Springboks and All Blacks take rugby’s fiercest rivalry to Baltimore

Johannesburg sports fans might want to keep their passports close. Rugby’s most powerful rivalry is doing something it has never done before: taking its final showdown to the United States.

The Springboks and the All Blacks will wrap up the 2026 Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour with a historic fourth Test in Baltimore, marking a major moment for the sport as it pushes into one of the world’s biggest and most competitive sporting markets.

For Joburgers, it is a reminder of just how global the Bok brand has become. These are the same Boks who regularly fill Ellis Park and FNB Stadium, now preparing to test their star power under NFL lights.

A rivalry that belongs on the world stage

The match will be played at the 71 000-seat M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, on Saturday 12 September. It is only the third time the Boks have played on American soil this century, compared to the All Blacks’ more regular US appearances in cities like Chicago and Washington DC.

And Baltimore is not just any city. It is one of the potential hosts for the 2031 Rugby World Cup, which the US is gearing up to welcome. Bringing the sport’s biggest rivalry to an NFL venue is a bold statement from World Rugby about where the future of the game is headed.

What this means for SA Rugby

SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer says the decision to take the Boks to the US fits perfectly into their global growth plan. Locally, South Africans will still enjoy three home Tests during the tour, but exporting the final clash helps rugby tap into new fans.

New Zealand Rugby echoed the sentiment, calling the US an increasingly important market. For the All Blacks, this will be their fourth visit to America in five years.

World Rugby’s leadership has also been clear: if the sport wants to land with young American fans, it needs marquee matchups, star players and blockbuster atmospheres. A Bok–All Blacks Test ticks every box.

A jam-packed build-up before the USA finale

Before Baltimore steps into the spotlight, South Africans will enjoy a full month of rugby theatrics, especially in Johannesburg.

Highlights include the Ellis Park Test on 22 August and the massive double header at FNB Stadium on 5 September, featuring the Springbok Women against the Black Ferns before the Boks face the All Blacks later that evening.

2026 fixtures:
7 August: Stormers vs All Blacks (Cape Town)
11 August: Sharks vs All Blacks (Durban)
15 August: Bulls vs All Blacks (Pretoria)
22 August: Springboks vs All Blacks (Ellis Park)
25 August: Lions vs All Blacks (Johannesburg)
29 August: Springboks vs All Blacks (Cape Town)
5 September: Springbok Women vs Black Ferns (Johannesburg)
5 September: Springboks vs All Blacks (Johannesburg)
12 September: Springboks vs All Blacks (Baltimore)

The Joburg fixtures are already expected to be some of the biggest rugby events of the year, especially the women’s Test which many say is long overdue on such a grand stage.

A glimpse into rugby’s American future

World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin says the Baltimore fixture forms part of a long-term plan to ignite rugby’s popularity in the US ahead of the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups.

And honestly, it makes sense. If you want Americans to fall in love with rugby, you give them the sport’s fiercest rivalry: the Springboks and the All Blacks, heavy hits, high drama and all.

Conclusion: a global moment for the Boks and for the game

The 2026 Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious in modern rugby history. For Joburg fans, it offers a front-row seat to world-class clashes before the spectacle shifts to Baltimore.

For the Boks, it is a chance to show the world that South African rugby belongs everywhere, from Soweto to the American East Coast. And for the sport itself, it marks a bold step toward a global future that includes stadiums as familiar as Ellis Park and as new as M&T Bank Stadium.

{Source:SuperSport}

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