A bespoke trophy for the four-Test series between the Springboks and All Blacks has been unveiled in Johannesburg, with a design that splits into two magnetic halves — one for each nation — to reflect the unique character of the rivalry.
The winner of the full series takes both halves after the final Test in Baltimore on 12 September 2026. Should the series finish level at 2-2, each nation retains one half — a provision SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer says reflects the inadequacy of deciding a drawn series on an arbitrary tiebreaker.
"This is the eighth time in 12 tours that the series has included four Tests, and if each team has won two tests at the end of 320 minutes of intense rugby, it seemed inappropriate to decide a winner on an arbitrary metric," Oberholzer said.
The trophy was brought together publicly for the first time by 1996 series captains Gary Teichmann and Sean Fitzpatrick at the Johannesburg unveiling. New Zealand Rugby CEO Steve Lancaster described it as "a fitting reflection of just how closely matched these teams have been over the years."
The first two tours between the nations — 1921 and 1928 — were both shared. The trophy makes its public debut on Saturday when the Springboks host the All Blacks in the series opener at Ellis Park.