Erasmus reflects on what the revived Greatest Rivalry series meant beyond the 3-1 series win — and it's not just about the scoreboard. Speaking after South Africa clinched the series in Baltimore, Erasmus drew on his memories of the isolation era and the 1996 'incomparables' tour to explain why this fixture carries a weight no other Test does. His main point: the series delivered something the COVID-era Lions series couldn't — genuine atmosphere, community engagement, and the kind of week-to-week adrenaline that only a South Africa vs New Zealand contest generates. He was careful to flag that he doesn't want Argentina and Australia marginalised by the concept, but made clear he'd back the format regardless of outcome. The piece captures Erasmus in a rare sentimental mood, framing the 2026 tour as something players and coaches will still reference decades from now.
Rassie: The Greatest Rivalry revival is bigger than the result
Erasmus reflects on the Greatest Rivalry revival as historically significant beyond the 3-1 result — drawing on isolation-era memories and the 1996 series to explain what makes this fixture irreplaceable, while cautioning that the Rugby Championship partners shouldn't be left behind.
- Rassie Erasmus
- Springboks
- New Zealand
- Argentina
- Australia
Alexander's blunt warning: align the calendar or lose the game
Mark Alexander is warning that the Dublin World Rugby meetings must deliver calendar alignment — concurrent Rugby Championship and Six Nations windows, dedicated club and rest periods — or the sport risks losing players to rebel competitions. New Zealand's resistance to shifting Super Rugby Pacific is the key sticking point.
Rassie's Nations Championship reckoning: the July squads that will shape RWC 2027
A demographic deep-dive into the seven leading RWC 2027 contenders argues the Nations Championship compresses the selection cycle by a year, placing Erasmus at the sharpest decision point: defend the title with the 2023 spine or finally acknowledge the cost of carrying an ageing pack into Australian conditions.
Contepomi wants to rewrite the Barbarians script against the Boks
Contepomi talks up the June 20 Baa-baas fixture as a genuine contest, not a lap of honour — he wants to reverse last year's 54-7 result and sees Erasmus's serious approach to the game as validation that his side should prepare accordingly.
All Blacks' loosehead crisis hands Springboks a ready-made weapon in Greatest Rivalry Series
Jeff Wilson has publicly identified loosehead prop as the All Blacks' most dangerous weakness ahead of four consecutive Tests against the Springboks — with Williams likely out, Tu'ungafasi's future uncertain, and the remaining options short on caps and experience. Set against the depth Erasmus has built across the prop positions, this piece maps out why scrum time could be where the Greatest Rivalry Series is decided.
Stephen Donald: Robertson copied the Boks — Rennie must go back to All Blacks DNA
Stephen Donald backs Hansen's anti-copycat argument, saying Robertson erred by chasing the Springbok blueprint rather than New Zealand's tempo-based strengths — and expects Rennie to correct that course ahead of a blockbuster four-Test series in South Africa.