Springbok Women's historic Test against Black Ferns adds spice to Greatest Rivalry tour

The Springbok Women will play New Zealand’s Black Ferns for the first time on South African soil in a welcome addition to next year’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series between the Springboks and the All Blacks.

This historic encounter will form part of a double-header at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on September 5, before the Springboks and All Blacks contest the third Test of the series.

The Springbok Women and the Black Ferns have met only twice before — at the Women’s World Cups in 2010 and 2025 — and this Test could kick-start a new rivalry as fierce as any in the women’s game.

Their most recent clash, in the World Cup quarter-final in England in September, was a humdinger, with scores tied at 10-10 at the break before the six-time world champion Black Ferns pulled away in the second half, securing their place in the semi-finals and ultimately the final. England came out on top in that one at Twickenham.

The massive growth in the domestic women’s game will no doubt be boosted even more by this occasion, while the expected sell-out crowd at FNB Stadium, with a capacity of more than 90,000, will witness history in the making.

SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer welcomed the additional fixture as confirmation of the growing stature of the Springbok Women, both domestically and internationally.

“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,” said Oberholzer.

“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.”

New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson said: “This double-header adds extra weight to what is already shaping up to be one of the most significant tours in modern rugby. It gives fans, players and the broader rugby community an unparalleled 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 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.”

Springbok Women head coach Swys de Bruin said the Test would be a huge occasion for the players: “We want to become the best by playing the best, and knowing that we will face the Black Ferns as part of a double-header with the Springboks and All Blacks in such a wonderful venue is massive for us.

“This Test adds a new dynamic to our 2026 season and will provide us with a real test of our progress as we start our next World Cup cycle.”