In 2026 the traditional Rugby Championship is on pause, but a nostalgic, high‑profile tour is taking place as New Zealand’s All Blacks head to South Africa for an eight‑match itinerary, including four full‑blown Test matches against the Springboks, all broadcast live on Sky Sports. Promoted in both countries as the "Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour," the series is intended to honour more than a century of competition between the two most successful rugby nations ever recorded. The All Blacks have already dispatched the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls in convincing fashion, and they now face the Springboks in Tests scheduled for 22 August, 29 August, 5 September and 12 September. Below is a concise chronology of the tour so far, followed by an extensive look at the historic rivalry that has defined modern rugby.
**Tour Fixtures to Date** - 7 August – Stormers 21‑38 New Zealand (Cape Town) - 11 August – Sharks 0‑54 New Zealand (Durban) - 15 August – Bulls 19‑50 New Zealand (Pretoria) **Test Schedule** - 22 August – 1st Test, Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, 16:10 BST - 25 August – Lions vs New Zealand, Johannesburg, 18:00 BST (non‑Test) - 29 August – 2nd Test, Cape Town, 16:10 BST - 5 September – 3rd Test, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, 16:10 BST - 12 September – 4th Test, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore (USA), 22:00 BST **The Origins of the Rivalry** The first encounter between the two sides took place on 13 August 1921 at Carisbrook in Dunedin, during South Africa’s inaugural three‑Test tour. New Zealand emerged victorious, 13‑5. A week later the Springboks answered back at Eden Park, winning 9‑5, while the third match in Wellington ended in a 0‑0 stalemate, leaving the series tied 1‑1. That opening chapter set the stage for a rivalry that would span almost a hundred years and more than a hundred Test matches.
To date the two nations have met in roughly 110 Tests. The All Blacks have the edge with 63 wins, the Springboks have taken 43, and four games have finished level. When the matches are broken down by venue, the balance shifts slightly: in South Africa the hosts have won 28 of 54 Tests (with 25 New Zealand victories and one draw), while on New Zealand soil the All Blacks have prevailed in 34 of 48 encounters (the Springboks have three wins and three draws).
**World Cup Showdowns** The rivalry has produced some of the most dramatic moments in Rugby World Cup history. South Africa denied New Zealand a title in the 1995 final, a match immortalised by Nelson Mandela’s appearance on the podium. The Boks repeated the feat in 2023, again beating the All Blacks in a final that many consider one of the sport’s greatest spectacles. Conversely, New Zealand have enjoyed their own World Cup triumphs over the Springboks, notably a semi‑final win in 2015, a quarter‑final victory in 2003, and a pool‑stage upset in 2023.
**Interwar and Post‑War Years** After the 1921 series, the sides met again in 1927 when New Zealand toured South Africa. That tour ended in a 2‑2 draw, with each nation taking two matches. The Springboks then dominated the next two series, winning in New Zealand in 1937 (2‑1) and sweeping a home series in 1949 (4‑0).
The pendulum swung back in 1956 when New Zealand secured a 3‑1 home series win, only for South Africa to retake the advantage in 1960 with a 2‑1 series victory on home soil. **Apartheid and Sporting Isolation** From 1948 to 1994 South Africa’s apartheid regime imposed strict racial segregation, including in sport. The government refused to allow mixed‑race teams, leading New Zealand to exclude Māori players from several tours. Protests erupted during the 1960 tour, and by the mid‑1960s South Africa faced growing international isolation: barred from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, expelled from the IOC in 1970, and excluded from tennis and the Davis Cup.
Rugby was one of the last sports to cut ties. In 1965 the Springboks toured New Zealand and lost the series 3‑1, prompting the formation of the Halt All Racist Tours (HART) movement in 1969. The 1970 All Blacks tour of South Africa ended in a 3‑1 defeat for New Zealand, while a planned 1973 New Zealand tour was cancelled amid mounting global pressure. Nevertheless, series continued 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 two matches cancelled after protestors ripped down fences, scattered nails on the pitch, and staged sit‑ins. In Timaru a game was called off because authorities feared they could not contain demonstrations. The final Test featured an aircraft dropping flour bombs, flares and leaflets; All Blacks prop Gary Knight was briefly stunned by a flour bomb. A planned 1985 series was blocked by a New Zealand court ruling 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 first two Rugby World Cups (1987, 1991), and a 1986 British and Irish Lions tour was also cancelled.
