unprecedented run of Tri‑Nations victories from 2005‑2008, again in 2010, and from 2011‑2013 and 2016‑2018.
The All Blacks also secured Rugby World Cup crowns in 2011 and 2015, the latter side often hailed as the greatest ever. ### Recent Turbulence and the Rise of Rassie Erasmus The late 2010s proved challenging for the Springboks. In September 2017 they suffered a 57‑0 loss to New Zealand in Albany, followed by heavy defeats to Ireland and Wales.
The string of poor results culminated in a humiliating 57‑15 loss to the All Blacks in 2016, prompting calls for a radical overhaul. Enter Rassie Erasmus, whose controversial appointment as head coach sparked debate but ultimately revitalised the squad. By September 2018 the Springboks secured a historic 36‑34 win in Wellington – their first victory on New Zealand soil since 2009.
A year later, South Africa captured their third World Cup, defeating England in the final in Japan after beating the All Blacks in the pool stages. Since that triumph, the Boks have enjoyed a favorable head‑to‑head record, winning seven of the last eleven Tests against New Zealand, and lifting the Rugby Championship in 2024 and 2025. They also claimed the 2023 World Cup, albeit in a controversial final where the All Blacks fielded only fourteen players due to injuries.
### The 2026 Tour: What to Expect The upcoming 2026 tour arrives at a crossroads for both nations. The All Blacks, under new head coach Dave Rennie, are in a rebuilding phase after the dismissal of Scott Robertson.
Rennie acknowledges the difficulty of the itinerary: eight matches in six weeks, including a four‑Test series against the current world‑beating Springboks, will be "the toughest tour in rugby." For South Africa, the squad now boasts greater depth than ever, blending seasoned veterans with emerging talent. Their recent successes in the Rugby Championship and the World Cup suggest they will be the benchmark for any opponent. The schedule is packed: - **August 7** – Stormers 21‑38 New Zealand (Cape Town) - **August 11** – Sharks 0‑54 New Zealand (Durban) - **August 15** – Bulls 19‑50 New Zealand (Pretoria) - **August 22** – 1st Test: South Africa vs New Zealand, Ellis Park, Johannesburg (4:10 pm BST) - **August 25** – Lions vs New Zealand, Johannesburg (6:00 pm BST) - **August 29** – 2nd Test: South Africa vs New Zealand, Cape Town (4:10 pm BST) - **September 5** – 3rd Test: South Africa vs New Zealand, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg (4:10 pm BST) - **September 12** – 4th Test: South Africa vs New Zealand, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA (10:00 pm BST) Fans can follow every minute of the action live on Sky Sports, with streaming options available via NOW. The tour not only celebrates a storied rivalry but also offers a glimpse into the future of international rugby, as both teams strive to cement their legacies.
### Legacy Numbers To date, the two nations have met in roughly 110 Test matches. The All Blacks have claimed 63 victories, South Africa 43, and four games have ended in draws. In South Africa, the hosts have won 28 of the 54 Tests played there, while New Zealand has taken 25, with one draw. On New Zealand soil, the All Blacks have prevailed in 34 of the 48 Tests, the Springboks have managed 11 wins, and three matches have finished level.
These statistics underscore why the rivalry is often described as the pinnacle of rugby competition – a balance of power that has shifted over the decades but never tipped entirely in one direction. As the 2026 tour unfolds, the world will watch to see which side adds the next chapter to this illustrious saga.