Rennie selects 44 players for the All Blacks’ historic tour of South Africa
New Zealand national rugby team head coach Dave Rennie announced an expanded 44-player squad on July 27, 2026, for a historic and exceptionally demanding tour. During a seven-week stay in South Africa and the United States, the All Blacks will play eight matches, including four tests against the Springboks, the reigning world champions and the leading team in the World Rugby rankings. The program, named Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour, brings back the format of a major traditional tour, with matches against regional professional teams between international fixtures. According to the official New Zealand Rugby announcement, all 34 players from the opening part of the Nations Championship have retained their places, while the coaching staff added another ten to provide sufficient depth for the congested schedule and demanding travel.
The additional call-ups include three players who have not yet appeared for the All Blacks: prop Siale Lauaki, back-row player Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa and fly-half Josh Jacomb. Ollie Norris, George Bell, Fabian Holland, Ethan Blackadder, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Rieko Ioane and Emoni Narawa return to the national squad. Captain Ardie Savea will not travel with the team at the start of the tour, but will join before the first test against South Africa, scheduled for August 22 in Johannesburg. Rennie explained that the decision was made to manage his workload after the large number of appearances and responsibilities Savea has carried in recent seasons. Other members of the squad will therefore assume the captaincy in the opening matches against South African clubs.
Three new names given an opportunity on the biggest stage
The selection of Siale Lauaki confirms the rapid rise of the 23-year-old Hurricanes player, who can play on either side of the front row. According to a profile published by New Zealand Rugby, Lauaki is 1.94 metres tall, represented New Zealand at under-20 level and was part of the All Blacks XV development team in 2025. He made his Super Rugby debut in 2024, and during the 2026 season was a member of the Hurricanes’ powerful front row on their way to the title. His versatility is particularly important on a tour in which the coaching staff will have to rotate players between club matches and tests. Lauaki’s inclusion gives New Zealand an opportunity to assess a young prop in conditions where scrummaging power, discipline and endurance are decisive.
Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa joins the national team after a series of highly impressive performances for Moana Pasifika. Official New Zealand Rugby data states that in his debut Super Rugby season in 2025 he played 13 matches, scored seven tries and led the competition in carries. The player, born in 2003, progressed through school rugby at Otago Boys’ High School, then through Southland and the New Zealand under-19 team. His combination of power, acceleration and ability to make metres brings a different profile to the back row. He is expected to receive an opportunity against the South African franchises, while a test appearance will depend on form, tactical requirements and the health of the team.
Josh Jacomb provides another option at fly-half, alongside Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie and Ruben Love. The 25-year-old Chiefs player has established himself as a reliable goal-kicker and tactically disciplined attacking leader, and he was the second-highest points scorer in the 2025 provincial championship. New Zealand Rugby highlights his record haul of 30 points for Taranaki against Auckland and the Duane Monkley Medal he received as the NPC’s best player. Jacomb previously appeared for the All Blacks XV and is expected to move to the Highlanders from 2027. On tour, he will face the pressure of South Africa’s defence and the demands of territorial play.
Returning players increase competition, three important players remain unavailable
By expanding the squad, Rennie has gained additional depth in almost every unit. Rieko Ioane returns with 88 test appearances and brings considerable experience on the wing and at centre, while Emoni Narawa strengthens the competition among the outside backs. Fabian Holland is back in the group as one of five specialist locks, while Ethan Blackadder increases the number of possible back-row combinations. George Bell and Ollie Norris provide additional options in the front row, while Timoci Tavatavanawai can cover several roles in the centres and the outside backs. Such depth is not merely protection against injuries, but a necessary prerequisite for a schedule in which some matches are played only three or four days apart.
The head coach, however, cannot count on all of his regular candidates. New Zealand Rugby confirmed that Tamaiti Williams, Scott Barrett and Leicester Fainga’anuku are unavailable because of injuries. Barrett’s absence is particularly significant because of his experience, lineout quality and previous role as captain, while Williams represents an important front-row option. Fainga’anuku’s physical strength would have been useful against the South African defence, but the coaching staff must now redistribute responsibility among the remaining outside backs. Their absence further explains the decision to take as many as 44 players on tour, including 25 forwards and 19 backs.
