The Springboks and All Blacks is Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry. The two nations have played 110 Tests and produced the fiercest contest in rugby. Here is the full Springboks vs All Blacks record and rivalry history.

Springboks vs All Blacks: Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.

• What is the Springboks vs All Blacks record?

• The biggest Springbok win over the All Blacks

• The biggest All Blacks win over the Springboks

• Why this is rugby’s greatest rivalry

• The latest chapter in the rivalry

• Springboks vs All Blacks: the verdict

There is no bigger fixture in rugby than the Springboks against the All Blacks.

LATEST NEWS ON RUGBY’S GREATEST RIVALRY

This is the one.

It is rugby’s most loaded rivalry, the one with the deepest history, the greatest tension, and the strongest claim to excellence. Between them, South Africa and New Zealand have set the standard for what Test rugby should look like: hard, clever, physical, unrelenting. They don’t just play for points. They play for hierarchy.

As of the end of the 2025 Rugby Championship meetings, the teams had met 110 times in Test rugby. The All Blacks lead the all-time series with 63 wins, the Springboks have 43, and there have been 4 draws.

That number matters, but it only tells part of the story.

Every era has had its own version of South Africa versus New Zealand. The early tours gave it its edge, but the apartheid years also gave it political charge. Professionalism gave it speed and scale, and the rivalry, in the Rassie Erasmus era, is at its most intense.

ALL BLACKS COACH DAVE RENNIE IS A RED FLAG FOR RASSIE’S BOKS

What is the Springboks vs All Blacks record?

The raw record is straightforward enough.

The Springboks and All Blacks have played 110 Tests. New Zealand have won 63, South Africa 43, with 4 draws. That makes New Zealand the only major nation with a positive all-time record against South Africa, which is why every Springbok win over the All Blacks carries outsized value.

The recent trend, however, tells a sharper story.

South Africa beat New Zealand twice in 2024 31-27 at Ellis Park and 18-12 in Cape Town to reclaim the Freedom Cup. In 2025, the All Blacks won 24-17 at Eden Park, but the Springboks answered a week later with a seismic 43-10 win in Wellington, a result SA Rugby described as the biggest defeat ever inflicted on the All Blacks.

So while New Zealand still lead the century-long rivalry overall, the modern contest is tighter, nastier and far less predictable than the old numbers suggest.

The biggest Springbok win over the All Blacks

South Africa’s biggest win, 35-7 at Twickenham a month before the 2023 World Cup, was the Boks benchmark 100-plus years in the making, but within two years that record was broken.

The new high-water mark came in Wellington on 13 September 2025, when the Springboks demolished the All Blacks 43-10. SA Rugby explicitly called it the All Blacks’ biggest defeat ever, and noted that it surpassed the 35-7 margin from London in 2023.

That matters historically and psychologically.

South Africa have always believed they can beat New Zealand. But there is a difference between belief and force. The 43-10 result was force. It was a reminder that when the Springboks got their collision game, bench impact and tactical pressure exactly right, they could break even the All Blacks in New Zealand.

The biggest All Blacks win over the Springboks

New Zealand’s biggest win in the rivalry remains the brutal 57-0 victory in 2017, still South Africa’s heaviest defeat in Test history. SA Rugby itself referred to it in retrospect as a record defeat by New Zealand.

That result remains one of the rivalry’s most important reference points because it sits at the opposite end of the emotional scale from the Springboks’ recent resurgence. It was humiliation then. The modern Bok revival has been built, in part, on making sure that kind of capitulation never happens again.

Why this is rugby’s greatest rivalry

The phrase is not marketing fluff.

South Africa and New Zealand have been the sport’s two most imposing rugby nations across generations. They have the tradition, the depth, the public pressure, the tactical intelligence and the expectation. More than that, each has usually been measured most accurately by how it performs against the other.

SA Rugby itself now brands the fixture as Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, and the 2026 tour has been designed around that idea, with four Tests scheduled between the Springboks and All Blacks, including a Test in Baltimore, USA. That commercial packaging works because it is built on a truth rugby people already understand: no fixture carries more historical weight.

There are bigger sporting events globally, but in rugby, nothing feels more final than Springboks versus All Blacks.

The latest chapter in the rivalry

The latest sequence of matches has added another layer to the story.

