The All Blacks are off to South Africa to face the Springboks in their own backyard. Here’s how to follow every second of the action.
Watch Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry live streams, as the All Blacks embark on their first tour of South Africa since 1996.
Back then New Zealand beat the Springboks 2-1 in a three Test series, but it would be risky to bet on them repeating the feat three decades later.
Quick Guide
– Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry dates: 7 August – 12 September, 2026
– Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry FREE stream: RugbyPass TV (US)
– Other Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry broadcasters: Sky Sports (UK and Ireland), SuperSport (South Africa), Sky Sport NZ (New Zealand), Stan Sport (Australia), Wowow (Japan)
– Watch Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry from anywhere: Try NordVPN 100% risk-free
Then, as now, South Africa were the reigning world champions, but Rassie Erasmus’s current side are on a different level. As well as being the top-ranked side in the world, they’re the Rugby Championship holders and come into this Test series on the back of an impressive 13-game winning streak. With remarkable strength in depth, they’re arguably among the greatest sides of all time.
Before locking horns with the Springboks, the All Blacks (ranked second in the world) have warm-up games against URC sides the Stormers, the Sharks and the Bulls, and – between the first and second Tests – the Lions.
After securing three wins from three in the new Nations Championship, new New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie will be hoping his side can carry its try-scoring form across the Indian Ocean, but will be well aware that his men are about to face the toughest challenge in world rugby – facing South Africa in their own backyard.
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It’s set to be a blockbuster five weeks of rugby, more than capable of living up to its hyperbolic Greatest Rivalry billing.
The good news is that you can watch every single second as it happens, and – even better – Greatest Rivalry live streams are available for free if you live in the US. There’s also a free option to watch the All Blacks’ opening tour match against the Stormers on Friday 7 August.
Below we’ve rounded up details of how to watch the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour wherever you are in the world – including details of how you can use a VPN to access your usual streaming services if you’re travelling overseas in August or September.
Watch for FREE: Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry free streams
In countries where no specific broadcaster has snapped up Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry rights – including the United States – you can watch all the matches on World Rugby’s RugbyPass TV.
It’s free to use, though you do need to register before you can watch any of the action.
A free live stream of the All Blacks’ opening game of the tour (against the Stormers) is also available in New Zealand. To access the game, you need to register for a complimentary Sky Sport Now day pass – you’ll then be sent to checkout with a day pass valued at $0, where you’ll also need to create a free account if you’re not an existing Sky Sport Now subscriber.
Delayed as-live coverage of every All Blacks match between now and the end of the season will be available to be watch for free on Three and the ThreeNow streaming service. The delayed “kick-off time” for Stormers v New Zealand is 9.30am NZST, so you’ll need to avoid the result for a few hours.
How to watch Greatest Rivalry fixtures from anywhere
Being abroad doesn’t have to stop you watching Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry matches. A VPN bypasses geo-blocking by changing your IP address, letting you stream Greatest Rivalry 2026 matches as if you were at home. The tech experts at TechRadar and Tom’s Guide rate NordVPN as world number one, thanks to its low price and unrivalled ability to unblock streaming services.
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Watch Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry in the UK and Ireland
Sky Sports has the rights to show the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour in the UK and Ireland.
There are plenty of ways for Sky Sports subscribers to watch the tournament, including the Sky Go app for desktop, iOS, Android, PlayStation and Xbox. You can check out the latest Sky Sports subscription offers at the Sky website – prices start at £22 per month.
Greatest Rivalry live streams in South Africa
Springboks fans can watch all the action on SuperSport, the usual destination for top-level rugby in South Africa.
You can get SuperSport on your TV via DStv, or you can stream online. There are various SuperSport packages available, so have a look at what works best for you.
Stream the Greatest Rivalry tour in New Zealand
Sky Sport NZ has the New Zealand rights to the Greatest Rivalry, along with plenty more world-class sporting action, including Premier League soccer.
You can subscribe to Sky Sport Now from $59.99 per month or $549.99 per year (equivalent to $45.83 per month). Day passes are also available for $29.99.
As previously mentioned, you can watch Stormers v All Blacks for free with a complimentary pass on Sky Sport Now, while every Greatest Rivalry game will be available for free on a delay via Three and the ThreeNow.
Watch Greatest Rivalry 2026 in Australia
Down under? Greatest Rivalry live streams are available through Stan Sport, which is also home to loads of other rugby action and Premier League and Champions League soccer.
It costs $20 a month to add Stan Sport to your general Stan plan (starting at $9.99 a month).
How to watch Greatest Rivalry matches in Canada
In Canada, Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry is being shown on Premier Sports.
A monthly pass costs CA$29.99, though you can make big savings with a six-month pass (CA$79.99) or an annual subscription ($139.99).
Greatest Rivalry live streams in Japan
The Greatest Rivalry broadcaster in Japan is subscription service Wowow.
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry fixtures
Friday 7 August 2026
- Stormers v New Zealand
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 New Zealand
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 New Zealand
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 New Zealand FIRST TEST
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 4.10pm BST / 5.10pm CET / 5.10pm SAST / 1.10am AEST (Sunday) / 3.10am NZST (Sunday) / 11.10am EDT / 8.10am PDT
Tuesday 25 August 2026
- Lions v New Zealand
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 New Zealand SECOND TEST
DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: 4.10pm BST / 5.10pm CET / 5.10pm SAST / 1.10am AEST (Sunday) / 3.10am NZST (Sunday) / 11.10am EDT / 8.10am PDT
Saturday 5 September 2026
- South Africa v New Zealand THIRD TEST
FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 4.10pm BST / 5.10pm CET / 5.10pm SAST / 1.10am AEST (Sunday) / 3.10am NZST (Sunday) / 11.10am EDT / 8.10am PDT
(This fixture is a double-header, with Springbok Women v Black Ferns kicking off at 1.30pm SAST.)
Saturday 12 September 2026
- South Africa v New Zealand FOURTH TEST
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
Kick-off: 10.00pm BST / 11.00pm CET / 11.00pm SAST / 7.00am AEST (Sunday) / 9.00am NZST (Sunday) / 5.00pm EDT / 2.00pm PDT
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