It's official, folks – the All Blacks are coming to town next August and September for a barnstorming tour of South Africa, sparking a frenzy of excitement and debate. But hold your horses; it's not just the big-ticket clashes that should have us on the edge of our seats.
The Rugby Championship is taking a breather in the tour years, with the next full showdowns scheduled around the World Cup in 2027 and onward through 2028 and 2029. This means the spotlight shines even brighter on this bilateral bruising between rugby's fiercest rivals, the Springboks and the All Blacks. Johannesburg's iconic Ellis Park and the colossal FNB Stadium will bookend the Test series, while Cape Town gets in on the action with a middle Test. There’s also a wildcard fourth Test at an overseas location still up in the air.
"A series between the Springboks and All Blacks in South Africa should be decided in South Africa, not at a neutral venue."
This sentiment has been echoing around the stands and I couldn’t agree more. The decision to tack on a fourth Test abroad smells like a cash grab and threatens to dilute the potency of what should be an explosive conclusion at FNB Stadium. Remember the frenzy at Twickenham for the 2023 World Cup warm-up? The stands were packed, the stakes were high, but it was just the Qatar Cup on the line. Imagine a tied series and the debates that would ignite over the “true” victor.
Yet, the real measure of success for this tour could hinge not on these headline-grabbing Tests but on the clashes scattered throughout the tour against South Africa's United Rugby Championship franchises. The All Blacks are set to spar with the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls, and Lions, and here's where we hit a potential snag.
Rassie Erasmus, the mastermind behind the Boks, needs to loosen his grip on the national team players. If the top-tier Boks sit these games out, we’re just watching the All Blacks steamroll over second-string sides, turning what should be thrilling contests into snooze-fests. Nobody wants a repeat of the Lions tour disasters where the local teams were left licking their wounds after embarrassing routs.
So, as the rugby world turns its eyes to South Africa next year, let’s hope for a tour packed with drama, intensity, and, importantly, real competition. Anything less would be a disservice to fans shelling out their hard-earned cash, hoping for more than just a series of glorified training sessions.
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It's official, folks – the All Blacks are coming to town next August and September for a barnstorming tour of South Africa, sparking a frenzy of excitement and debate. But hold your horses; it's not just the big-ticket clashes that should have us on the edge of our seats.
The Rugby Championship is taking a breather in the tour years, with the next full showdowns scheduled around the World Cup in 2027 and onward through 2028 and 2029. This means the spotlight shines even brighter on this bilateral bruising between rugby's fiercest rivals, the Springboks and the All Blacks. Johannesburg's iconic Ellis Park and the colossal FNB Stadium will bookend the Test series, while Cape Town gets in on the action with a middle Test. There’s also a wildcard fourth Test at an overseas location still up in the air.
"A series between the Springboks and All Blacks in South Africa should be decided in South Africa, not at a neutral venue."
This sentiment has been echoing around the stands and I couldn’t agree more. The decision to tack on a fourth Test abroad smells like a cash grab and threatens to dilute the potency of what should be an explosive conclusion at FNB Stadium. Remember the frenzy at Twickenham for the 2023 World Cup warm-up? The stands were packed, the stakes were high, but it was just the Qatar Cup on the line. Imagine a tied series and the debates that would ignite over the “true” victor.
Yet, the real measure of success for this tour could hinge not on these headline-grabbing Tests but on the clashes scattered throughout the tour against South Africa's United Rugby Championship franchises. The All Blacks are set to spar with the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls, and Lions, and here's where we hit a potential snag.
Rassie Erasmus, the mastermind behind the Boks, needs to loosen his grip on the national team players. If the top-tier Boks sit these games out, we’re just watching the All Blacks steamroll over second-string sides, turning what should be thrilling contests into snooze-fests. Nobody wants a repeat of the Lions tour disasters where the local teams were left licking their wounds after embarrassing routs.
So, as the rugby world turns its eyes to South Africa next year, let’s hope for a tour packed with drama, intensity, and, importantly, real competition. Anything less would be a disservice to fans shelling out their hard-earned cash, hoping for more than just a series of glorified training sessions.