South Africa Hosts All Blacks for First Test Series in 30 Years; Ellis Park Braces for Rug

Springboks and All Blacks meet at Ellis Park for first Test series in three decades

Ellis Park in Johannesburg hosts the opening match of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test series on Saturday, 22 August 2026, kicking off at 17:10 South African Standard Time. It is the first time these two nations have contested a Test series on South African soil since 1996, and the venue itself carries its own weight: Ellis Park is famous for its association with the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and Saturday’s fixture marks a return to the traditional touring format that once defined the international calendar.

Broadcast infrastructure is in place across multiple continents. SuperSport TV carries the match live in South Africa, with SABC Sport providing delayed coverage at 19:00. Sky Sport NZ holds live rights in New Zealand, while Stan Sport and Nine Sport serve Australian audiences. Viewers in the United Kingdom and Ireland can watch through Sky Sports, with additional coverage extending to the United States via RugbyPass TV, Canada through Premier Sports, Japan on WOWOW, and Central and South America and the Caribbean via ESPN Sur.

For international audiences tracking the time, the kick-off translates to 16:10 in the UK, 01:10 on 23 August in Australian Eastern Standard Time, and 03:10 on 23 August in New Zealand Standard Time.

Team composition reveals significant personnel changes for both sides. The Springboks will take the field without regular captain Siya Kolisi, with Pieter-Steph du Toit stepping into the leadership role. Du Toit anchors the back-row alongside Paul de Villiers, with Jasper Wiese at number eight. Eben Etzebeth and Ruan Nortje form the lock pairing. In the backline, Grant Williams and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu start as half-backs. Damian de Allende earns his 100th cap in the number 12 jersey, partnering Jesse Kriel in the centres. Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse fill the wing positions, with Damian Willemse at full-back.

Meanwhile, the All Blacks have recalled captain Ardie Savea for the Johannesburg fixture. Cam Roigard and Will Jordan make their first tour appearances in the starting backline, with Jordan taking the number 14 jersey. Damian McKenzie returns from injury at full-back, Josh Moorby starts on the other wing, and Jordie Barrett and Quinn Tupaea occupy the centre positions. Savea leads the loose forwards alongside Luke Jacobson and Tupou Vaa’i. Fabian Holland and Josh Lord form the lock partnership, with Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, and Ethan de Groot in the front row.

Match officials are drawn from four unions. Matthew Carley of the RFU referees, with Karl Dickson and Nika Amashukeli as his assistants. Mike Adamson of the Scottish Rugby Union operates as Television Match Official, and Eric Gauzins of the French Rugby Federation fills the Field Place Referee role.

Whether the personnel changes on both sides shift the balance of a rivalry that has run for more than a century is the question Ellis Park will begin to answer on Saturday afternoon.