All Blacks Name 44-Player Squad for South Africa Tour; Three Debutants Included

Coach Dave Rennie has named a 44-player All Blacks squad for the South Africa tour, structuring the group to manage workloads across eight matches over six weeks while integrating new talent into the test environment.

The squad includes three uncapped players making their international debuts. Siale Lauaki, a prop from the Hurricanes, Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, a loose forward with Moana Pasifika, and Josh Jacomb, a first-five from the Chiefs, have earned their places through strong Super Rugby performances. They join seven returning All Blacks: props Ollie Norris, hooker George Bell, lock Fabian Holland, flanker Ethan Blackadder, midfielder Timoci Tavatavanawai, and outside backs Rieko Ioane and Emoni Narawa.

Rennie was direct about what the uncapped trio had shown. “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,” he said.

Captain Ardie Savea will not join the squad until the first test. The decision is deliberate. Savea has played more than 18 months of continuous rugby, including a season in Japan following last year’s end-of-year All Blacks tour, and Rennie wants him fresh for the four-test series against the Springboks rather than worn down by the three preceding provincial matches against the Stormers, Sharks, and Bulls. Other squad leaders will carry the captaincy in his absence.

“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,” Rennie explained.

All 34 players from the Nations Championship squad that defeated France, Italy, and Ireland earlier this month have been retained. Hurricanes loose forward Du’Plessis Kirifi and Crusaders halfback Noah Hotham again miss out.

The 44-man group comprises 25 forwards and 19 backs. Rennie was clear that the full complement will be needed. “This tour will challenge us and demand the very best of us. 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,” he said.

The schedule is demanding. The All Blacks open in Cape Town on 8 August against the Stormers, who finished near the top of the United Rugby Championship regular season standings. Four days later they face the Sharks in Durban, then the Bulls in Pretoria on 15 August (URC grand finalists). The first test follows on 22 August at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, with a franchise match against the Lions at the same venue three days later. Tests two and three are scheduled at DHL Stadium in Cape Town and FNB Stadium in Johannesburg respectively. The fourth and final test will be played in Baltimore, Maryland, the first time these rivals have met on US soil.

Meanwhile, three players remain unavailable due to injury: Tamaiti Williams, Scott Barrett, and Leicester Fainga’anuku, leaving gaps in depth that the broader squad will need to absorb.

Rennie framed the entire tour as operational groundwork for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. “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,” he said. Whether the squad’s blend of returning experience and uncapped newcomers can hold together under that pressure is the question the tour will answer.