Anyway seems the tours between NZ and SA are a step closer , I am getting real hopeful as there has been meeting to get things started.
The All Blacks will once again conduct a full tour in South Africa in 2026, according to a report in South Africa.
Dubbed as the ‘Greatest Rugby Rivalry’, New Zealand will once again tour South Africa for the first time in 30 years, playing eight games in total.
According to the report by the Daily Maverick, the tour in 2026 will consist of four matches against the URC clubs, a fixture against South Africa ‘A’ and three official Test matches against the
Springboks.
There will also be a fourth Test match, to be played outside of South Africa, but this will not be an outlier from the three Test series.
Springboks v All Blacks tour given green light
Reports initially emerged back in February that the resumption of the tours, which last took place in 1996, was a work-in-progress; but per these latest reports, they will once again become a regular fixture in the rugby calendar.
Speaking to the Daily Maverick, SARU chief executive, Rian Oberholzer, said: “I just spent two days with the New Zealand leadership in what we are calling the Greatest Rugby Rivalry.”
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“It’s a working title, although some people might say it is arrogant to say that,” Oberholzer continued. “We have signed a memorandum of understanding and we are in the planning phases now. We have a draft schedule that must still be agreed.”
“In principle, everything’s in order and the hard work starts now. We have to do ticket pricing, for example. We will probably follow the Lions model by starting around the coast, come back, play the Test matches – three Test matches in South Africa – and one out of South Africa before the series starts.”