Thirty years after the All Blacks last toured South Africa in full, the eight-match Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series kicks off this week. The format is deliberately throwback — four provincial fixtures against the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions before a four-Test series, with combined expected attendance north of 250,000. The Springbok Women face the Black Ferns at FNB Stadium on 5 September as a curtain-raiser to the third Test, and the series closes with the fourth Test at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on 12 September. Matthew Carley takes the whistle for the first Test at Ellis Park, Nika Amashukeli for the second at DHL Stadium, Angus Gardner for the third at FNB, and Karl Dickson closes out the series in Baltimore. All matches live on SuperSport Grandstand and SuperSport Rugby with a one-hour build-up.
Rugby's Greatest Rivalry: Full fixture list, match officials and what's at stake
The full schedule, match officials and context for the eight-match Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour — four provincial games followed by a four-Test series, culminating in Baltimore on 12 September.
- New Zealand
- DHL Stormers
- Hollywoodbets Sharks
- Vodacom Bulls
- Emirates Lions
- Springbok Women
- FNB Stadium
- M&T Bank Stadium
- DHL Stadium
The Lekker Rugby Pod: Has the URC Forged a Genuine SA-Ireland Rivalry?
Pat McCarry argues the URC has given the SA-Ireland rugby rivalry genuine club-level roots, with MVA predicting a Bulls-Stormers final at Loftus and McCarry warning the Lions and Connacht are the teams no one wants to face in the playoffs.
Day 3 Game 1 - KWAZULU-NATAL vs BLUE BULLS
2026 U20 Women’s Week
Keo & Zels: Why South Africa is the best
As two Saffa coaches prepare for battle in the Investec Champions Cup semi-finals, a trio of teenage sensations are lighting it up for SA teams.
Home comfort vs away grit: SA franchises' URC away records will define their title prospects
Cardinelli argues that the Lions and Stormers' upcoming away fixtures aren't just about log position — they're the definitive test of whether either side has the away-day resilience to be genuine URC title contenders.
Overseas tests will separate SA contenders from pretenders in URC run-in
The Bulls' ugly win in Llanelli is a timely lesson for the Lions and Stormers: SA sides' overseas nerve, not their home brilliance, will decide where they play in the URC knockouts.