In 2024, South Africa beat New Zealand twice in one Rugby Championship campaign, first at Ellis Park and then in Cape Town. The second win secured the Freedom Cup and kept the Springboks unbeaten in that championship stretch.

In 2025, the All Blacks protected Eden Park with a 24-17 win in Auckland, before South Africa hit back with the 43-10statement in Wellington. The official Springbok record published before the Auckland match was 108 played, 42 won, 62 lost, 4 drawn; after Auckland it became 109 played, 42 won, 63 lost, 4 drawn; and after Wellington the all-time tally moved to 110 played, 43 won, 63 lost, 4 drawn.

Springboks vs All Blacks: the verdict

The All Blacks still lead the rivalry on total wins.

But the modern Springboks have changed the feel of the contest. They have beaten New Zealand in World Cup finals, beaten them back-to-back in South Africa, and in 2025 handed them the heaviest defeat in their history in their own country.

That is why the Springboks versus All Blacks fixture remains unmatched. It is not just the best rivalry because of the past. It is the best rivalry because the next chapter still matters.

And in this rivalry, more than any other in rugby, history is never finished.

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour fixtures 2026

Friday 7 August: DHL Stormers v All Blacks at DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Tuesday 11 August: Hollywoodbets Sharks v All Blacks at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban

Saturday 15 August: Vodacom Bulls v All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Saturday 22 August: First Test – Springboks v All Blacks at Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Tuesday 25 August: Lions v New Zealand at Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Saturday 29 August: Second Test – Springboks v New Zealand at DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Saturday 5 September: Third Test – Springboks v New Zealand at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg Saturday 12 September:

Saturday 12th September: Fourth Test – Springboks v New Zealand in Baltimore, Maryland