In 1986 a "rebel" New Zealand Cavaliers side toured South Africa without official sanction. Participants were heavily criticised, received bans from future Tests, and several never represented the All Blacks again.
**Re‑integration and the Mandela Era** When apartheid ended, South Africa re‑entered international rugby with a Test against New Zealand in 1992, losing a close 27‑24 match at Ellis Park. Nelson Mandela, elected president in 1994, famously urged all South Africans to support the Springboks, turning a previously divisive symbol into a unifying national icon.
South Africa toured New Zealand later that year, drawing one Test and losing two. The nation then hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup, entering the tournament ranked ninth globally. Defying expectations, the Springboks reached the final and defeated the heavily favoured All Blacks 15‑12 in a match shrouded in controversy.
Many observers blamed a mysterious food‑poisoning incident that left a large portion of the New Zealand squad ill. Conspiracy theories involving a missing waitress named "Suzie" and private investigations were never substantiated, but the episode remains part of rugby folklore.
**Professional Era and Dominance Swings** In August 1996 the All Blacks toured South Africa seeking revenge after their 1995 World Cup loss. Having already won the inaugural Tri‑Nations, the All Blacks clinched the three‑Test series 2‑0, with a 23‑19 win in Durban and a 33‑26 victory in Pretoria, securing the series with a game to spare. The Springboks won the third Test, but the All Blacks continued to dominate, going unbeaten against South Africa from 2001 to July 2004 and collecting Tri‑Nations titles in 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2003. South Africa broke the All Blacks’ streak with Tri‑Nations victories in 2004 and 2009, yet New Zealand re‑asserted its supremacy, winning four consecutive titles from 2005‑2008, again in 2010, and three‑year streaks from 2011‑2013 and 2016‑2018.
The All Blacks also captured Rugby World Cup crowns in 2011 and 2015, the latter team often hailed as the greatest ever side. The Springboks claimed the 2007 World Cup, defeating England in the final after a stunning semi‑final upset over New Zealand. However, they endured a trophy drought from 2009‑2019, prompting a period of introspection.
**A Dark Patch and the Erasmus Revival** September 2017 marked a low point for South Africa when the All Blacks thrashed them 57‑0 in Albany. Subsequent defeats to Ireland (38‑3) and Wales highlighted systemic issues.
The turning point arrived with the appointment of Rassie Erasmus as head coach. Erasmus reshaped the squad, instilling confidence and a modern playing style.
In September 2018 the rejuvenated Springboks travelled to New Zealand and secured a historic 36‑34 win in Wellington – their first victory on Kiwi soil since 2009. A year later, South Africa captured their third World Cup title, beating England in the final in Japan. Their path to the trophy included a semi‑final triumph over the All Blacks, who had previously beaten South Africa in the pool stage. Since that championship, South Africa have won seven of the eleven Tests against New Zealand, secured Rugby Championship crowns in 2024 and 2025, and lifted the 2023 Rugby World Cup after a contentious final in which the All Blacks fielded only fourteen players.
**Current Landscape** The Springboks entering 2026 are widely regarded as a deep, versatile side, while the All Blacks are undergoing a rebuilding phase under head coach Dave Rennie after the dismissal of Scott Robertson. Rennie acknowledged the difficulty of the upcoming tour, noting that eight matches in six weeks – including a four‑Test series against the world‑number‑one team – would be "the toughest tour in rugby." He added that the grueling schedule offers a unique chance to test themselves against the current benchmark and to forge stronger bonds within the squad. **Conclusion** From the first test in 1921 to the present‑day eight‑match tour, the All Blacks‑Springboks rivalry has produced triumph, controversy, political upheaval and unforgettable rugby moments. It remains the sport’s most storied contest, a clash of styles, cultures, and histories that continues to captivate fans worldwide.
The 2026 tour adds another chapter to this epic saga, promising new legends, fresh drama, and perhaps the next defining moment in what is truly rugby’s greatest rivalry.