Dave Rennie’s All Blacks touched down in South Africa this week for a three-Test series that represents something increasingly difficult to stage in professional rugby: a proper multi-week tour with genuine competitive stakes. The first Test kicks off Saturday in Johannesburg, launching what has been branded the “Greatest Rivalry” tour, a venture significant enough that the southern hemisphere’s premier international competition, the Rugby Championship, was cancelled to accommodate it.
The All Blacks’ task is formidable. South Africa have held the world’s top ranking since November 2024 and remain the game’s dominant force after winning the 2023 Rugby World Cup by a single point and claiming back-to-back Rugby Championships under coach Rassie Erasmus. New Zealand have won only four Tests in South Africa since 2016. Their last away series victory came in 1996. The Springboks defeated England, Scotland, Wales and Argentina in recent matches, demonstrating the depth and consistency that makes them heavy favorites.
Yet the All Blacks have shown early promise under Rennie, who took charge just three Tests ago. Victories over France, Italy and Ireland this summer provided encouraging signs, though those results pale against the challenge ahead. Tour games this month saw New Zealand dispatch weakened South African franchise sides comfortably: 38-21 over the Stormers, 54-0 over the Sharks and 50-19 over the Bulls. Key players Will Jordan and Cam Roigard have not yet featured but are expected to be available for Saturday’s opener at Ellis Park.
The commercial architecture underpinning this tour reveals the economic pressures reshaping international rugby. A Deloitte report obtained by New Zealand media outlet Stuff indicated that Super Rugby Pacific is “under strain economically, commercially, and in delivering on its high performance purpose.” All five New Zealand provinces have operated cumulatively unprofitable over the past six years, with the Hurricanes posting losses of $1.4m in 2023 and nearly $2m in 2025.
South Africa and New Zealand deliberately created this series to generate revenue comparable to the British and Irish Lions tours, which delivered $35m in profit to Australian Rugby and wiped out debts of £17.9m. The Greatest Rivalry tour is scheduled to repeat every four years, with New Zealand hosting South Africa in 2030. A fourth Test, not part of the official three-match series, will be played in Baltimore on September 12, marking the first Test between these rivals on American soil and signaling ambitions to expand into new markets ahead of the 2031 World Cup hosted by the United States.
Economic pressures have also affected player retention. New Zealand has lost prominent All Blacks to lucrative overseas contracts in Japan and Europe, including Richie Mo’unga, Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane, all starters in the 2023 World Cup final. Despite this competitive disadvantage, New Zealand maintains a strict policy requiring international selection only for players competing domestically.
By contrast, the broader architecture of international rugby remains unresolved. A global calendar announced in 2021 was supposed to launch before 2024 but has not materialized. The Nations Championship represented a step toward alignment, yet scheduling conflicts persist, exemplified by France fielding a weakened squad in New Zealand last month after a demanding domestic season. South Africa’s 2021 departure from Super Rugby to join the United Rugby Championship, while maintaining southern hemisphere Test competition, has further complicated coordination.
Argentina and Australia face particular uncertainty. Both nations must arrange fixtures independently after the Rugby Championship cancellation and will want to avoid losing further opportunities against the world’s elite sides. If the commercial success of rugby’s greatest rivalry continues to accelerate, their leverage in scheduling may diminish.
For both New Zealand and South Africa, this series offers optimal preparation for the 2027 World Cup. The tour will attract rugby enthusiasts globally and reach broader sports audiences. Whether that commercial momentum reshapes the future architecture of international rugby is the question that will outlast whatever happens at Ellis Park on Saturday.
For more detail on the tour and its significance, see https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/c2dkz3k94dlo.