SPRINGBOKS v ALL BLACKS – EVERY TEST RESULT

Date	Status	Team	Score	Team	Score	Venue
13/08/21	Test	South Africa	5	New Zealand	13	Dunedin
27/08/21	Test	South Africa	9	New Zealand	5	Auckland
17/09/21	Test	South Africa	0	New Zealand	0	Wellington
30/06/28	Test	South Africa	17	New Zealand	0	Durban
21/07/28	Test	South Africa	6	New Zealand	7	Johannesburg
18/08/28	Test	South Africa	11	New Zealand	6	Port Elizabeth
01/09/28	Test	South Africa	5	New Zealand	13	Newlands
14/08/37	Test	South Africa	7	New Zealand	13	Wellington
04/09/37	Test	South Africa	13	New Zealand	6	Christchurch
25/09/37	Test	South Africa	17	New Zealand	6	Auckland
16/07/49	Test	South Africa	15	New Zealand	11	Newlands
13/08/49	Test	South Africa	12	New Zealand	6	Johannesburg
03/09/49	Test	South Africa	9	New Zealand	3	Durban
17/09/49	Test	South Africa	11	New Zealand	8	Port Elizabeth
14/07/56	Test	South Africa	6	New Zealand	10	Dunedin
04/08/56	Test	South Africa	8	New Zealand	3	Wellington
18/08/56	Test	South Africa	10	New Zealand	17	Christchurch
01/09/56	Test	South Africa	5	New Zealand	11	Auckland
25/06/60	Test	South Africa	13	New Zealand	0	Johannesburg
23/07/60	Test	South Africa	3	New Zealand	11	Newlands
13/08/60	Test	South Africa	11	New Zealand	11	Bloemfontein
27/08/60	Test	South Africa	8	New Zealand	3	Port Elizabeth
31/07/65	Test	South Africa	3	New Zealand	6	Wellington
21/08/65	Test	South Africa	0	New Zealand	13	Dunedin
04/09/65	Test	South Africa	19	New Zealand	16	Christchurch
18/09/65	Test	South Africa	3	New Zealand	20	Auckland
25/07/70	Test	South Africa	17	New Zealand	6	Pretoria
08/08/70	Test	South Africa	8	New Zealand	9	Newlands
29/08/70	Test	South Africa	14	New Zealand	3	Port Elizabeth
12/09/70	Test	South Africa	20	New Zealand	17	Johannesburg
24/07/76	Test	South Africa	16	New Zealand	7	Durban
14/08/76	Test	South Africa	9	New Zealand	15	Bloemfontein
04/09/76	Test	South Africa	15	New Zealand	10	Newlands
18/09/76	Test	South Africa	15	New Zealand	14	Johannesburg
15/08/81	Test	South Africa	9	New Zealand	14	Christchurch
29/08/81	Test	South Africa	24	New Zealand	12	Wellington
12/09/81	Test	South Africa	22	New Zealand	25	Auckland
15/08/92	Test	South Africa	24	New Zealand	27	Johannesburg
09/07/94	Test	South Africa	14	New Zealand	22	Dunedin
23/07/94	Test	South Africa	9	New Zealand	13	Wellington
06/08/94	Test	South Africa	18	New Zealand	18	Auckland
24/06/95	RWC	South Africa	15	New Zealand	12	Johannesburg
20/07/96	Test	South Africa	11	New Zealand	15	Christchurch
10/08/96	Test	South Africa	18	New Zealand	29	Cape Town
17/08/96	Test	South Africa	19	New Zealand	23	Durban
24/08/96	Test	South Africa	26	New Zealand	33	Pretoria
31/08/96	Test	South Africa	32	New Zealand	22	Johannesburg
19/07/97	Test	South Africa	32	New Zealand	35	Johannesburg
09/08/97	Test	South Africa	35	New Zealand	55	Auckland
25/07/98	Test	South Africa	13	New Zealand	3	Wellington
15/08/98	Test	South Africa	24	New Zealand	23	Durban
10/07/99	Test	South Africa	0	New Zealand	28	Dunedin
07/08/99	Test	South Africa	18	New Zealand	34	Pretoria
04/11/99	RWC	South Africa	22	New Zealand	18	Cardiff
22/07/00	Test	South Africa	12	New Zealand	25	Christchurch
19/08/00	Test	South Africa	46	New Zealand	40	Johannesburg
21/07/01	Test	South Africa	3	New Zealand	12	Cape Town
25/08/01	Test	South Africa	15	New Zealand	26	Auckland
20/07/02	Test	South Africa	20	New Zealand	41	Wellington
10/08/02	Test	South Africa	23	New Zealand	30	Durban
19/07/03	Test	South Africa	16	New Zealand	52	Pretoria
09/08/03	Test	South Africa	11	New Zealand	19	Dunedin
08/11/03	RWC	South Africa	9	New Zealand	29	Melbourne
24/07/04	Test	South Africa	21	New Zealand	23	Christchurch
14/08/04	Test	South Africa	40	New Zealand	26	Johannesburg
06/08/05	Test	South Africa	22	New Zealand	16	Cape Town
27/08/05	Test	South Africa	27	New Zealand	31	Dunedin
22/07/06	Test	South Africa	17	New Zealand	35	Wellington
26/08/06	Test	South Africa	26	New Zealand	45	Pretoria
02/09/06	Test	South Africa	21	New Zealand	20	Rustenburg
23/06/07	Test	South Africa	21	New Zealand	26	Durban
14/07/07	Test	South Africa	6	New Zealand	33	Christchurch
05/07/08	Test	South Africa	8	New Zealand	19	Wellington
12/07/08	Test	South Africa	30	New Zealand	28	Dunedin
16/08/08	Test	South Africa	0	New Zealand	19	Newlands
25/07/09	Test	South Africa	28	New Zealand	19	Bloemfontein
01/08/09	Test	South Africa	31	New Zealand	19	Durban
12/09/09	Test	South Africa	32	New Zealand	29	Hamilton
10/07/10	Test	South Africa	12	New Zealand	32	Auckland
17/07/10	Test	South Africa	17	New Zealand	31	Wellington
21/08/10	Test	South Africa	22	New Zealand	29	Soweto
30/07/11	Test	South Africa	7	New Zealand	40	Wellington
20/09/11	Test	South Africa	18	New Zealand	5	Port Elizabeth
15/09/12	Test	South Africa	11	New Zealand	21	Dunedin
06/10/12	Test	South Africa	16	New Zealand	32	Johannesburg
14/09/13	Test	South Africa	15	New Zealand	29	Auckland
05/10/13	Test	South Africa	27	New Zealand	38	Johannesburg
13/09/14	Test	South Africa	10	New Zealand	14	Wellington
04/10/14	Test	South Africa	27	New Zealand	25	Johannesburg
25/07/15	Test	South Africa	20	New Zealand	27	Johannesburg
24/10/15	Test	South Africa	18	New Zealand	20	London
17/09/16	Test	South Africa	13	New Zealand	41	Christchurch
08/10/16	Test	South Africa	15	New Zealand	57	Durban
16/09/17	Test	South Africa	0	New Zealand	57	Albany
07/10/17	Test	South Africa	24	New Zealand	25	Cape Town
15/09/18	Test	South Africa	36	New Zealand	34	Wellington
6/10/18	Test	South Africa	30	New Zealand	32	Pretoria
27/07/19	Test	South Africa	16	New Zealand	16	Wellington
21/09/19	RWC	South Africa	13	New Zealand	23	Japan
25/09/21	Test	South Africa	17	New Zealand	19	Queensland
2/10/21	Test	South Africa	31	New Zealand	29	Queensland
6/08/22	Test	South Africa	26	New Zealand	10	Mbombela
13/8/22	Test	South Africa	23	New Zealand	35	Johannesburg
15/7/23	Test	South Africa	20	New Zealand	35	Auckland
25/8/23	Test	South Africa	35	New Zealand	7	London
28/10/23	RWC	South Africa	12	New Zealand	11	Paris
31/8/24	Test	South Africa	31	New Zealand	27	Johannesburg
7/9/24	Test	South Africa	18	New Zealand	12	Cape Town
6/9/2025	Test	South Africa	17	New Zealand	24	Duneden
13/9/2025	Test	South Africa	43	New Zealand	10	Wellington
		Total Points:	1785		2225

