The All Blacks have officially unveiled a powerful 44-man squad for their historic tour of South Africa and the United States—dubbed Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry. However, inspirational skipper Ardie Savea will not board the plane for the opening leg.
The dynamic loose forward has been granted an extended rest period following an intense 19-month continuous playing schedule. Savea will miss the first three provincial clashes against the Stormers, Sharks, and Bulls before joining the squad in Johannesburg ten days ahead of the opening Test against the Springboks on 22 August 2026.
Veteran hooker Codie Taylor will assume tour captaincy duties during the initial leg.
Managing Workload Ahead of the Springbok Series
Head coach Dave Rennie explained that the decision was made to ensure the world-class No. 8 arrives fresh for the grueling four-Test series against the reigning world champions:
“Ardie has carried a massive workload in the last couple of years and we think it is best for him to have an extended break so he can come back ready to lead us into the Test series,” Rennie noted. “The franchise games will provide an opportunity for other leaders in the group to step in as captain before Ardie arrives.”
Key forwards Tamaiti Williams, Scott Barrett, and Leicester Fainga’anuku were ruled out of the tour due to injury.
Full Tour Schedule & Fixtures
Provincial & Midweek Clashes:
- Fri, 7 Aug: Stormers vs New Zealand – Cape Town Stadium (19:00)
- Tue, 11 Aug: Sharks vs New Zealand – Kings Park, Durban (19:00)
- Sat, 15 Aug: Bulls vs New Zealand – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (19:00)
- Tue, 25 Aug: Lions vs New Zealand – Ellis Park, Johannesburg (19:00)
The Test Series:
- 1st Test: Saturday, 22 August – Ellis Park, Johannesburg (17:05)
- 2nd Test: Saturday, 29 August – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town (17:05)
- 3rd Test: Saturday, 5 September – FNB Stadium, Johannesburg (17:05)
- 4th Test: Saturday, 12 September – M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA (TBC)
All Blacks 44-Man Squad
- Forwards: Asafo Aumua, Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei’aho, George Bell, Ethan De Groot, George Bower, Xavier Numia, Ollie Norris, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi, Siale Lauaki, Tupou Vaa’i, Patrick Tuipulotu, Josh Lord, Sam Darry, Fabian Holland, Peter Lakai, Simon Parker, Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson, Anton Segner, Ardie Savea (c), Wallace Sititi, Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa.
- Backs: Cameron Roigard, Cortez Ratima, Kyle Preston, Ruben Love, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Josh Jacomb, Jordie Barrett, Quinn Tupaea, Billy Proctor, Anton Lienert-Brown, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Caleb Clarke, Fehi Fineanganofo, Leroy Carter, Josh Moorby, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Emoni Narawa.
