Thirty years after the All Blacks last undertook a full-scale tour of South Africa, rugby's two most successful nations will renew their storied rivalry in an eight-match series that begins this week.
New Zealand will face the DHL Stormers, Hollywoodbets Sharks, Vodacom Bulls and Lions before a four-Test series against the world champion Springboks. The tour format, absent from the professional era, has been deliberately structured to echo the traditional touring model that helped define the fixture across more than a century of competition.
For South Africa's provincial teams, the tour represents a rare chance to measure themselves against the All Blacks. Few sides have managed to beat New Zealand, and the franchise fixtures will carry added significance as supporters experience the haka on provincial grounds for the first time in a generation.
Four-Test series to provide centrepiece
The Test matches will form the tour's focal point, with Siya Kolisi leading the Springboks as they defend their status as world champions. The rivalry between the two nations has produced countless moments of drama and controversy, and the series promises to add another chapter to a contest that continues to shape the sport's landscape.
The tour arrives at a time when both nations remain central to rugby's global hierarchy. South Africa's recent World Cup success and New Zealand's enduring pedigree ensure the fixtures will carry weight beyond the immediate results, offering a template for how traditional touring might be reintegrated into the modern calendar.
What unfolds over the coming weeks will determine not only bragging rights in rugby's most storied rivalry, but also whether the touring format can reclaim its place in the professional game.