The All Blacks have arrived in South Africa for an eight-match tour — the first between the two nations in 30 years — beginning with a Welcome to Country event at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Friday.
The touring squad will face the Stormers at DHL Stadium before moving on to the Sharks and Bulls ahead of the first Test at Ellis Park. A midweek match against the Lions follows, with the third Test at DHL Stadium and the fourth at FNB Stadium, where the Springbok Women also meet the Black Ferns in a double-header. The tour then moves to Baltimore, USA for a fourth Test. Combined live attendance across the full tour is projected to exceed 250,000.
The last All Blacks provincial tour of South Africa was in 1996, when New Zealand went unbeaten across three wins and a draw before taking the Test series two Tests to one — their first series victory on South African soil. The last South African provincial side to beat the All Blacks in South Africa was the then-Orange Free State, who won 15-10 in September 1976.
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer noted that most current URC players were not alive when the All Blacks last faced provincial opposition here, and that the next such tour is eight years away. Tickets for the provincial matches and third Test remain available.