Savea receives an extended break before four tests
Ardie Savea remains the official All Blacks captain, but will miss the matches against the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls. According to Rennie’s explanation, the 32-year-old has endured an exceptionally heavy physical and mental workload in recent years, so the coaching staff has provided him with a longer break before the most important part of the tour. Savea is expected to join the team ahead of the first test at Ellis Park, giving him enough time to prepare without additional exertion during the opening part of the program. The decision creates an opportunity to assess other leaders in the squad, including Beauden Barrett, Codie Taylor, Patrick Tuipulotu, Anton Lienert-Brown and Jordie Barrett.
Workload management will be one of the key themes of the entire tour. The All Blacks will play eight matches within six weeks, although the overall travel and preparation period covers approximately seven weeks. Rennie described the assignment as probably the toughest tour in rugby, stressing that every member of the squad will have a role, regardless of whether they are in the starting line-up or helping prepare their teammates. The coaching staff will have to maintain two functional competitive groups and avoid placing the greatest burden continually on the same players, especially in the front row and back row.
The tour begins in Cape Town, followed by Durban and Pretoria
The first match is scheduled for August 7, South African local time, when the All Blacks will play the Stormers at DHL Stadium in Cape Town. Four days later they will face the Sharks at Kings Park in Durban, a stadium known for its demanding atmosphere and climatic conditions. Their third club opponent will be the Bulls, whom New Zealand will face on August 15 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. Only after those three matches will the test series against the Springboks begin. Such a schedule allows the visitors to adjust to the travel, altitude, local conditions and South African style of play, but at the same time carries a risk of injuries before the most important fixtures.
The first test will be played on August 22 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Only three days later, the All Blacks will face the Lions at the same stadium in the final match against one of South Africa’s four franchises. The second test is scheduled for August 29 in Cape Town, and the third for September 5 at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. The final encounter will take place on September 12 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, home of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. According to the official schedule, it will be the first meeting between the All Blacks and the Springboks on United States soil.
Tour schedule by local dates:
- August 7: Stormers – All Blacks, DHL Stadium, Cape Town
- August 11: Sharks – All Blacks, Kings Park, Durban
- August 15: Bulls – All Blacks, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
- August 22: South Africa – New Zealand, first test, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
- August 25: Lions – All Blacks, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
- August 29: South Africa – New Zealand, second test, DHL Stadium, Cape Town
- September 5: South Africa – New Zealand, third test, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
- September 12: South Africa – New Zealand, fourth test, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
First major tour of South Africa since 1996
This is the All Blacks’ first full tour of South Africa since 1996. On that occasion, the team led by captain Sean Fitzpatrick won a test series on South African soil for the first time. New Zealand Rugby now presents the 2026 tour as a return to a model in which the sporting challenge is not limited solely to individual international matches. Encounters with regional teams are intended to create additional local engagement, provide opportunities to a broader group of players and revive the tradition of long tours that shaped international rugby for decades.
The new series has been designed as a project to be staged every four years, alternating between the two countries. According to New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Lancaster, South Africa is expected to respond with a full tour of New Zealand in 2030. Organisers state that approximately 3,000 travelling supporters, mostly from New Zealand, are expected for the 2026 edition, alongside strong interest from the domestic audience. The format therefore also has a powerful commercial dimension, but the sporting value remains paramount: four tests on four consecutive weekends against the same opponent create conditions similar to the series that were once a central part of rugby’s international calendar. Each match will bring tactical adjustments, responses to the previous result and increasingly pronounced physical pressure.
Both teams enter the tour unbeaten in the July block
Before the squad announcement, the All Blacks completed the first part of the inaugural Nations Championship with three victories. According to official World Rugby results, they defeated France 34:32 in Christchurch, Italy 47:17 in Wellington and Ireland 40:21 at Eden Park in Auckland. The latest victory moved New Zealand closer to leaders South Africa in the world rankings, and World Rugby stated on July 20 that the gap between the first- and second-ranked teams had been reduced to 1.68 points. The Springboks defeated England, Scotland and Wales during the same period, so they enter the series as reigning world champions, the number-one ranked team and a side that is also unbeaten in the opening part of the season. This gives the four tests additional competitive significance, even though they are not part of a separate table such as the traditional Rugby Championship.
