Is NZ tour of South Africa a new chapter for rugby union?

53 minutes ago 1

ByAlastair Telfer

BBC Sport journalist

One point.

That is what separated South Africa and New Zealand in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, as the Springboks went back-to-back to become the first nation to win the title four times.

Rassie Erasmus' world champions sit top of the rankings and have won back-to-back Rugby Championships. They are indisputably the game's dominant force.

Their predecessors as rugby union's supreme team were the All Blacks, who won their own back-to-back World Cups, in 2011 and 2015.

The landscape may have changed and their roles may have reversed of late, but they remain the game's most glamourous and marketable teams.

And now they are poised to begin that most rare of modern phenomenons - a multi-week tour that includes a proper Test series.

This year's Rugby Championship - the southern hemisphere's premier international competition - has been cancelled to make room for the All Blacks' tour of South Africa, leaving Australia and Argentina to arrange their own fixtures.

The first Test is on Saturday, when Dave Rennie - just three Tests into his reign as New Zealand coach - takes his side into the first of three Tests in South Africa as part of what has been dubbed the 'Greatest Rivalry' tour.

A fourth Test - not part of the official series - will also be played in Baltimore, marking the first Test between the two long-time rivals on American soil.

Within an increasingly competitive sporting landscape, BBC Sport looks at why the tour is happening and what it could mean for the future of international rugby union.

'Under strain economically' - why is the tour happening?

The tours will be staged every four years, with New Zealand next hosting the Springboks in 2030.

It has been reported that South Africa and New Zealand want to create a product that financially rivals British and Irish Lions tours,, external and they expect to make millions in profits from this joint venture.

Last year's Lions tour made Australia Rugby $35m in profit, wiping out debts of £17.9m.

A report from Deloitte, which has been obtained by New Zealand media outlet Stuff,, external revealed the current Super Rugby Pacific model is "under strain economically, commercially, and in delivering on its high performance purpose''.

It stated that all five New Zealand clubs were cumulatively unprofitable across the past six years, with current holders the Hurricanes posting a loss of $1.4m in 2023 and almost $2m in 2025.

The competition contains teams from New Zealand, Australia and Fiji after South Africa's decision to join the United Rugby Championship in 2021.

New Zealand have lost star players to lucrative deals in Japan and Europe, with Richie Mo'unga, Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane - all starters in the 2023 World Cup final - having recently spent time outside their native country.

Despite not being able to match certain wages abroad, the All Blacks have a strict policy that you must play in New Zealand to be considered for international selection.

Fehi Fineanganofo of New Zealand All Blacks leaps over Damian McKenzie of New Zealand All Blacks scoring a try

Can New Zealand realistically win?

The All Blacks needed to hit the ground running under Rennie after Scott Robertson's departure in January.

An exciting brand of rugby brought positive vibes back and supplied victories over France, Italy and Ireland this summer, but the real litmus test comes in the Tests against South Africa.

New Zealand have won just four Tests in South Africa since 2016 and their last away series victory came in 1996.

Little can be taken from wins in tour games this month against weakened South African franchise sides.

Saturday's 50-19 win over the Bulls backed up comfortable wins over the Sharks and the Stormers.

Key players Will Jordan and Cam Roigard are yet to feature on tour but are expected to be fit for Saturday's first Test in Johannesburg.

The Springboks have remained world number one since November 2024, defeating England, Scotland and Wales in July before beating Argentina in Buenos Aires.

What does it mean for the future?

It was announced in 2021 that a global calendar will not begin before 2024 - and it is still yet to appear.

The launch of the Nations Championship was a step towards it, but France sent a weakened side to New Zealand in July after a long season, once again highlighting the difficulty of alignment.

South Africa's decision to leave Super Rugby for the URC while continuing to play Tests in a southern hemisphere competition has added another layer of complexity.

New Zealand have also felt the competitive loss of the South African teams at domestic level.

There is little doubt facing each other in this series provides the best possible preparation for the 2027 World Cup for both.

Argentina and Australia play each other in the coming weeks and will not want to lose further fixtures against the world's best sides, but that could be out of their control if the commercial viability of rugby's greatest rivalry continues to grow.

The finale in America - the hosts of the 2031 World Cup - indicates that is the goal.