The Black Ferns will join the All Blacks on next year’s “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry” tour of South Africa in a double header with the Springboks Women.
NZ Rugby confirmed the Black Ferns will play the Springbok Women ahead of the third test between the All Blacks and the Springboks in Johannesburg on September 5.
Chief executive Mark Robinson said the double-header added extra weight to what was shaping up to be “one of the most significant tours in modern rugby”.
“It gives fans, players and the broader rugby community an opportunity to witness the depth, history, and intensity of rivalry between four of our national teams.
“We want Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry to showcase everything that is great about traditional rugby tours, while being like no other, and part of that means offering more for fans to see and engage with. This additional Test is another way for us to bring this to life, and we know fans will be excited the same way we are.”
South Africa Rugby chief executive Rian Oberholzer said the additional match was confirmation of the Springbok Women’s growing domestic and international stature.
“We have seen our traditional teams, the Springboks, Junior Springboks and Blitzboks, all win titles in 2025 and it was equally inspiring to see our investment in our women’s game starting to bear fruit,” he said.
“Our Springbok Women made history in England with a best-ever World Cup performance and for the first time broke into the top ten on the world rankings. For them to be playing the Black Ferns in South Africa for the first time, as a double-header before the Boks take on the All Blacks, is fantastic. I want to thank all involved who helped get this match over the line.”
The Black Ferns and Springbok Women have only met twice before – at the Women’s Rugby World Cups in 2010 and 2025.