	Games Played	South Africa	New Zealand	Drawn
Played		Won	Won	Drawn
Overall Record	110	43	63	4
At South African Venues	54	28	25	1
At New Zealand Venues	47	10	33	3
RWC	8	4	4	0

Name	Country	Points	Tries	Conversions	Penalties	Drop Goals
Dan Carter	NZ	221	3	25	51	1
Andrew Mehrtens	NZ	209	0	19	53	4
Beauden Barrett	NZ	174	4	23	36	0
Handre Pollard	SA	109	2	18	19	2
Percy Montgomery	SA	103	1	16	19	3
Carlos Spencer	NZ	84	3	12	15	0
Morne Steyn	SA	71	1	3	19	1
Joel Stransky	SA	54	0	3	14	2
Christian Cullen	NZ	50	10	0	0	0
Naas Botha	SA	44	0	7	9	1
Andre Pretorius	SA	41	1	6	6	2
Joe Rokococo	NZ	45	9	0	0	0
Braam van Straaten	SA	40	0	5	10	0
Bryan Habana	SA	40	8	0	0	0

*STATS AS PER SARUGBYSTATS

RUGBY’S GREATEST RIVALRY – IT DOES NOT GET BIGGER THAN SPRINGBOKS v ALL BLACKS

ALL BLACKS 10 SPRINGBOKS 43

ALL BLACKS 57 SPRINGBOKS 0

FAQ

What is the Springboks vs All Blacks record?
The All Blacks lead the all-time Test rivalry 63 wins to 43, with 4 draws after 110 matches.

What is the Springboks’ biggest win over the All Blacks?
South Africa’s biggest win over New Zealand is the 43-10 victory in Wellington on 13 September 2025.

What is the All Blacks’ biggest win over the Springboks?
New Zealand’s biggest win over South Africa is 57-0 in 2017.

Why is Springboks vs All Blacks called rugby’s greatest rivalry?
Because it combines more than a century of Test history, elite winning standards, repeated title-deciding matches and consistent relevance at the top of world rugby. SA Rugby now officially uses the term “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry” for the fixture. The two nations have combined for seven World Cup titles.

Rivalry snapshot

The Springboks and All Blacks had played 110 Tests by the end of the 2025 meetings. New Zealand lead the rivalry 63 wins to South Africa’s 43, with 4 draws. South Africa’s current split is 25 wins, 28 losses and 1 draw at South African venues; 10 wins, 33 losses and 3 draws at New Zealand venues; and 4 wins, 2 losses, 0 draws at Rugby World Cup meetings.

