Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry: South Africa vs New Zealand 2026 fixtures confirmed!

last update - 23 January 2026

South Africa will return to the US for only the third time this millennium when the 2026 edition of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry between the Springboks and the All Blacks concludes with an historic fourth and final Test in Baltimore, Maryland.
The match will be played at the home of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens on 12 September 2026.  

Rugby fans, brace yourselves for a historic showdown! The highly anticipated alternating quadrennial tour between South Africa and New Zealand, branded as Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, has been officially announced. The inaugural 2026 edition will see the Springboks host the All Blacks from August to September, delivering an unforgettable series of matches across South Africa.

Full Tour Fixtures & Venues
The All Blacks kick off the tour against top South African franchises before engaging in four epic Test clashes with the Springboks. Here’s the complete 2026 schedule:

Friday, 07 August – DHL Stormers vs New Zealand at DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Tuesday, 11 August – Hollywoodbets Sharks vs New Zealand at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
Saturday, 15 August – Vodacom Bulls vs New Zealand at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Saturday, 22 August – First Test: South Africa vs New Zealand at Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Tuesday, 25 August – Lions vs New Zealand at Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Saturday, 29 August – Second Test: South Africa vs New Zealand at DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Saturday, 05 September – Third Test: South Africa vs New Zealand at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
Saturday, 12 September – Fourth Test: South Africa vs New Zealand at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

This format blends high-octane franchise games with intense international Tests, reviving the classic touring tradition that rugby fans have long cherished.

Historic Context & Significance
The 2026 tour marks 30 years since New Zealand's last major South African tour, which featured an eight-match schedule and concluded with a historic 2-1 Test series victory for the All Blacks. The reciprocal 2030 tour will see South Africa visiting New Zealand for the first professional-era tour, further cementing the rivalry.

Back-to-back Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said: “This is going to be something huge and something this generation will never forget. These are the tours we’ve only heard of. To experience this for the first time, where it’s like a Lions tour, is unbelievable for us as a group.”

Tickets & Priority Access
Tickets, including match bundles, will go on general sale early next year. Fans can sign up for priority access and pre-sale notifications at greatest-rivalry.com to secure their seats for this once-in-a-generation rugby spectacle.

 

Subscribe for updates:

Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly updates, border info, road alerts, and travel inspiration for Southern Africa. 

South Africa: Travellers from four new countries have been granted visa-free status! [update]

update (08 October 2019): According to an article on businesstech.co.za, South Africa's government recently also waived visas for travellers from Cuba, Ghana and Sao Tome and Principe.

South Africa's Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, has announced that nationals from four of the seven countries he granted visa-free status during his Budget Vote speech in July 2019 are now able to travel to South Africa without visas. Effective today (15 August 2019), travellers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand no longer require a visa to visit South Africa for holidays, conferencing and business meeting visits. Visa waivers for Ghana, Cuba and Principe and Sao Tome will be implemented after negotiations with these countries have been concluded. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is scheduled to complete these negotiations by the end of August 2019 and the implementation will follow soon thereafter. We'll keep you posted!

South Africa waives visa requirements for seven countries including New Zealand! [update]

update (12 July 2019): South Africa is currently in talks with the seven countries regarding the implementation date for visa-free access to South Africa as well as reciprocity. According to BusinessTech, talks are expected to be concluded by September 2019. We'll keep you posted!

South Africa's Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, has announced on the occation of the Home Affairs Budget Vote 2019 that South Africa has scrapped visa requirements for seven countries, including New Zealand. According to the Minister, the Deparment of Home Affairs (DHA) will with immediate effect enter into discussions with these seven countries about how a visa-free regime will work. The following countries will be able to enter South Africa, visa-free:

• Qatar
• United Arab Emirates
• New Zealand
• Saudi Arabia
• Cuba
• Ghana
• Sao Tome and Principe

New Zealanders now need visa to travel to South Africa! >>

South Africa to roll out e-visas in New Zealand in April 2019! [update]

update (12 April 2019): South Africa's e-visa pilot programme in New Zealand is due to run until June 2019, after which it will be rolled out to additional countries, such as China, Nigeria and India, pending the success of the pilot phase.

According to news reports, South Africa's the first ever electronic visa (e-visa) system will be piloted in New Zealand in April 2019. The new visas will allow prospective visitors to apply for a visa online and, once granted, to print the e-visa at home. As of now, New Zealanders have to personally visit one of the two South Africa Visa Application Centres in New Zealand (in Wellington and Auckland) to apply for a visa for South Africa. The standard processing time is a minimum of four weeks.

New Zealanders now need visa to travel to South Africa!

Travellers from New Zealand will soon need a visa to enter South Africa. The new requirements for New Zealanders will come into force on 16 January 2017. South Africa's decision to introduce new visa restrictions follows New Zealand's introduction of visa requirements for all South African nationals wishing to travel there with effect from 21 November 2016. Kiwis travelling to South Africa after 16 January 2017 will have to obtain a visa from the South African High Commission in Wellington prior to travelling.

