It’s here! Excitement in the air as All Blacks ready to kick off tour of South Africa
· Citizen
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR) series officially kicks off on Friday when the All Blacks play the first of eight matches on tour of South Africa, when they take on the Stormers at the Cape Town Stadium (7pm).
Three other United Rugby Championship franchises await them, in the Sharks and Bulls next week, before they take on the Lions towards the end of the month.
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A four-Test series against the Springboks is undoubtedly the highlight of the tour, and sees the two greatest foes in rugby history duke it out in two games in Johannesburg and one in Cape Town, while the final match will be a bit of an exhibition clash in the USA.
How it started
The RGR concept started back in 2023, when SA Rugby and NZ Rugby began laying the groundwork to bring back traditional tours between the two nations, the last being in 1996 when the All Blacks toured South Africa.
Last year the landmark tour was officially launched and is set to become a quadrennial event, with the Springboks to tour New Zealand under the same format in 2030.
The two nations have an incredibly long history, with the Boks and All Blacks first colliding in New Zealand back in 1921, while the first time they faced each other in South Africa was in 1928.
Over their 105-year 110-match history, the All Blacks enjoy the better overall record, with 63 wins to 43 from the Boks, while there have been four draws as well.
But most recently it has been the Springboks who have been the more successful team, with them winning the last two World Cups, while they have also dominated the recent games between them, winning seven of the last 10 matches stretching back to 2021, and five of the last six.
All Blacks struggles
The All Blacks have also struggled in recent times, by their own lofty standards, with the coach during their previous World Cup cycle, Ian Foster, coming close to being sacked in 2022, before he led them to the World Cup final in 2023.
His successor, Scott Robertson, also battled and was let go in January, and replaced by Dave Rennie, who has started his reign decently with wins over France, Italy and Ireland in the Nations Championship.
The All Blacks will thus feel like they have plenty to prove and a series win over the Boks would be a massive statement, especially ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Bok success
The Boks themselves will want to lay down their own marker, and continue their dominance over their biggest rivals, especially as they target an unprecedented three-peat of the Webb Ellis Cup next year.
Obviously both teams will want to win every match in this Test series, but they will both also likely put more purchase on the matches taking place in South Africa, which means whoever has the edge after the first three matches will likely see themselves as the champions.
Although the fourth Test in the USA could draw the series up, back in May SA Rugby’s General Manager of operations Yusuf Jackson claimed that a tie breaker would take place to make sure of an outright winner, although nothing further on that front has been confirmed.
In all, a terrific series is on the cards, and it will be eagerly followed by many fans around the world, who will be anxiously waiting to see who, of Rugby’s Greatest Rivals, comes out on top.
Fixtures
Friday 7 August 2026
7.10pm: Stormers vs All Blacks – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Tuesday, 11 August 2026
7.10pm: Sharks vs All Blacks – Kings Park, Durban
Saturday, 15 August 2026
7.10pm: Bulls vs All Blacks – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Saturday 22 August 2026
5.10pm: Springboks vs All Blacks – Ellis Park, Johannesburg (First Test)
Tuesday, 25 August 2026
7.10pm: Lions vs All Blacks – Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Saturday, 29 August 2026
5.10pm: Springboks vs All Blacks – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town (Second Test)
Saturday, 5 September 2026
5.10pm: Springboks vs All Blacks – FNB Stadium, Soweto (Third Test)
Saturday, 12 September 2026
11pm: Springboks vs All Blacks – M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA (Fourth Test)