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Taylor relishes South African challenge as All Blacks begin 'Greatest Rivalry' tour
All Blacks tour captain Codie Taylor says the loss of South African teams from Super Rugby has cost New Zealand players dearly, as the squad prepares to open their eight-match 'Greatest Rivalry' tour — the first extended All Blacks visit to South Africa in 30 years — against the Stormers in Cape Town on Friday.
SA Rugby mourns passing of loosehead great Osman 'Vleis' Daniels
SA Rugby President Mark Alexander has paid tribute to Osman 'Vleis' Daniels, a leading loosehead prop of the early 1980s for the erstwhile South African Rugby Union, who passed away on Sunday after a battle with illness.
Mo'unga eligible for All Blacks call-up after Canterbury cameo but stays tight-lipped on tour
Richie Mo'unga has satisfied New Zealand Rugby's eligibility requirements for All Blacks selection after scoring Canterbury's match-winning try against Auckland on Saturday, but the fly-half is refusing to be drawn on whether he will join the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour squad in South Africa.
Mo'unga eligible for All Blacks tour after Canterbury return but stays tight-lipped on selection
Richie Mo'unga scored a match-winning try on his Canterbury return to become eligible for the All Blacks' South Africa tour, but stayed noncommittal when asked whether he would join the squad, which already includes four tens under head coach Dave Rennie.
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.
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.
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.
Holland returns from five-month injury absence ahead of Springbok series
Fabian Holland returned from a five-month shoulder injury, playing 40 minutes for Otago in a 78-14 NPC win over Mid Canterbury, boosting his prospects of making the All Blacks squad for next month's tour to South Africa.
Kiss recalls Salakaia-Loto after 'robust conversation' with no guarantees given
Les Kiss has recalled Lukhan Salakaia-Loto to the Wallabies training squad following a 'robust conversation' among his new coaching staff, making clear no player is guaranteed selection ahead of Tests against Japan, Argentina, the Springboks and the All Blacks.
O'Connor rules out Sharks move as fatherhood keeps him in Australia
James O'Connor has ruled out joining the Sharks, saying his wife's pregnancy brought an end to any plans to move to Durban, with the 36-year-old intent on staying in Australia.
Schmidt departs with worst Wallabies losing record in 55 years but insists he leaves platform for growth
Joe Schmidt departs as Wallabies coach after Saturday's 57-10 win over Italy, ending his tenure with a 61.29 percent losing record — the worst for an Australian coach in 55 years — but insisting he leaves Les Kiss a more stable platform than the one he inherited after the 2023 World Cup.
Sheehan calls for 'right mindset' after Ireland's Nations Championship tour ends in defeat
Dan Sheehan says Ireland must find a better mindset to compete at the top level after a 40-21 Nations Championship defeat to New Zealand in Auckland, with South Africa among their Dublin opponents in November.
Neutral venues a structural necessity at Nations Championship, says SANZAAR CEO
SANZAAR CEO Brendan Morris says neutral-venue hosting is a structural necessity in the Nations Championship, with Fiji playing all their 'home' July matches in Britain and Japan hosting Ireland in Australia.