CAPE TOWN — Ending a 30-year wait for full-length touring series, the All Blacks have arrived in South Africa for an epic eight-match “Greatest Rivalry” tour. To mark the occasion, SA Rugby has announced a uniquely South African answer to New Zealand’s famous Haka.
Rather than standard pre-match entertainment, SA Rugby launched a national schools competition inviting impassioned war-cry submissions. Four winning schools have been selected to perform their school war-cries live on the field directly in response to the Haka during the tour’s four United Rugby Championship (URC) franchise clashes.
Tour Fixture Breakdown
The tour features four provincial franchise encounters followed by four international Tests:
Franchise Matches
- 7 August 2026: Stormers vs All Blacks (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
- 11 August 2026: Sharks vs All Blacks (Kings Park, Durban)
- 15 August 2026: Bulls vs All Blacks (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
- 25 August 2026: Lions vs All Blacks (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
International Test Series
- 22 August 2026 (Test 1): Springboks vs All Blacks (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
- 29 August 2026 (Test 2): Springboks vs All Blacks (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
- 5 September 2026 (Test 3): Springboks vs All Blacks (FNB Stadium, Johannesburg)
- 12 September 2026 (Test 4): Springboks vs All Blacks (M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA)
Honoring Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry
For domestic sides, the tour offers a historic chance: no South African provincial team has defeated the All Blacks on home soil since the 1976 tour.
“Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry is more than a contest between two proud nations; it is a celebration of history, tradition and the enduring spirit of the game. Each encounter between South Africa and New Zealand carries with it the weight of decades of competition, respect and shared excellence.”
— Mark Alexander, SA Rugby President
