South Africa won the 2026 Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series 3–1, sealing it 43–28 in Baltimore. Every tour result, the Freedom Cup and the full head-to-head record.
All Blacks vs South Africa: 2026 Series, Freedom Cup and Record
All Blacks vs South Africa in 2026 went the Springboks’ way. New Zealand won the first test 33–16 at Ellis Park, ending South Africa’s 12-test winning run, but the Springboks then won in Cape Town (33–26), Soweto (29–24) and Baltimore (43–28) to take the four-test series 3–1.
How the series finished (12 September 2026)
South Africa won the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry test series 3–1 and take the Rivalry Trophy.
The fourth test at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore finished South Africa 43, New Zealand 28, with the Springboks leading 17–14 at half-time.
The All Blacks’ next tests are the Bledisloe Cup games against Australia at Eden Park on 10 October and in Sydney on 17 October.
This page covers the 2026 tour result by result, the Baltimore test and how it was won, the Freedom Cup and the head-to-head record that goes back to 1921.
What this article answers: Every result from the All Blacks’ 2026 tour of South Africa, how the Baltimore test finished, what the Freedom Cup is and the head-to-head record.
Main points
- New Zealand won the first test 33–16 at Ellis Park, then South Africa won in Cape Town (33–26), Soweto (29–24) and Baltimore (43–28) to take the series 3–1.
- The fourth test at M&T Bank Stadium was the first meeting between the two countries in the United States.
- The all-time record is now 114 tests: New Zealand 64 wins, South Africa 46 and four draws.
- The Freedom Cup was first played for in 2004 and was not on the line during the 2026 tour.
- The Bledisloe Cup follows, at Eden Park on 10 October and in Sydney on 17 October.
All Blacks vs South Africa 2026: every tour result
The 2026 trip was the All Blacks’ first multi-match tour of South Africa since 1996: four tests against the Springboks plus four games against South Africa’s leading provincial sides. New Zealand won all four provincial games.
| Date | Match | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 7 Aug | Stormers v All Blacks | All Blacks 38–21 | Cape Town |
| Tue 11 Aug | Sharks v All Blacks | All Blacks 54–0 | Durban |
| Sat 15 Aug | Bulls v All Blacks | All Blacks 50–19 | Pretoria |
| Sat 22 Aug | First test | All Blacks 33–16 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| Tue 25 Aug | Lions v All Blacks | All Blacks 41–35 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| Sat 29 Aug | Second test | South Africa 33–26 | Cape Town |
| Sat 5 Sep | Third test | South Africa 29–24 | FNB Stadium, Soweto |
| Sat 12 Sep | Fourth test | South Africa 43–28 | M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore |
The first test turned in the second half. South Africa led 13–12 at the break, but New Zealand finished with five tries, two from Will Jordan and one each from Josh Moorby, Fabian Holland and Luke Jacobson, to win 33–16.
The third test in Soweto was the closest of the four. South Africa scored tries through Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel and Malcolm Marx and were awarded a penalty try, while Ardie Savea scored twice for New Zealand, with Jordan and Samisoni Taukei’aho also crossing.
The Baltimore test: how South Africa sealed the series
The final test was the first between the two countries in the United States, played at M&T Bank Stadium in front of a ground that seats more than 70,000. Kick-off was 5pm on Saturday 12 September in Baltimore, which was 9am on Sunday 13 September in New Zealand.
Codie Taylor scored in the ninth minute for his 24th test try, the most by an All Blacks hooker, and Damian de Allende and Morne van den Berg replied before the break. A 32-phase build-up ended with Will Jordan scoring beside the posts to leave New Zealand 17–14 down at half-time.
South Africa then scored twice in three minutes early in the second half, through Malcolm Marx from a lineout maul and Pieter-Steph du Toit after a break by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, to lead by 15. Richie Mo’unga’s penalty and a try to Ethan Blackadder brought New Zealand back, but Kurt-Lee Arendse and replacement Cameron Hanekom settled it before Beauden Barrett scored in the last minute.
| South Africa 43 | New Zealand 28 |
|---|---|
| Tries: Damian de Allende, Morne van den Berg, Malcolm Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cameron Hanekom | Tries: Codie Taylor, Will Jordan, Ethan Blackadder, Beauden Barrett |
| Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 2, Manie Libbok 2, van den Berg 1 | Conversions: Damian McKenzie 4 |
| Penalties: Feinberg-Mngomezulu 1 | Penalties: none |
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Baltimore test kick-off in NZ time
South Africa v New Zealand, M&T Bank Stadium, Saturday 12 September 2026
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As series winners, South Africa take the new Rivalry Trophy, made in two magnetic halves, one with Māori art by Kereama Taepa and one with art by Bonolo Chepape. Had the series finished 2–2 there was no tiebreaker, and each country would have kept one half.
