All Blacks to tour South Africa in 2026 for eight-match series

The All Blacks will return to South Africa in August and September 2026 for an eight‑match tour that includes four Test matches and midweek fixtures against the country’s four United Rugby Championship franchises, organisers and union officials announced on Thursday. The tour, billed as Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, will see three Tests played in South Africa and a fourth at a neutral international venue, and will replace the Rugby Championship for the 2026 season.

Fixtures begin on August 7 in Cape Town with a match against the Stormers, followed by games at Kings Park in Durban and Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria before the Test series opens at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park on August 22. The All Blacks will also face the Sharks, Bulls and Lions in midweek fixtures, with Tests scheduled in Cape Town and Johannesburg on August 29 and September 5, and a final Test on September 12 at a venue to be confirmed. South Africa is due to tour New Zealand in 2030.

Union leaders said the return to the old touring format was designed to renew a traditional rivalry while offering fans a concentrated, multiweek spectacle. SA Rugby’s chief executive described the series as a showcase for a rivalry that...