SA Rugby and NZ Rugby stand to earn approximately R90 million more from staging the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry decider at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium than they would have from hosting the match in South Africa, according to a Daily Maverick report.
The first three Tests in Johannesburg and Cape Town each generated between R60 million and R80 million, making the financial case for the US leg straightforward. SA Rugby chief executive Rian Oberholzer confirmed the rationale openly.
"This game was always about finding an option where we could make as much financial gain as we could," Oberholzer said. "At SA Rugby, it is essential that we keep working on our financial stability. To do that, we have to take our brand wider than South Africa."
The Baltimore windfall includes a fee from World Rugby, which is actively incentivising Test matches on American soil ahead of the 2031 Rugby World Cup. The M&T Bank Stadium, home of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, is expected to sell out for the fixture — the first time the Springboks and All Blacks have met on US soil.
Both nations have prior history in America. South Africa defeated the USA in 1981 and again in 2001, while Rassie Erasmus' debut as Springbok head coach came in a 22-20 loss to Wales in Washington, DC. New Zealand have played five previous Tests in the US, with their only defeat coming against Ireland at Soldier Field in Chicago in 2016. The Baltimore venue is their second appearance in Maryland, after a 2021 win at FedEx Field.
The full tour financials will not be disclosed until the 2026 financial statements. The RGR series is not expected to match the Aus$146.8 million (R1.69 billion) projected for the 2026 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, but is widely seen as a meaningful contribution to both unions' balance sheets.