Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour officially kicks off on 7 August 2026 when New Zealand face South African URC franchise, the Stormers at the Cape Town Stadium.
The first Test match will take place at Ellis Park on 22 August, before which the All Blacks will face the Sharks and Bulls, as well as the Stormers in their opener. It is a tour that has been eagerly anticipated for the last 12 months when the decision was made to replace the 2026 Rugby Championship with this 'old school tour'.
The last time New Zealand toured South Africa for a three-match tour was in 1996, a series the All Blacks won 2-1 after winning the first two test matches. Since then, they have only competed in tournament rugby, tours ended once the Tri Nations, now Rugby Championship began.
While New Zealand hold an overall win record against South Africa, it is the Springboks who are at the top of world rugby at the moment and clear favourites to win the tour. The green and gold have also beaten their arch rivals in five of their last six encounters - the only All Black win in that stretch came in 2025 at Eden Park.
However, if there is one team that can compete with South Africa in their own backyard, it is the All Blacks, who have also shown some good form in 2026 under new their new coaching staff.
Below we take a brief look at the odds for the series winners via bet365.
2026 Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Tour Odds
Three Test matches will be played in South Africa at Ellis Park, Soccer City and the Cape Town Stadium. The fourth game will take place in Baltimore, USA.
| Team/Result | Odds |
|---|---|
| South Africa Win | 1.36 |
| New Zealand Win | 8.50 |
| Drawn Series | 8.33 |