All Blacks vs Springboks head-to-head record
Before the first test of the 2026 tour, the All Blacks led the all-time series 63 wins to 43, with four draws, from 110 tests. After the four tests of 2026 the record stands at 64 New Zealand wins, 46 South African wins and four draws from 114.
| Record | Figure |
|---|---|
| Tests played | 114 |
| New Zealand wins | 64 |
| South Africa wins | 46 |
| Draws | 4 |
| Biggest New Zealand win | 57–0 (2017) |
| Biggest South Africa win | 43–10 (Wellington, 2025) |
The rivalry began with South Africa’s first tour of New Zealand in 1921, when the three-test series finished one win each with a draw. South Africa’s 43–10 win in Wellington in September 2025 remains the heaviest defeat in All Blacks history, ahead of the 35–7 loss to the Springboks at Twickenham in 2023.
The Freedom Cup explained
The Freedom Cup was first contested on 14 August 2004, when South Africa won 40–26 at Ellis Park, and it was created to mark ten years of democracy in South Africa. It is usually decided over the tests the teams play in the Rugby Championship, and if a series is drawn the holder keeps it.
South Africa hold it. They won it back on 7 September 2024 with an 18–12 win in Cape Town, ending a 14-year wait, and kept it in 2025 when their 43–10 win in Wellington levelled that year’s series. The Freedom Cup was not on the line during the 2026 tour, which had its own trophy, so it will next be contested when the Rugby Championship returns in 2027.
| Year | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | South Africa 12–11 (World Cup final) | Saint-Denis |
| 2024 | South Africa 31–27 | Johannesburg |
| 2024 | South Africa 18–12 | Cape Town |
| 2025 | New Zealand 24–17 | Eden Park, Auckland |
| 2025 | South Africa 43–10 | Wellington |
The 2023 World Cup final was the tightest of those games, decided by a single point; the 2023 Rugby World Cup knockout stage on Wikipedia sets out how both teams reached it.
What comes after Baltimore
The All Blacks go straight into the Bledisloe Cup, with tests against Australia at Eden Park on 10 October and in Sydney on 17 October; our All Blacks vs Australia guide has the details. In November they play Scotland, Wales and England in the Nations Championship, including the Twickenham test covered on our All Blacks vs England page.
The next meetings with South Africa are expected in the 2027 Rugby Championship, which returns in an earlier July–August slot before the World Cup in Australia.
Betting on All Blacks v Springboks from New Zealand
Recent results show how quickly this fixture can turn: South Africa won four of the five tests between the 2023 World Cup final and the 2025 Wellington game, lost heavily at Ellis Park to open the 2026 tour, then won the next three. Past results are useful background, but they do not predict the next game.
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Reference sources
- All Blacks — Match report: All Blacks v South Africa, fourth test
- All Blacks — Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry: All Blacks vs Springboks
- All Blacks — By the numbers: All Blacks set for first test against South Africa
- Sky Sports — South Africa 29-24 New Zealand: Springboks take 2-1 series lead in Soweto
- Ruck — Explained: what is the Freedom Cup?
- RugbyPass — All Blacks and Springboks agree to drawn series scenario
- Maryland Stadium Authority — Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry fourth test
FAQs
Who won the 2026 All Blacks v Springboks series?
South Africa, 3–1. New Zealand won the first test 33–16, and South Africa won the second 33–26, the third 29–24 and the fourth 43–28.
What was the score in the Baltimore test?
South Africa 43, New Zealand 28, at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday 12 September 2026. South Africa led 17–14 at half-time.
Who holds the Freedom Cup?
South Africa. They won it back in September 2024 and kept it in 2025. It was not contested on the 2026 tour.
What is the All Blacks’ record against South Africa?
After the fourth test of 2026, the teams have played 114 tests: New Zealand 64 wins, South Africa 46 and four draws.
What is the All Blacks’ heaviest defeat?
43–10 against South Africa in Wellington on 13 September 2025, a 33-point margin.
Had the All Blacks and Springboks played in the United States before?
No. The Baltimore test on 12 September 2026 was the first meeting between the two teams in the United States.
