All Blacks squad named for Rugby's Greatest Rivalry

A 44-strong All Blacks squad has been named to travel to South Africa and the United States for the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.

All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie and fellow selectors, Sir Graham Henry and Neil Barnes, have retained all 34 players from their Nations Championship squad, and named an additional ten players to bolster the group for the seven-week tour.

Prop Siale Lauaki, loose forward Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa, and inside back Josh Jacomb are the three uncapped players to join the group. They are joined by returning All Blacks Ollie Norris, George Bell, Fabian Holland, Ethan Blackadder, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Rieko Ioane and Emoni Narawa.

Rennie congratulated the selected players and said all 44 would be required to play in the tour.

“This tour will challenge us and demand the very best of us,” said Rennie.

“We have selected a squad that we know is up to the challenge. It’s a balanced blend of experienced Test players and a cohort of younger players who will be keen to work hard and showcase their skillset on tour.

“We are thrilled for those players who will have the opportunity to pull on the All Blacks jersey for the first time, and welcome back those who are returning to the group.

“With eight matches in six weeks, including a four-Test series against the Springboks, this would have to be the toughest tour in rugby. Every player will be required to play their part across this tour, whether it’s preparing to play or helping their mates prepare.

“It will be an intense seven weeks of touring but an excellent opportunity for us to pit ourselves against the current benchmark team in world rugby, and to build connections with each other in a way that only a tour of this scale can do. What we learn about ourselves on and off-field will set us up well for the Rugby World Cup in 2027.

“The franchise games will provide an opportunity for other leaders in the group to step in as captain, before Ardie Savea arrives in South Africa ahead of the first Test match. Ardie has carried a massive workload in the last couple of years and we think it is best for him to have an extended break so he can come back ready to lead us into the Test series. We have a number of excellent leaders in our squad who will embrace the chance to captain the side.”

The All Blacks will kick off Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry in Cape Town on 7 August against the DHL Stormers, who finished near the top of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) regular season standings. They will play the Hollywoodbets Sharks at the “Shark Tank” in Durban four days later and then head to Pretoria to take on Vodacom URC grand finalists, the Vodacom Bulls, on 15 August.

The first Test against the Springboks is on 22 August at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, followed by the final franchise game against the Lions at the same venue on 25 August.

The second and third Tests will be at DHL Stadium in Cape Town and FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. Both teams will then travel to America to play the fourth and final Test in Baltimore, Maryland – the first time the rivals have played each other on US soil.

New Zealand Rugby CEO, Steve Lancaster, said this would be a landmark tour for both rugby-mad nations and a generation of rugby fans: “This is the next chapter in one of our sport’s defining rivalries. It is our first full-scale, old-style tour in 30 years – since ‘The Incomparables’ led by Sean Fitzpatrick pulled off the All Blacks’ first series win in South Africa in 1996.

“Fans from both nations and around the world have embraced the concept with around 3 000 fans expected to travel for the tour – the majority from New Zealand. We already can’t wait to host the next iteration in 2030 when South Africa embark on their first professional-era tour of New Zealand.”

Meanwhile, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has called up prop Ntuthuko Mchunu to the national squad for the team’s preparations for the one-off Test against Argentina and the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR) series as they leap back into Test match mode following a week off.

The squad assembled in Johannesburg on Sunday evening and resumed their on-field preparations on Monday, where they will be joined by Mchunu, who earned his fourth Test cap against Scotland during the Nations Championship earlier this month.

Mchunu’s inclusion in the group increases the size of Erasmus’ squad in Johannesburg to 44 players.

The Bok coach is set to name his travelling squad to Argentina for the Test in Buenos Aires on Saturday, 8 August, later in the week, with that group of players and management departing for Argentina in two groups on Saturday.

The remaining players will zoom in on the matches against New Zealand under the guidance of a few coaches, medical staff and management members at their training base in Johannesburg.

