New Zealand will tour South Africa in 2026 but how many times are they playing and which stadiums? Find out all the details here.
The Greatest Rivalry will see the All Blacks tour of South Africa through August and September.
The two rugby powerhouses will face each other in four tests, three will be hosted in South Africa and one will be played in Baltimore, USA.
Read more: All of the upcoming New Zealand fixtures
The tour means there will be no Rugby Championship this year with the competition returning in 2027. Argentina and Australia have other fixtures including the Nations Championship to pad out their fixture list.
For fixtures, squads, key information and more read the below to get everything you need to know before the tour gets underway.
Related: Everything you need to know about Nations Championship
Siya Kolisi of South Africa during the 2026 Nations Championship match between South Africa and Scotland (Getty Images)
Greatest Rivalry 2026: Key information
Greatest Rivalry 2026 broadcasters
- UK: Sky Sports
- Ireland: Virgin Media
- Australia: Stan Sport (subscription)
- New Zealand: Sky NZ
- South Africa: SuperSport
Greatest Rivalry 2026 fixtures
Friday 7 August 2026
- Stormers v All Blacks
DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: 6.00pm BST / 7.00pm CET / 7.00pm SAST / 3.00am AEST (Saturday) / 5.00am NZST (Saturday) / 1.00pm EDT / 10.00am PDT
Tuesday 11 August 2026
- Sharks v All Blacks
Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 6.00pm BST / 7.00pm CET / 7.00pm SAST / 3.00am AEST (Wednesday) / 5.00am NZST (Wednesday) / 1.00pm EDT / 10.00am PDT
Saturday 15 August 2026
- Bulls v All Blacks
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 6.00pm BST / 7.00pm CET / 7.00pm SAST / 3.00am AEST (Sunday) / 5.00am NZST (Sunday) / 1.00pm EDT / 10.00am PDT
Saturday 22 August 2026
- South Africa v All Blacks
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 4.00pm BST / 5.00pm CET / 5.00pm SAST / 1.00am AEST (Sunday) / 3.00am NZST (Sunday) / 11.00am EDT / 8.00am PDT
Tuesday 25 August 2026
- Lions v All Blacks
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 6.00pm BST / 7.00pm CET / 7.00pm SAST / 3.00am AEST (Wednesday) / 5.00am NZST (Wednesday) / 1.00pm EDT / 10.00am PDT
Saturday 29 August 2026
- South Africa v All Blacks
DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: 4.00pm BST / 5.00pm CET / 5.00pm SAST / 1.00am AEST (Sunday) / 3.00am NZST (Sunday) / 11.00am EDT / 8.00am PDT
Saturday 5 September 2026
- South Africa v All Blacks
FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 4.00pm BST / 5.00pm CET / 5.00pm SAST / 1.00am AEST (Sunday) / 3.00am NZST (Sunday) / 11.00am EDT / 8.00am PDT
Saturday 12 September 2026
- South Africa v All Blacks
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
Kick-off: 4.05pm BST / 5.05pm CET / 5.05pm SAST / 1.05am AEST (Sunday) / 3.05am NZST (Sunday) / 11.05am EDT / 8.05am PDT
Read more: 100 years of the Greatest Rivalry
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND – JULY 11: Will Jordan of the New Zealand All Blacks smiles as he runs in for a try during the Nations Championship match between New Zealand All Blacks and Italy at Hnry Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
All Blacks v Springboks history
There is an extensive history between the two nations which is why it is often referred to as the Greatest Rivalry.
The first game between the two is recorded as 1921 where a series was shared in New Zealand. Fast forward seven years and the All Blacks tour South Africa for the first time and again the series is shared.
Several tours pass with both picking up wins but matches in the 1980s involve a lot of politics with apartheid in South Africa. New Zealand won a home tour 2-1 in 1981 but there are protests throughout and the All Blacks cancel a tour in 1985 to South Africa because of the political landscape.
Read more: Top 12 South Africa players of all-time
South Africa’s first game back after being left out of several international tournaments is a Test against New Zealand which the All Blacks win 27-24.
Both nations win several matches over the years and the two meet for the first time in a Rugby World Cup final in 2023. South Africa come out on top, beating their rivals by just a single point.
Since that final, New Zealand have beaten South Africa just once which came in the 2025 Rugby Championship. They will be aiming to write new history in the tour later this year.
Read more: Women’s British and Irish Lions tour to NZ
All Blacks v Springboks: Recent results
- New Zealand 10-43 South Africa, 13 September 2025, Rugby Championship, Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington
- New Zealand 24-17 South Africa, 6 September 2025, Rugby Championship, Eden Park, Auckland
- South Africa 18-12 New Zealand, 7 September 2024, Rugby Championship, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
- South Africa 31-27 New Zealand, 31 August 2024, Rugby Championship, Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
- New Zealand 11-12 South Africa, 28 October 2023, Rugby World Cup final, Stade de France, Paris
Read more: Nations Championship questions answered
All Blacks score against South Africa (Getty Images)
Greatest Rivalry squads
New Zealand
Forwards
Hookers
Asafo Aumua
Codie Taylor
Samisoni Taukei’aho
Props
Ethan De Groot
George Bower
Xavier Numia
Tyrel Lomax
Fletcher Newell
Pasilio Tosi
Siale Lauaki
Locks
Tupou Vaa’i
Patrick Tuipulotu
Josh Lord
Sam Darry
Fabian Holland
Loose Forwards
Peter Lakai
Simon Parker
Ethan Blackadder
Luke Jacobson
Anton Segner
Ardie Savea
Wallace Sititi
Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa
Backs
Scrum-halves
Cameron Roigard
Cortez Ratima
Kyle Preston
Fly-halves
Ruben Love
Beauden Barrett
Damian McKenzie
Josh Jacomb
Centres
Jordie Barrett
Quinn Tupaea
Billy Proctor
Anton Lienert-Brown
Timoci Tavatavanawai
Outside Backs
Caleb Clarke
Fehi Fineanganofo
Leroy Carter
Josh Moorby
Will Jordan
Rieko Ioane
Emoni Narawa
South Africa
Forwards
Props
Thomas du Toit
Wilco Louw
Ox Nche
Zachary Porthen
Carlu Sadie
Gerhard Steenekamp
Boan Venter.
Hookers
Johan Grobbelaar
Malcolm Marx.
Locks
Lood de Jager
Eben Etzebeth
Ruan Nortje.
Loose forwards
Paul de Villiers
Ben-Jason Dixon
Cameron Hanekom
Siya Kolisi
Elrigh Louw
Jasper Wiese.
Utility forwards
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Franco Mostert
Vincent Tshituka
Marco van Staden
Jan-Hendrik Wessels
Cobus Wiese.
Backs
Scrum-halves
Herschel Jantjies
Cobus Reinach
Morne van den Berg
Grant Williams.
Fly-halves
Manie Libbok
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Vusi Moyo
Handre Pollard.
Centres
Damian de Allende
Andre Esterhuizen
Jesse Kriel.
Outside backs
Kurt-Lee Arendse
Aphelele Fassi
Ethan Hooker
Quan Horn
Cheslin Kolbe
Canan Moodie
Edwill van der Merwe
Damian Willemse.
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