The first Test between the All Blacks and South Africa was played in 1921 in Dunedin, New Zealand. The home side won 13–5. Since then, the two teams have met more than 100 times, making it one of the oldest and most played rivalries in international rugby.
For most of that history, the All Blacks have held the edge in the overall head-to-head record. New Zealand have won more matches than South Africa, and they've also enjoyed long unbeaten runs. But the Springboks have never been a pushover. In fact, when it comes to World Cup finals, South Africa hold a very special bragging rights over the All Blacks.
The two sides have faced each other in three Rugby World Cup finals: 1995, 2019, and 2023. South Africa won all three. That's a record no other team can claim against the All Blacks, and it's one of the reasons this rivalry carries so much weight. New Zealand may have won more Tests overall, but on the biggest stage of all, the Springboks have consistently found a way to get the job done.
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No conversation about this rivalry is complete without mentioning the 1995 Rugby World Cup final at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The match itself was tense and physically brutal, ending 15–12 to South Africa after extra time. But it meant far more than a trophy.
Just a year earlier, Nelson Mandela had become South Africa's first democratically elected president. Rugby, once a symbol of division, became a rallying point for a nation finding its way. When Mandela walked onto the field wearing the green and gold Springbok jersey, it sent a powerful message about forgiveness and unity.
The image of Mandela handing the Webb Ellis Cup to captain Francois Pienaar remains one of the most iconic moments in sporting history. For South Africa, that victory was never just about rugby. For the All Blacks, it was a painful loss that still haunts the memory of that generation. The 1995 final turned an already fierce rivalry into something with real emotional depth.
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One of the most fascinating things about this matchup is how different the two teams are in the way they play.
The All Blacks are famous for their pace, skill, and attacking fluency. Their game is built around quick ball, offloads, and exploiting space out wide. Few teams in the world can match their ability to score tries from anywhere on the field. The haka, performed before every match, adds another layer of intensity to the occasion.
The Springboks, on the other hand, are built around physical dominance. They pack their team with powerful forwards, a strong scrum, and one of the most feared mauls in world rugby. Their tactical approach often revolves around territory, kicking, and wearing the opposition down over 80 minutes. In recent years, South Africa have also revolutionised the game with the "bomb squad" — a bench packed with extra forwards designed to raise the physicality in the final quarter.
When these two styles collide, you get a fascinating tactical battle. Can the All Blacks speed up the game and stretch the Springboks? Or can South Africa slow things down, win the forward battle, and turn the match into a grinding contest? That question is at the heart of every Test between these two sides.
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Over the decades, this fixture has produced more than its fair share of memorable moments.
- **1956:** New Zealand won their first ever series against South Africa, sparking massive celebrations back home. Before that, the Springboks had dominated, and touring South Africa was considered the ultimate challenge.
- **1981:** The Springbok tour of New Zealand divided the country. Huge protests, and the introduction of touchline police, made this one of the most controversial tours in rugby history.
- **1995:** The World Cup final in Johannesburg, already covered above. A day that changed South Africa.
- **2013:** The All Blacks edged a classic in Johannesburg with a last-minute dropped goal from Aaron Cruden, winning 32–16 in what was expected to be a much closer encounter.
- **2017:** New Zealand won a thriller in Cape Town by a single point, 25–24, securing another Rugby Championship title in the process.
- **2019:** South Africa dismantled the All Blacks in the World Cup final in Yokohama, winning 32–12 and announcing the arrival of a new dominant era.
- **2023:** In one of the closest World Cup finals ever, the Springboks beat the All Blacks 12–11 in Paris. A game decided by a single point and marked by intense defensive pressure from both sides.
These moments have built a rivalry where history, pride, and recent form all feed into the narrative before every match.
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In the 2024 Rugby Championship, South Africa showed they are currently the team to beat. They beat the All Blacks twice in the space of a week, first in Johannesburg and then in Cape Town. Those victories helped the Springboks retain the Rugby Championship title and extended their winning run against New Zealand in the process.
That said, the margins between the two teams remain incredibly tight. Many of their recent contests have been decided by a few points. There's no sense of one side being clearly ahead for long. Every match feels like it could go either way, which is exactly what makes this rivalry so compelling.
The 2025 season is expected to bring more matches between the two sides, with the Rugby Championship once again set to deliver a home-and-away series. When the All Blacks travel to South Africa, they know they'll face the most hostile atmosphere in rugby. When the Springboks visit New Zealand, they know they'll face a team desperate to reclaim its standing at the top of the world game.
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There are plenty of great rivalries in rugby. Australia against New Zealand, England against Scotland, France against Wales — all of them have history and passion. But the All Blacks and the Springboks sit in a category of their own.
First, there's the sheer consistency of the contest. These are two teams that have been at or near the top of world rugby for over a century. Their battles have shaped the history of the sport itself.
Second, there's the cultural significance. In both countries, rugby is more than a hobby. It's a source of identity, pride, and conversation. When these two teams meet, the entire nation stops to watch. That shared level of passion is rare in international sport.
Third, there's the quality of the rugby itself. Because both sides know each other so well, matches are often tactical battles that demand everything from every player on the field. Physicality, discipline, and composure — all of it is tested to the limit.
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If recent history is anything to go by, the next All Blacks–Springboks clash will be another tight, tense, and physically demanding contest.
South Africa currently hold the momentum, with two World Cup wins in a row and a settled squad that knows how to win big games. But New Zealand have too much talent, too much history, and too much pride to stay down for long. Under new coaching leadership, the All Blacks have been rebuilding and blooding young players. Their long-term aim is clear: get back to the top of world rugby.
Is there a clear favourite whenever these two meet? Not really. That's what makes the fixture so unpredictable and so exciting. The form book sometimes means very little when the haka is finished and the first whistle blows at Ellis Park, Eden Park, or anywhere else these two giants of the game collide.
For fans, every All Blacks vs South Africa Test is more than just a match. It's a chapter in a story that has been written over more than 100 years. And the next chapter is always worth waiting for.