All Blacks touch down in South Africa as historic rivalry resumes after 30 years

A 30-year wait for the return of full-scale tours between South Africa and New Zealand is over, with the All Blacks arriving in South Africa this week to begin an eight-match schedule that revives what officials are calling “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry”.

The touring side will be officially welcomed at a “Welcome to Country” event at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Friday, seven days before facing the Stormers at the same ground in the opening provincial fixture of the trip.

The All Blacks’ visit marks the first time since 1996 that New Zealand have embarked on a traditional multi-match tour of South Africa, featuring games against provincial opposition as well as a four-Test series spread across two countries.

Provincial challenge before Test series

Following the Stormers encounter, New Zealand will take on the Sharks and Bulls, fixtures that will serve as preparation for the opening Test of the tour at Ellis Park.

A final midweek clash against the Lions rounds off the provincial leg, offering South Africa’s domestic sides a rare opportunity to measure themselves against the three-time world champions in front of home support.

For local teams, the chance to make history is a powerful incentive. No South African provincial side has beaten the All Blacks on home soil since the 1976 tour, when the Cheetahs – then known as Orange Free State – claimed a 15-10 victory. Becoming the first side in nearly half a century to repeat that feat is seen as a potential career-defining achievement.

The All Blacks are also set to perform the haka in front of South Africa’s four United Rugby Championship franchises and their supporters – an experience most players have only seen in Test arenas.

“Most of the URC players weren’t alive when the All Blacks last appeared against a provincial team, which shows just how special this event will be,” said SA Rugby chief executive Rian Oberholzer.

“It won’t be repeated here for another eight years, by which time there’ll have been two more Rugby World Cups and four Nations Championships, which underlines just what a unique opportunity it will be for provincial players and fans.

“The prospect of perhaps becoming the first South African provincial team to beat the All Blacks since the Cheetahs (then Orange Free State) beat them 15-10 in September 1976 would be a boast that would last for another 50 years.”

Test matches in South Africa and USA

After the Ellis Park opener, the series moves to Cape Town Stadium and then FNB Stadium for further Tests between the Springboks and the All Blacks, before the tour concludes in the United States with a fourth Test in Baltimore.

The tour schedule underlines the commercial and global appeal of the rivalry, with organisers aiming to reach both traditional rugby audiences and new markets.

Crowds across South Africa are expected to be substantial throughout the month-long programme, with total live attendance projected to exceed 250,000 spectators across all fixtures.

Double-header for women’s and men’s game

The Springbok Women will also feature during the tour, facing the seven-time world champion Black Ferns at FNB Stadium in a double-header on the day of one of the men’s Tests.

The women’s fixture is being framed as a major showcase for the women’s game, with both unions using the men’s tour as a platform to draw additional attention and support for their female sides.

Tour organisers believe the combined schedule will strengthen links between the countries at all levels of the sport, from elite international rugby to the domestic game.

‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ hailed

SA Rugby president Mark Alexander said the latest chapter in the long-running contest between South Africa and New Zealand was about more than results.

“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,” Alexander said.

“Each encounter between South Africa and New Zealand carries with it the weight of decades of competition, respect and shared excellence.

“This rivalry has produced moments that have defined rugby itself – battles of skill, courage and resilience that inspire generations of players and supporters alike. It is a fixture that transcends sport, uniting communities and reminding us of rugby’s power to connect people across borders.

“As custodians of the game, we honour this rivalry not only for its intensity on the field but also for the values it represents: respect, sportsmanship and the pursuit of excellence. Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry is a testament to the enduring bond between our nations and the global significance of our sport.”

On their previous tour to South Africa in 1996, New Zealand went unbeaten in their provincial games, winning three and drawing one, and secured their first-ever series victory in the country by two Tests to one.

Three decades on, the All Blacks’ latest visit is being billed as a rare, era-defining tour – and one that South African sides, both provincial and national, will be determined to shape on their own terms.