All Blacks and Springboks could resume bilateral tours soon

NZ Rugby and their South African counterparts are moving closer to re-establishing a tradition of bilateral tours for the All Blacks and Springboks.

Recent reports suggest that there has been movement on the news first reported late last year.

All Blacks and Springboks could resume bilateral tours

NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson confirmed that additional talks have been held and there is hope of restoring rugby’s great tradition.

“There’s been some talk around All Blacks and Springboks tours. We’re continuing to talk about those opportunities,” Robinson said ccording to the NZ Herald.

“That was part of the conversations we had last week in Sydney. It potentially has some impact around the nature of what a traditional Rugby Championship looks like, so how do we work through with all the partners involved to make sure something like that can be additive for all the teams across the Sanzaar joint venture.

“It’s definitely something that’s on the radar. There’s a bit more work to do at this stage.”

The All Blacks haven’t toured South Africa in earnest since 1996 with all recent visits being exclusively to play Rugby Championship matches.

On that 1996 visit the All Blacks visited Worcester, the Boet Erasmus Stadium, Olën Park in Potchefstroom for four tour matches alongside a Tri-Nations Test and a three-match bilateral international series.

Crowds turned up for a rare glimpse at a visiting international side in corners of the country that don’t often get to witness elite rugby.

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Discussions on the resumption of tours are underway.

As well as a return to the traditional Test match series, there would also be “dirt-tracker” tour games against the franchises of the hosting nation and other teams like the New Zealand Maori.

“We’ve been open with all the SANZAAR parties that that’s something that we’re having a look at, and how we can consider that sort of format for the future,” said Robinson in an interview with Stuff last year.

“Clearly, there is interest in it from both unions, but it’s very early days around those conversations.”

The talks come even as World Rugby moves ahead with plans to introduce a “Nations Cup”-style tournament to fill up international Test schedules.

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“That’s certainly part of the conversation at the moment, [for it] to be a more, you know, more traditional type of tour, but again, there’s a lot of work to be done there,” Robinson added.

More tours to touch down in South Africa

The All Blacks last toured South Africa for a bilateral series in 1996, while the Springboks haven’t engaged in a traditional tour to New Zealand since the 1994 trip.

In 2022, South Africa welcomed Wales for a three-Test tour, while in 2021, the British and Irish Lions visited under the strained conditions of the pandemic.