Despite enjoying a dominant start to their 2026 international campaign, the Springboks have held steady at Number 1 in the official World Rugby rankings. However, due to rating point mechanics against lower-ranked opposition during the first leg of the Nations Championship, South Africa were unable to add to their points tally.
Meanwhile, the second-placed All Blacks capitalized on their July Tests, closing the gap to just 1.68 points behind Mzansi’s world champions. The surge sets up an explosive dynamic ahead of the upcoming four-Test Greatest Rugby Rivalry Tour kicking off in August.
World Rugby Top 10 Test Rankings (Official Update)
The All Blacks currently hold a comfortable 4.20-point cushion over third-placed Ireland, with France and England rounding out the top five.
| Rank | Country | Rating Points |
| 1 | South Africa | 93.96 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 92.28 |
| 3 | Ireland | 88.08 |
| 4 | France | 87.43 |
| 5 | England | 85.68 |
| 6 | Scotland | 84.78 |
| 7 | Argentina | 83.13 |
| 8 | Australia | 81.61 |
| 9 | Fiji | 78.00 |
| 10 | Japan | 76.42 |
Rassie Erasmus: “The Win Still Counts the Most for Us”
Reflecting on the team’s progress and the thrilling high-scoring nature of the new Nations Championship format, Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus reaffirmed that winning remains the primary objective over chasing bonus points:
“I think we’ve got a little bit better in every game of the Nations Championship, but as we’ve been rotating, it does take cohesion away… When we go into a Test match, we just want to win it. If you disrespect that, you are probably going to lose it. The win still counts the most for us.”
Erasmus also noted the tactical evolution taking shape across world rugby, pointing to increased maul tries and relentless attacking strategy in the opposition 22—highlighted by New Zealand’s thrilling July encounter against France.