New Zealand ordinary passport holders should visit the department’s website at www.dha.gov.za to acquant themselves with the supporting documents that need to accompany a visa application before visiting the South African High Commission in Wellington to submit a visa application form and supporting documents in person. (via dha.gov.za; see below)

 Department of Home Affairs - Statements & SPEECHES

South African Airways to link Christchurch (New Zealand) with Johannesburg (South Africa)

South Africa's flag carrier, South African Airways, will codeshare on Air New Zealand's flights between Christchurch (New Zealand) and Perth (Australia) from December 2013. The codeshare flight will connect with South African Airways' Perth <> Johannesburg service, so that travellers from New Zealand can reach South Africa in just one stop. Depending on demand, the twice weekly flights will run from early December 2013 until at least April 2014.

online flight booking on TravelComments.com >>

South Africa - Order FREE Travel Brochure! >>

mp3 of the day: free 8-track sampler from "The Black Seeds"

If you like dub, funk, afrobeat and soul, the new and free 8-track "Christmas" sampler from The Black Seeds is the right download for you!
The Black Seeds from New Zealand perform with eight members, with instruments including guitar, saxo, trumpet, bass, drums, bongos, keyboard and wood block. Hostel music...

 

get more from "The Black Seeds" on amazon.com | .co.uk | .de >>

Kumuka's Tri Nations Sale: save up to 30% (ends 28 Aug 11)

Whilst the Kiwi's may be regular winners, it's been quite a while since Australia have had the chance of winning the Tri Nations trophy.
To celebrate this long awaited showdown between the top 2 teams in the world, Kumuka are offering all Aussies and Kiwis up to 30% OFF Kumuka tours - so in the end we all win!!
That's 30% OFF for this weekend only and may the best team win!!

How to claim your Tri Nations discount:

• Use the promotional code BIGSAVE11 when booking
• Book on or before 28st August 2011
• Take advantage of the strong Aussie and Kiwi dollars and when you select your currency - pay for your tour in $USD, £GBP or €Euro and SAVE!

Terms and conditions apply
1. The following regions and products are excluded from the sale North America and Specialist tours. 2. The sale ends 28th Aug 2011 3. The sale applies for tours departing from 01 November 2011 to December 2012. 4. To qualify for a Discount full payment must be made at the time of booking. 5. Offers apply to New Bookings only. 6. All bookings must be made online using Kumuka Agent interface. 7. Offers apply to bookings made in GBP, USD and EURO only. 8. Offer apply to prices displayed on the Kumuka website or in 2011-2012 brochure only. 9. Some tours are excluded. Check the individual tour page on www.kumuka.com or contact Kumuka for further details.

Overland Tours in Eastern & Southern Africa  >>

The complete 1995 Rugby World Cup final South Africa vs. New Zealand

Back in 1995, only a few years after the end of Apartheid and the first democratic elections in 1994, South Africa was hosting the third Rugby World Cup. The Springboks won the tournament, which was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country. The World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in South Africa after the political change and it was also the very first in which South Africa was actually allowed to compete.



Following South Africa's victory, Nelson Mandela, the President of the Republic of South Africa, wearing a Springbok rugby shirt and cap, presented the Webb Ellis Cup to the Springboks captain François Pienaar. Mandela and Pienaar's involvement in the World Cup is the subject of the 2009 film Invictus (get it from amazon.com | .co.uk | .de | kalahari.net)

Rugby Tri Nations 2010 Schedule

The Spingboks face a two-test series against Italy and a one-off match against France prior to the Tri Nations 2010. The venues for the inbound tests in June 2010 still have to be confirmed. Due to "exclusive use"* periods before, during and after the 2010 FIFA World Cuo the majority of rugby venues in South Africa cannot be used for matches.

June 12 2010 (venue tbc) - South Africa vs. France
June 19 2010 (venue tbc) - South Africa vs. Italy
June 26 2010 (venue tbc) - South Africa v Italy

July 10 2010 in Auckland, New Zealand - New Zealand vs. South Africa
July 17 2010 in Wellington, New Zealand - New Zealand vs. South Africa
July 24 2010 in Brisbane, Australia - Australia vs. South Africa
July 31 2010 in Melbourne, Australia - Australia vs. New Zealand
Aug. 7 2010 in Christchurch, New Zealand - New Zealand vs. Australia
Aug. 21 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa - South Africa vs. New Zealand
Aug. 28 2010 in Pretoria, South Africa - South Africa vs. Australia
Sept. 4 2010 in Bloemfontein, South Africa - South Africa vs. Australia
Sept. 11 2010 in Sydney, Australia - Australia vs. New Zealand

*World Cup venues are handed over to Fifa 15 days before the start of the World Cup while major sporting events at non-Fifa venues in hosting cities are prohibited seven days before and after the World Cup. The Fifa World Cup kicks off on June 11.