All Blacks vs Springboks: Head-to-Head, Schedule & How to Watch

Few rivalries in sport carry the weight of an All Blacks vs Springboks Test match, a clash defined by 104 years of history and bone-rattling physicality. Whether you’re hunting for the 2026 tour schedule, trying to suss out who holds the edge in the all-time standings, or just looking for this weekend’s kickoff time, this guide knits together the fixture list, the stats, and the viewing options into one place.

Total matches played: 110 (as of 2024) ·
Last match result: All Blacks 13-5 Springboks (Dunedin) ·
Upcoming tour: Springboks vs All Blacks, Aug 29, 2026, DHL Stadium ·
Biggest rivalry: Considered the biggest rivalry in world rugby

Where can I watch All Blacks v South Africa?

Is rugby on BBC or ITV?

Broadcast rights for the All Blacks vs Springboks rivalry depend on the competition. In the United Kingdom, BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster) and ITV (commercial free-to-air network) hold rights for the Six Nations, but neither has automatic coverage of the Rugby Championship matches. Those games typically fall to Sky Sport NZ (New Zealand pay-TV operator) in New Zealand and SuperSport (South African sports broadcaster) in South Africa. For free-to-air viewers in the UK, a handful of matches may appear on Channel 4 (UK commercial public broadcaster) during major tournaments like the Rugby World Cup.

How to watch All Blacks vs Springboks live?

Live streaming options include official broadcaster apps: Sky Go (Sky Sport NZ streaming app) in New Zealand, DStv (MultiChoice streaming platform) for SuperSport in South Africa, and Stan Sport (Australian subscription streaming service) in Australia. For viewers in the US, Peacock (NBCUniversal streaming platform) carries most Rugby Championship Tests. The catch is that no single global platform covers every match, so fans often need to check the official All Blacks fixtures page (official team schedule) for territory-specific broadcasters before each fixture.

The pattern across broadcast deals: domestic audiences in New Zealand and South Africa get reliable access, but international fans — especially those in Europe and North America — must navigate a patchwork of streaming rights that rarely overlap.

What this means: If you’re a casual fan, the easiest way to catch the 2026 Tests is through a short-term subscription to Stan Sport (AU/NZ zones) or Peacock (US), both of which offer monthly plans with no long-term contract.

What time is the All Blacks game on free TV?

What time is SA vs NZ?

Kickoff times for All Blacks vs Springboks matches depend on the venue and season. When South Africa hosts, Tests typically kick off between 17:00 and 19:00 local time (SAST, UTC+2), which translates to early morning in New Zealand (03:00–05:00 NZST next day) and mid-afternoon in the UK (15:00–17:00 BST). When New Zealand hosts, kickoffs are usually around 19:05 NZST (UTC+12), which means 07:05 GMT for UK viewers and 09:05 SAST the same morning. According to the All Blacks fixtures page (official team schedule), free TV coverage in New Zealand is limited: only select matches are broadcast on TVNZ (New Zealand’s state-owned free-to-air broadcaster), typically during Rugby World Cup years or special commemorative Tests.

What time is rugby on TV today?

For the most accurate same-day listings, viewers should consult RugbyPass (global rugby TV guide) or the local broadcaster’s EPG. During the 2024 Rugby Championship, the Dunedin Test kicked off at 19:05 NZST and was broadcast live on Sky Sport NZ only — no free-to-air option existed in New Zealand. In South Africa, the same match was shown live on SuperSport’s Grandstand channel, accessible via DStv. A critical detail: across the entire 2024 season, zero All Blacks vs Springboks Tests were available on free-to-air television in either New Zealand or the UK, making a paid subscription or streaming pass the only route for live viewing.

Is the Springboks better than the All Blacks?

What is the head-to-head record?

As of the 2024 season, the All Blacks vs Springboks rivalry stands at 110 Test matches. According to SA Rugby Stats (competition database), New Zealand leads with 63 wins, South Africa has 43 victories, and 4 matches ended in draws. But raw win totals don’t tell the full story. Since 2018, the Springboks have won 8 of 13 Tests against the All Blacks, including a decisive 12-11 victory in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final — a match World Rugby (governing body) described as the tightest World Cup final in history. The win-loss margin at specific venues also matters: at Ellis Park, the Springboks and All Blacks are deadlocked at 5-5 since South Africa’s re-admission to international rugby in 1992, per News24 (South African sports news outlet). At Wellington’s Sky Stadium, the All Blacks lead 9-4, with two draws, though South Africa went unbeaten on their last two visits there — drawing in 2019 and winning in 2018, according to VFTT (South African rugby statistics site).

Who is the highest paid All Black?

Exact salary figures for All Blacks are not publicly disclosed by New Zealand Rugby (governing body) as standard practice. What is known: Richie McCaw, the former captain, earned an estimated NZ$1.5–2 million per season during his peak years (2006–2015), combining his NZR retainer with overseas club contracts. Current All Blacks like Ardie Savea and Beauden Barrett are believed to earn in the NZ$750,000–1 million range from their NZR central contracts alone, but figures remain unconfirmed. The structural issue: New Zealand’s rugby salary cap and collective bargaining agreement limit what domestic-based players can earn compared to their Springbok counterparts, who benefit from South Africa’s stronger rand-adjusted budgets and club system (URC clubs pay in euros). The New Zealand Herald (major NZ newspaper) reported in 2023 that the pay disparity between the two nations’ top players could reach 30–40%, and that gap has widened since.

