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Black Ferns and Springbok Women join 2026 Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour
By Ned Lester
New Zealand and South Africa’s famous rivalry begins a new chapter in 2026 with the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour, a mouth-watering prospect that just got juicier with the addition of a Springbok Women vs Black Ferns double-header.
The match will precede the third Test between the All Blacks and Springboks on September 5 at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, and will be the first time the two national women’s teams have squared off in South Africa.
New Zealand’s 46-17 win over South Africa in the quarter finals of the 2025 Rugby World Cup was just the second meeting between the two proud rugby nations, after 2010’s Rugby World Cup, which was also in England.
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The Black Ferns XV toured South Africa earlier in 2025, splitting a two-match series with one win apiece.
It was only a matter of time before the Black Ferns and Springbok Women built a rivalry of their own, and with the latter’s recent growth on the world stage, the 2026 fixture looms as the start of something special.
“This double-header adds extra weight to what is already shaping up to be one of the most significant tours in modern rugby,” said New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson. “It gives fans, players and the broader rugby community an opportunity to witness the depth, history, and intensity of rivalry between four of our national teams.
“We want Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry to showcase everything that is great about traditional rugby tours, while being like no other, and part of that means offering more for fans to see and engage with. This additional Test is another way for us to bring this to life, and we know fans will be excited the same way we are.”
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer shared his Kiwi counterpart’s excitement for the fixture and recognised the growth of the South African program after a historic 2025 season.
“We have seen our traditional teams, the Springboks, Junior Springboks and Blitzboks, all win titles in 2025, and it was equally inspiring to see our investment in our women’s game starting to bear fruit,” said Oberholzer.
“Our Springbok Women made history in England with a best-ever World Cup performance and for the first time broke into the top ten on the world rankings. For them to be playing the Black Ferns in South Africa for the first time, as a double-header before the Boks take on the All Blacks, is fantastic. I want to thank all involved who helped get this match over the line.”
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