Rugby Union - Rugby Championship - South Africa v New Zealand - Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa - September 7, 2024 New Zealand players during the national anthems before the match. REUTERS/Esa Alexander
(Reuters) -New Zealand will visit South Africa for three tests in 2026 with a fourth to be staged on neutral territory in a series dubbed ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ that will be a throwback to the old days of multi-fixture tours.
New Zealand will also take on four South African provincial sides in fixtures to be played in August and September, replacing the Rugby Championship on the Southern Hemisphere calendar, which will return in 2027.
The venue for the fourth test in a neutral stadium has not yet been revealed as New Zealand visit old foes South Africa for a multi-fixture tour for the first time in 30 years.
The Springboks will make a reciprocal tour to New Zealand in 2030.
"This is going to be something huge and something this generation will never forget," Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said. "These are the tours we’ve only heard of. To experience this for the first time, where it’s like a (British & Irish) Lions tour, is unbelievable for us as a group."
All Blacks captain Scott Barrett is also looking forward to the contest, despite a record 43-10 loss to the Springboks in Wellington this year.
"This is a huge rivalry, and one that is founded off mutual respect, but for 80 minutes these are two teams that every time they play there’s everything on the line," he said.
"The intensity is right up there, and it is shaping up to be a heck of a tour. The format will be great, and there will be a whole lot of excited fans watching from home, and travelling with us as well. We are looking forward to it."
The All Blacks will also be up against provincial teams as they kick off the tour with a fixture against the Cape Town-based Stormers on August 7.
They will face the Sharks in Durban (August 11) and Bulls in Pretoria (August 15) ahead of the first test against the Springboks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on August 22.
After a midweek match on the Highveld against the Lions (August 25), New Zealand meet the Springboks in consecutive weekends in Cape Town (August 29) and at the cavernous 94,000-seater FNB Stadium in Johannesburg (September 5).
The venue for the fourth test on September 12 is not yet known.
New Zealand's 2026 tour to South Africa fixtures:
August 7: Stormers v New Zealand, Cape Town
August 11: Sharks v New Zealand, Durban
August 15: Bulls v New Zealand, Pretoria
August 22: South Africa v New Zealand, Johannesburg
August 25: Lions v New Zealand, Johannesburg
August 29: South Africa v New Zealand, Cape Town
September 5: South Africa v New Zealand, Johannesburg
September 12: South Africa v New Zealand, venue to be confirmed
(Reporting by Nick SaidEditing by Toby Davis)