For New Zealand, the tour also represents an important stage of preparation for the 2027 World Cup in Australia. In the official announcement, Rennie emphasised that the experience of a long period together, frequent matches and confronting the leading team in the world should help build relationships within the squad. The expanded group will allow the coaching staff to assess young players in conditions that cannot be fully simulated in training. At the same time, experienced internationals will have to demonstrate that they can maintain their performance level over several weeks without a major decline. Results will be important, but equal attention will be paid to how the team responds to fatigue, injuries, changes in selection and the Springboks’ tactical adjustments.
Baltimore as the series finale and part of the United States rugby strategy
The decision to stage the fourth test in Baltimore gives the tour a global dimension that goes beyond the traditional framework of the two rugby powers. According to the tour’s official website, M&T Bank Stadium accommodates more than 70,000 spectators and will provide the stage for the first meeting between the Springboks and the All Blacks in the United States. SA Rugby, New Zealand Rugby and World Rugby present the match as part of efforts to bring elite international rugby closer to the American audience. World Rugby confirms that the United States will host the men’s World Cup in 2031 and the women’s tournament in 2033, while Baltimore is among the cities in the applicant phase to stage matches at the men’s tournament. The series finale will therefore also test audience interest, operational capabilities and the commercial potential of the future host market.
Both national teams already have experience of playing in the United States, but their meeting carries greater symbolism than a typical promotional fixture. If the series remains undecided after the first three tests, Baltimore could determine the overall winner. Even if it has been settled earlier, the fourth test will remain important because of prestige, the world rankings and the opportunity to present one of sport’s best-known rivalries to a new audience. For the players, the intercontinental journey after three physically demanding tests in South Africa will provide an additional challenge. This final stage demonstrates why Rennie selected such a large squad and why workload management will be just as important as choosing the starting fifteen.
List of the 44 All Blacks players
Forwards:
- Hookers: Asafo Aumua, Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei’aho, George Bell
- Props: Ethan de Groot, George Bower, Xavier Numia, Ollie Norris, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi, Siale Lauaki
- Locks: Tupou Vaa’i, Patrick Tuipulotu, Josh Lord, Sam Darry, Fabian Holland
- Back row: Peter Lakai, Simon Parker, Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson, Anton Segner, Ardie Savea, Wallace Sititi, Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa
Backs:
- Scrum-halves: Cameron Roigard, Cortez Ratima, Kyle Preston
- Fly-halves: Ruben Love, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Josh Jacomb
- Centres: Jordie Barrett, Quinn Tupaea, Billy Proctor, Anton Lienert-Brown, Timoci Tavatavanawai
- Outside backs: Caleb Clarke, Fehi Fineanganofo, Leroy Carter, Josh Moorby, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Emoni Narawa
Rennie’s squad combines three potential debutants, a large number of players in the early stages of their test careers and a core with several hundred international appearances between them. Beauden Barrett is the most experienced with 144 tests, while captain Savea and hooker Codie Taylor each have 109. That balance of experience and development reflects the tour’s dual purpose: attempting to defeat the strongest possible opponent and building a broader base for the 2027 World Cup. The first answers will come against the Stormers in Cape Town, but the true test of depth will begin when the club matches, travel and four encounters with the Springboks start arriving in succession without time for an extended recovery.
Sources:
- New Zealand Rugby / All Blacks – official player squad, Ardie Savea’s status, profiles of the new call-ups and schedule (link)
- New Zealand Rugby / All Blacks – official tour page, stadiums and historical context (link)
- World Rugby – 2026 Nations Championship results for New Zealand and South Africa (link)
- World Rugby – rankings analysis following the July matches (link)
- World Rugby – preparations for the 2031 World Cup and Baltimore’s bid (link)
- Baltimore Ravens / M&T Bank Stadium – announcement of the fourth test and the United States rugby context (link)