Springboks and All Blacks Renew Rugby's Greatest Rivalry at Ellis Park
South Africa and New Zealand open a four-Test series at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, on 22 August 2026 — the first chapter of a rivalry that Sky Sports has called "rugby's greatest" (Sky Sports). Kick-off is scheduled for 17:10 local time (16:10 BST), according to The Guardian's live coverage.
The series is unusual in its length. Four Tests between these two sides is rare in the professional era, and the schedule takes the teams from Johannesburg to Cape Town on 29 August, back to Johannesburg's FNB Stadium on 5 September, and then across the Atlantic — the fourth Test is set for Baltimore, USA (The Guardian; All Blacks fixtures).
A Test, for those newer to the sport, is a full international match — the highest level of rugby union, the 15-a-side code that includes contests for possession at the scrum, lineout and ruck (the battle for the ball on the ground after a tackle).
South Africa come in with the stronger recent record. They have won four of the past five meetings between the sides, including a 43-10 demolition of New Zealand in Wellington in 2025 and, before that, the 2023 Rugby World Cup final (The Guardian). The Springboks are coached by Rassie Erasmus; the All Blacks by Dave Rennie, who is leading New Zealand into this series (The Guardian).
The broader backdrop gives every meeting extra weight. This series falls a year out from the next Rugby World Cup, and between them South Africa and New Zealand have won 70% of all men's World Cups contested (The Guardian). The rivalry itself dates back 105 years.
For New Zealand, the challenge is steep. A side that once treated beating South Africa as a minimum expectation now trails the Springboks across recent meetings, and Rennie faces the task of finding answers against a team that has set the benchmark in world rugby. For South Africa, the opportunity is to press home an advantage that has been building since that World Cup final in Paris.
The All Blacks' 2026 tour also includes midweek matches against the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions — South Africa's professional club sides — giving the squad a chance to adapt to conditions and altitude before the Tests (All Blacks). Ellis Park, at roughly 1,750 metres above sea level, is famously unforgiving for visiting teams unused to the thin air.
Tickets for Springbok Tests at Ellis Park and other South African venues are available by phone at +27 (0) 11 402 2960 or by email at info@ellispark.co.za (SA Rugby).