Springbok squad

Props: Thomas du Toit (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Wilco Louw (DHL Stormers), Ntuthuko Mchunu (DHL Stormers), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Zachary Porthen (DHL Stormers), Carlu Sadie (Bordeaux Begles), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls), Boan Venter (Fidelity Securedrive Lions).

Hookers: Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears).

Locks: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Kubota Spears).

Loose forwards: Paul de Villiers, Ben-Jason Dixon (both DHL Stormers), Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls), Siya Kolisi (DHL Stormers), Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks).

Utility forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Vincent Tshituka (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese (all Vodacom Bulls).

Scrumhalves: Herschel Jantjies (Bayonne), Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers), Morne van den Berg (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Grant Williams (Kobe Steelers).

Flyhalves: Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers), Vusi Moyo (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Handre Pollard (Vodacom Bulls).

Centres: Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).

Outside and utility backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Mitsubishi Dynaboars), Aphelele Fassi (Toshiba), Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Quan Horn (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Cheslin Kolbe (DHL Stormers), Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls), Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers).

All Black squad

Props: Ethan De Groot (Highlanders/Southland), George Bower (Crusaders/Otago), Xavier Numia (Hurricanes/Wellington), Ollie Norris (Chiefs/Waikato), Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes/Tasman), Fletcher Newell (Crusaders/Canterbury), Pasilio Tosi (Hurricanes/Bay of Plenty), Siale Lauaki (Hurricanes/Wellington).

Hookers: Asafo Aumua (Hurricanes/Wellington), Codie Taylor (Crusaders/Canterbury), Samisoni Taukei’aho (Chiefs/Waikato), George Bell (Crusaders/Canterbury).

Locks: Tupou Vaa’i (Chiefs/Taranaki), Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues/Auckland), Josh Lord (Chiefs/Taranaki), Sam Darry (Blues/Canterbury), Fabian Holland (Highlanders/Otago).

Loose Forwards: Peter Lakai (Hurricanes/Wellington), Simon Parker (Chiefs/Northland), Ethan Blackadder (Crusaders/Tasman), Luke Jacobson (Chiefs/Waikato), Anton Segner (Blues/Auckland), Ardie Savea (captain, Moana Pasifika/Wellington), Wallace Sititi (Chiefs/North Harbour), Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa (Moana Pasifika/Southland).

Scrumhalves: Cameron Roigard (Hurricanes/Counties Manukau), Cortez Ratima (Chiefs/Waikato), Kyle Preston (Crusaders/Wellington)

Flyhalves: Ruben Love (Hurricanes/Wellington), Beauden Barrett (Blues/Taranaki), Damian McKenzie (Chiefs/Waikato), Josh Jacomb (Chiefs/Taranaki).

Centres: Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes/Taranaki), Quinn Tupaea (Chiefs/Waikato), Billy Proctor (Hurricanes/Wellington), Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs/Waikato), Timoci Tavatavanawai (Highlanders/Tasman).

Outside Backs: Caleb Clarke (Blues/Auckland), Fehi Fineanganofo (Hurricanes/Bay of Plenty), Leroy Carter (Chiefs/Bay of Plenty), Josh Moorby (Hurricanes/Waikato), Will Jordan (Crusaders/Tasman), Rieko Ioane (Blues/Auckland), Emoni Narawa (Chiefs/Bay of Plenty).

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour fixtures 2026

Friday 7 August: DHL Stormers v New Zealand at DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Tuesday 11 August: Hollywoodbets Sharks v New Zealand at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban

Saturday 15 August: Vodacom Bulls v New Zealand at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Saturday 22 August: First Test – South Africa v New Zealand at Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Tuesday 25 August: Lions v New Zealand at Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Saturday 29 August: Second Test – South Africa v New Zealand at DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Saturday 5 September: Third Test – South Africa v New Zealand at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg

Saturday 12 September: Fourth Test – South Africa v New Zealand at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA