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yesterday

‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’: All Blacks to Tour South Africa in 2026 as Rugby Championship Pauses

A new SANZAAR calendar makes space for a quadrennial SA–NZ tour cycle plus World Rugby’s Nations Championship.

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Siya Kolisi of South Africa is tackled during The Rugby Championship match between the All Blacks and the Springboks in Wellington, New Zealand, on 13 September 2025. An eight-match tour of South Africa by New Zealand in 2026 was confirmed on Thursday, 16 October. (Photo: Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images)

Overview

  • SANZAAR confirmed the Rugby Championship will not be played in 2026, with the tournament returning in 2027–29 and pausing again in 2030 for multi‑week tours.
  • New Zealand’s eight‑match 2026 tour runs from 7 August to 12 September, featuring four Tests against South Africa and midweek games versus the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions.
  • Test venues are set for Ellis Park on 22 August, Cape Town’s DHL Stadium on 29 August, and Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium on 5 September, with a fourth Test on 12 September at a neutral international venue to be confirmed.
  • Tickets, including bundles, are scheduled to go on general sale early next year, with pre‑sale registration already open via the tour site.
  • World Rugby’s new Nations Championship launches in the July and November windows, bringing together Six Nations teams, the Rugby Championship unions and likely Japan and Fiji, while South Africa will reciprocate with a New Zealand tour in 2030.