Overview
- SA Rugby set an eight-match programme for August–September 2026 that pairs four URC franchise games with a four-Test series billed as Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
- Johannesburg will stage the first and third Tests, Cape Town hosts the second, and a fourth Test will be played at a neutral overseas venue still to be announced.
- Springboks captain Siya Kolisi and All Blacks skipper Scott Barrett endorsed the tour, highlighting the rivalry’s intensity and the scale of the occasion.
- SA Rugby magazine criticized the inclusion of the overseas fourth Test as a commercially driven decision that could blur a clear series result in South Africa.
- Commentary cautioned that the tour’s appeal depends on strong franchise lineups, with player release and workload calls by Rassie Erasmus likely to shape competitiveness.