South Africa | 22 January 2026
The South African Rugby Union (SA Rugby) announced on 22 January 2026 that the historic rivalry between the national men’s rugby team, the Springboks, and New Zealand’s All Blacks will be staged in the United States for the first time later in the year.
The fourth and final match of the 2026 “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry” series will be played at the 71,000-capacity M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, on Saturday, 12 September 2026. The decision to host the match in the United States reflects a strategic push by SA Rugby, New Zealand Rugby, and World Rugby to develop the sport’s audience ahead of the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups to be hosted in the country in 2031 and 2033, respectively.
Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby, stated that “taking the Springboks to new audiences and territories is a key objective for South African rugby”. He noted that while the All Blacks have played several times in the US in recent years, this will be only the Springboks’ third match in the country this millennium.
The announcement was part of a confirmed schedule for a bumper 2026 domestic and international season for South African rugby.
References:
- SA Rugby. “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry heads Stateside.” sarugby.co.za, 22 Jan. 2026, https://www.sarugby.co.za/news-features/articles/2026/01/22/rugby-s-greatest-rivalry-heads-stateside/.
- Springboks. “NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP.” springboks.rugby, 2026, https://www.springboks.rugby/tournaments/nations-championship/
