Supporters react as members of the New Zealand All Blacks enter the field during a public welcome event at DHL Stadium. The event included a rugby clinic with local school children ahead of the All Blacks' 2026 South African tour. The team will face the DHL Stormers in Cape Town on 7 August before beginning a four-Test series against the Springboks later in August. Picture: Henk Kruger / ANA Studio
If there was ever any doubt about the enduring soul of South African rugby, the scene at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium this week provided an emphatic answer. Five thousand fans packed into the stands—not for a Test match, nor a championship final, but simply to watch the All Blacks run through a training session.
As the tourists kicked off their historic multi-week tour against the Stormers on Friday, the atmosphere across the country makes one thing crystal clear: South Africa’s appetite for rugby isn't just alive and well—it is at an absolute peak.
For the first time since 1996, the traditional, long-form tour is back. In an era where modern international rugby is often compressed into rushed Rugby Championship windows and fleeting November Test series, this throwback spectacle offers the ultimate antidote. It brings mid-week matchday buzz, local franchise rivalries, and sustained drama back to the local game.