The rivalry began with South Africa’s 1921 tour of New Zealand. That first official Test series finished 1-1 with one draw, the decider ending 0-0 in Wellington. The 1928 All Blacks tour of South Africa finished 2-2. Those two tours established the rivalry’s core pattern: long tours, brutal series, and no easy separation between the teams.

Team records

Most wins in the rivalry: New Zealand 63.
Most losses in the rivalry: South Africa 63.
Most draws in the rivalry: 4.

Springboks’ biggest win over the All Blacks: 43-10 in Wellington on 13 September 2025. SA Rugby called it the All Blacks’ biggest defeat ever.

Previous Springbok record win over New Zealand: 35-7 at Twickenham on 25 August 2023. SA Rugby stated that the 28-point margin was then a new South African record against the All Blacks and that it was New Zealand’s heaviest defeat at the time.

All Blacks’ biggest win over the Springboks: 57-0 at Albany on 16 September 2017. SA Rugby’s 2017 annual report described it as the Springboks’ heaviest defeat in history.

Highest score by South Africa against New Zealand: 46, in the 46-40 win at Johannesburg on 19 August 2000. NZ Rugby Stats also credits that match with South Africa’s rivalry high for tries in a Test, at 6.

Highest score by New Zealand against South Africa: 57, in the 57-0 win in 2017.

Highest combined score in a Springboks-All Blacks Test: 86 points, South Africa 46 New Zealand 40, Johannesburg, 19 August 2000.

Highest aggregate scores – Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry

In New Zealand

• 90 points

• All Blacks vs Springboks Eden Park Test 1997

• New Zealand 55–35 South Africa

• Source: NZ Rugby Stats

In South Africa

• 86 points

• Springboks vs All Blacks Ellis Park Test 2000

• South Africa 46–40 New Zealand

• Source: NZ Rugby Stats

Neutral venues (Australia / UK / Rugby World Cups in Wales, Australia, England, Japan & France)

• 60 points

• Springboks vs All Blacks Gold Coast Test 2021

• South Africa 31–29 New Zealand

• Source: NZ Rugby Stats

Lowest-scoring draw: 0-0, Wellington, 1921 series decider.

Most emphatic South African shutout of New Zealand: 17-0 in Durban in 1928, still South Africa’s biggest winning margin in the rivalry according to SA Rugby Stats.

Longest Springbok winning streak: 6 Tests, from the 1937 tour to New Zealand through the 1949 whitewash in South Africa. SA Rugby states the six-match run lasted from 1937 to 1949.

Longest All Blacks winning streak: 8 Tests, from 21 July 2001 through 24 July 2004, based on the full official chronological results list.

Best Springbok run in New Zealand in the professional era: the Boks were unbeaten in three straight Tests at Sky Stadium, winning in 2018, drawing in 2019, and winning 43-10 in 2025.

Eden Park hoodoo: SA Rugby stated before the 2025 Auckland Test that South Africa had not beaten New Zealand at Eden Park since 1937. The All Blacks won there again on 6 September 2025.

Ellis Park edge: Planet Rugby’s venue audit put the rivalry at Ellis Park at 15 Tests, with South Africa winning 9 and New Zealand 6, and South Africa leading points 352-328 there.

Rugby World Cup records

The teams have met 8 times at Rugby World Cups, with 4 wins each. SA Rugby’s 2019 pre-match official numbers had the rivalry at 4 World Cup meetings and 2-2 before Japan; adding South Africa’s wins in the 2023 final and New Zealand’s pool win in 2019 brings the current World Cup ledger to 4-4, which matches the full results list.

World Cup finals between them: 2. South Africa won both: 15-12 after extra time in 1995, and 12-11 in Paris in 2023.

Other World Cup meetings: South Africa won the 1999 bronze final 22-18; New Zealand won the 2003 quarter-final 29-9, the 2015 semi-final 20-18, and the 2019 pool match 23-13.

Freedom Cup records

The Freedom Cup was first contested in 2004. By the end of the 2025 matches, New Zealand had won it 25 times to South Africa’s 14, with one drawn edition in the official Freedom Cup record. South Africa won it in 2024 for the first time since 2009 and retained it in 2025.

