Every story on the wire.
362 items · General
Codie Taylor relishing SA franchise challenge — and wants Super Rugby reunion
Codie Taylor, standing in as All Blacks captain while Savea takes a rest, says facing SA's URC franchises is something he's genuinely missed — and doesn't hold back on his view that the Super Rugby split was a loss for the game.
Rennie backs full-scale SA tour to sharpen All Blacks ahead of four-test series
Dave Rennie says the All Blacks' first full-scale South African tour in 30 years will benefit the whole squad, with provincial fixtures giving fringe players game time and a four-test series against the Springboks offering iterative tactical development. Test captain Ardie Savea joins the group before the Johannesburg opener on August 22.
All Blacks draw 4,000 fans to DHL Stadium welcome ahead of SA tour opener
More than 4,000 fans welcomed the All Blacks at DHL Stadium in Cape Town ahead of their South African tour, with stand-in captain Codie Taylor and coach Dave Rennie both struck by the reception. The tourists face the Stormers on 7 August in their tour opener.
Hotham breaks silence on All Blacks omission ahead of Greatest Rivalry tour
Crusaders scrum-half Noah Hotham has broken his silence on his surprise omission from the All Blacks' 44-man squad for the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour, saying the exclusion was frustrating despite a strong Super Rugby Pacific campaign, and is now focusing on Tasman form to keep himself in contention as an injury replacement.
Hotham opens up on All Blacks omission ahead of Greatest Rivalry tour
Crusaders scrum-half Noah Hotham has spoken about his omission from the All Blacks' 44-man squad for the Greatest Rivalry tour, saying he is staying ready as a potential injury replacement while focussing on Tasman's NPC campaign.
Injury-ravaged Narawa determined to seize All Blacks chance on South Africa tour
Emoni Narawa, capped just four times since his 2023 debut, has been recalled to the All Blacks' 44-man tour squad for South Africa despite a harrowing injury history that includes a punctured lung, broken ribs, a broken foot, a wrist injury and a World Cup withdrawal with a slipped disc.
Injury-ravaged Narawa determined to seize All Blacks chance on Springbok tour
Emoni Narawa, restricted to four Tests by a string of serious injuries including a punctured lung, broken ribs, a broken foot and a wrist injury, has been recalled to the All Blacks' 44-man squad for the Greatest Rivalry tour to South Africa and is pushing for the number 14 jersey.
Read: All Blacks must match Bok bench impact — not copy their formula
Read argues the All Blacks don't need to copy Rassie's 6-2 split — but their bench must match Bok impact levels. Marshall flags Esterhuizen's hybrid role as a structural edge New Zealand can't currently replicate, with Fainga'anuku's injury removing their closest equivalent.
SARU's smart mouthguard programme leads world rugby's concussion fight
SARU's instrumented mouthguard project, running since 2020 under Ross Tucker and Clint Readhead, is now integrated into World Rugby's formal HIA protocol and is operating at elite and school level in South Africa, with 99.8 percent measurement accuracy and a technical edge over NFL helmet-sensor methodology.
Hansen on the Greatest Rivalry: stylistic contrast, referee drift, and why contestable kicks worry him
Hansen welcomes the attacking shift in Test rugby and a perceived change in referee attitude, but flags two specific concerns heading into the Greatest Rivalry series: defences aren't competitive enough at contestable kicks, and referees are quietly letting crooked lineout throws slide — both areas where the Springboks' game plan sits comfortably.
Cane's Ellis Park goosebumps — and why that 2022 Bok win meant everything
Cane singles out the 2022 Ellis Park Test — with Foster's job on the line — as the Springbok victory that still gives him goosebumps, and explains why the hostile Ellis Park atmosphere was something the All Blacks actively fed off.
Kirwan and Matfield back Savea rest call — but Lions ghost looms over Rennie's decision
Kirwan and Matfield both endorse resting Savea before the Test series, but Kirwan raises a pointed warning about squad cohesion — invoking Woodward's ill-fated 2005 Lions setup as a cautionary tale for Rennie.
Rennie eyes World Cup answers in South Africa — Mo'unga, Ioane and the 6-2 gamble explained
Rennie is using the South Africa tour as a World Cup stress test — trialling the 6-2 split, managing scrum-half depth, keeping Mo'unga on standby and resetting Ioane as a winger. The piece details the selection logic behind each call.
All Blacks squad for SA tour: Who's in, who's out, and what it means for the Boks series
A detailed winners-and-losers breakdown of Rennie's All Blacks tour squad — covering the uncapped inclusions, the Savea rest strategy, Kirifi's shock snub, and the injury absences that reshape New Zealand's depth ahead of the Bok Tests.
Rennie bulks up for the Boks while keeping one eye on Australia 2027
Rennie's squad is built around a deliberate physical response to the Springbok forward pack, with Ta'eiloa and Blackadder added to give the loose trio some real bulk. But the piece also reads the tour as a World Cup laboratory — veterans like Beauden Barrett and Codie Taylor face genuine scrutiny, and the back selections are designed for tactical experimentation as much as winning.
Rennie bulks up for the Boks while using the Greatest Rivalry tour as a World Cup audition
Rennie's 44-man squad is built around two goals: adding forward mass to front the Springbok pack, and using the tour's scale to answer lingering World Cup selection questions — from uncapped bolters to veterans like Beauden Barrett.
All Blacks' Greatest Rivalry squad: The standout calls and notable snubs
A detailed winners-and-losers breakdown of Rennie's 44-man All Blacks squad for the Greatest Rivalry tour — covering the uncapped inclusions, Savea's managed rest, Kirifi's shock snub, and the injury absences that will shape the Test series against the Springboks.
All Blacks bring in Tamati Ellison as extra coaching muscle for South Africa tour
Dave Rennie has recalled Tamati Ellison — who left the All Blacks setup in March 2026 — to bolster his coaching group for the seven-week Greatest Rivalry Tour of South Africa, with Ellison's specific role yet to be confirmed.
Rennie confirms Barrett starts against Stormers as travel chaos forces early All Blacks selections
Dave Rennie has confirmed Beauden Barrett starts the All Blacks' opener against the Stormers in Cape Town, with travel disruptions via Dubai forcing the coaching staff to pre-select matchday 23s for all four South African matches — including the first Springbok Test.
Rennie explains Kirifi snub and backs Blackadder, Ta'eiloa to offer 'point of difference' against Boks
Dave Rennie has explained Du'Plessis Kirifi's omission from the All Blacks squad for the Greatest Rivalry series, citing existing openside cover, while identifying uncapped Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa and recalled Ethan Blackadder as offering a 'point of difference' the touring party previously lacked.