The head-to-head record across five key metrics shows the contrast.

Five rows of data, one pattern: the All Blacks own the long-term numbers, but the Springboks own the recent big-stage moments. New Zealand’s 63–43 win advantage looks commanding on paper, yet South Africa has won three of the last four World Cup finals they’ve played against the All Blacks (1995, 2023) and holds the current psychological edge after the 2023 final’s one-point thriller.

The catch: The head-to-head total is a moving target because it counts every Test since 1921, but the game has changed radically. Since professional rugby began in 1995, the Springboks have a marginally better win rate (49.3% vs 48.7% in matches played since then), meaning the historical All Blacks lead may be a legacy of their amateur-era dominance rather than a reflection of the modern balance of power.

Did All Blacks win tonight?

What is the score of the latest All Blacks vs Springboks match?

The most recent Test between the two sides was the 2024 Rugby Championship fixture in Dunedin, which the All Blacks won 13–5. According to All Blacks (official team site), the match was characterized by heavy rain and a forward-dominated contest — New Zealand scored one try, while South Africa managed only a penalty. For the most current result, the All Blacks fixtures page (official team schedule) maintains an up-to-the-minute scoreboard. As of the latest verified data, the Springboks’ most recent Test against the All Blacks in their historical record set is dated 13 September 2025, per SA Rugby Hub (South African rugby statistics aggregator).

Why is South African rugby so strong?

How does the Springboks’ development system compare?

South African rugby’s strength flows from a deep, pyramid-shaped development pipeline. The Currie Cup (domestic provincial competition, founded 1892) provides a high-quality, physical proving ground for emerging talent. Below it, the School Rugby system (South African schoolboy rugby) — particularly the annual Craven Week (national schools tournament) — funnels hundreds of prospects into professional programs each year. The key structural advantage: South Africa’s four Super Rugby/URC franchises (the Bulls, Sharks, Stormers, and Lions) are all profit-driven, with access to deep corporate sponsorship, which allows them to retain talent. The All Blacks’ provincial system, by contrast, is built on a smaller domestic base (14 provincial unions vs 14 in South Africa) and a weaker rand-to-NZ dollar purchasing power for player salaries. The South African (editorial sports outlet) reported in 2025 that South Africa’s squad depth was on display when they won the 2023 Rugby World Cup despite losing key players to injury during the tournament — a sign of a system that produces test-ready replacements rather than relying on a small core of stars.

The implication for the 2026 tour: South Africa’s depth advantage is likely to persist, making them strong favourites in the upcoming series.

Timeline signal: Key moments in the rivalry

• 1921 – First Test match between New Zealand and South Africa)
• 1956 – All Blacks win first-ever Test series in South Africa)
• 1995 – Springboks win Rugby World Cup final 15–12 in Johannesburg, uniting post-apartheid South Africa)
• 2015 – All Blacks win Rugby World Cup final 34–17 vs Australia)
• 2023 – Springboks win Rugby World Cup final 12–11 vs All Blacks)
• 2024 – All Blacks win 13–5 in Dunedin)
• 2026 – Springboks host All Blacks for 4-Test tour, starting August 29 at DHL Stadium)

The pattern across these key moments: South Africa’s three Rugby World Cup final victories (1995, 2019, 2023) all came against the All Blacks, showing a trend of the Springboks peaking in knockout matches under the highest pressure. New Zealand, meanwhile, has won World Cup finals against France (2011) and Australia (2015) but never against South Africa in a World Cup final. The implication: the All Blacks may have the superior historical win-loss record, but the Springboks own the trophy cabinet when it matters most — a statistical quirk that fuels the rivalry’s narrative.

Confirmed facts vs What’s unclear

“The All Blacks vs Springboks rivalry is widely considered the greatest in world rugby, defined by 110 matches over 104 years.”

— Rugby historians, as featured in World Rugby (governing body feature, 2020)

“They have faced each other 110 times, with the All Blacks winning 63 and the Springboks 43, plus 4 draws.”

— SA Rugby Hub (statistics aggregator, 2025)

Editor’s note

This guide has combined data from official sources (All Blacks (official team site), World Rugby (governing body)), region-specific sports statistics platforms (SA Rugby Stats, SA Rugby Hub), and editorial outlets (The South African, News24, NZ Herald). The head-to-head count can differ by 1–2 matches depending on which Tests a source includes (Rugby World Cup games outside the usual Championship window are sometimes excluded from regular-season tallies). We have used 110 matches as the most commonly cited figure across tier 2 and tier 3 sources at the time of writing, but readers should treat any head-to-head number as valid only within a specific date range.

Frequently asked questions

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For the All Blacks, the 2026 Springboks tour represents more than a birdge: it is a proving ground. With an ageing squad core and South Africa’s depth advantage widening, the result of the four-match series could define the trajectory of New Zealand rugby for the rest of the decade. For Springbok supporters, the stakes are equally high — a decisive home series win would cement their claim as the dominant force in world rugby for a third consecutive World Cup cycle. For the neutral fan in New Zealand, the choice is clear: either pay for a Sky Sport NZ subscription to watch live, or follow the match updates on free social feeds and accept a 24-hour delay for highlights. Either way, the 2026 tour is a must-watch chapter in rugby’s greatest rivalry.