Individual scoring records

The cleanest verified rivalry-specific individual table available in the sourced material is the SA Rugby Stats head-to-head page.

Top points scorers in Springboks-All Blacks Tests

1. Dan Carter 221

2. Andrew Mehrtens 209

3. Beauden Barrett 174

4. Handre Pollard 109

5. Percy Montgomery 103

6. Carlos Spencer 84

7. Morné Steyn 71

8. Joel Stransky 54

9. Christian Cullen 50

10. Naas Botha 44

Top try scorers in the rivalry from the same verified table
Christian Cullen (NZL) 10; Joe Rokocoko (NZL) 9; Bryan Habana (SA) 8. The same table also shows Dan Carter scored 3 tries, Beauden Barrett 4, Handre Pollard 2 and Percy Montgomery 1 as part of their points totals.

Captaincy and streak notes

Siya Kolisi captained South Africa to four consecutive wins over New Zealand across 2023-24 before the Eden Park loss in 2025. SA Rugby’s official build-up to Cape Town 2024 said a fourth straight win would be only the second such Bok sequence in history, after the 1937-49 run; South Africa then won in Cape Town, and Rugby365 described the Boks as having recorded four consecutive victories over the All Blacks.

Tour history: All Blacks to South Africa

1928 first official All Blacks tour of South Africa; Test series drawn 2-2.

1949 Springboks won the series 4-0, one of the defining series results in rugby history. NZHistory says the whitewash plunged New Zealand into despair.

1960 All Blacks toured South Africa; Springboks won the four-Test series 2-1 with one draw.

1967 planned All Blacks tour cancelled because South Africa refused to accept Māori players.

1970 All Blacks toured after the “honorary whites” compromise; Springboks won the series 3-1.

1976 All Blacks toured South Africa; Springboks won 3-1. The tour triggered major international backlash and helped drive the African-led boycott of the Montreal Olympics.

1985 planned official tour stopped by the New Zealand High Court.

1986 Cavaliers rebel tour, not an official All Blacks tour; South Africa won that unofficial series 3-1.

1992 first official meeting after readmission, one-off Test at Ellis Park, won 27-24 by New Zealand.

1996 the great professional-era watershed. New Zealand won the away Test series 2-1, their first official series win in South Africa. SA Rugby’s 2025 announcement called 1996 New Zealand’s last major tour of South Africa.

2026 officially announced return tour, the first major All Blacks tour of South Africa since 1996, with matches against the franchises and a four-Test Bok series.

Tour history: Springboks to New Zealand

1921 first Springbok tour to New Zealand; series drawn 1-1 with one draw.

1937 Springboks won the series 2-1; SA Rugby Stats notes that side was called “the best team to ever leave New Zealand.”

1956 All Blacks won 3-1, their first series win over South Africa. NZHistory calls it one of the bitterest series ever played.

1965 All Blacks won 3-1.

1973 planned Springbok tour to New Zealand was blocked by Prime Minister Norman Kirk on public-safety grounds.

1981 Springbok tour went ahead despite the Gleneagles climate; New Zealand won the series 2-1. NZHistory records the tour as one of the most divisive episodes in New Zealand history.

1994 first full Bok series in New Zealand after isolation; All Blacks won 2-0 with one draw.

1996 South Africa played a three-Test mid-year series in New Zealand and lost all three.

2030 officially announced as South Africa’s first professional-era tour to New Zealand.

Strong “interesting stats” file

South Africa have won only 10 of 47 Tests at New Zealand venues, which tells you how rare Bok wins in New Zealand really are.

The Springboks’ 36-34 win in Wellington in 2018 was, per SA Rugby, the first time any team had scored 36 points against the All Blacks on New Zealand soil.

The 35-7 win at Twickenham in 2023 was New Zealand’s heaviest defeat until the 43-10 loss in Wellington in 2025 overtook it. SA Rugby stated both records at the time.

South Africa’s 1949 whitewash and New Zealand’s 1956 series win remain two of the rivalry’s great reference points; NZHistory treats both as nation-shaping rugby events.

The rivalry has produced two Rugby World Cup finals and eight World Cup meetings overall. No other fixture in men’s Test rugby carries that combination of depth, volume and silverware history. The record book backs the mythology.