CANAL+, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) and New Zealand Rugby (NZR) have confirmed the broadcast rights agreement for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR) to be shown live in South Africa and the Rest of Africa market on SuperSport on DStv and GOtv.
The agreement will see SuperSport, Africa’s leading sports broadcaster, showcase all four test matches between South Africa’s Springboks and New Zealand’s All Blacks, who will embark on a full tour of SA for the first time since 1996. Three tests starting 22 August 2026 will take place in South Africa (two in Johannesburg and one in Cape Town), with the fourth and final test taking place in Baltimore, USA, on 12 September 2026.
SuperSport will also broadcast the four provincial matches between the All Blacks and South Africa’s premier domestic franchise teams: the DHL Stormers (7 August), Hollywoodbets Sharks (11 August), Vodacom Bulls (15 August) and the Lions (25 August).
In South Africa, the SuperSport channels are supplied by CANAL+ Africa to the licence holder, MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd, which provides the DStv offering to subscribers.
CANAL+ Africa and MultiChoice Group CEO, David Mignot, was delighted with the confirmation of the broadcast rights agreement to the historic return of the tour after 30 years.
“CANAL+ has continued to demonstrate its investment in local sport and entertainment content and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry is another feather in our cap in terms of bringing sports content that matters to viewers and subscribers,” said Mignot.
“We have been consistent and unwavering in our belief that local content is the key driver of growth in our business but also has more of a meaningful impact in the lives of the people who matter to us the most, our viewers and subscribers. We are grateful to our partners, SARU and NZR, for making this partnership possible, and we look forward to an exceptional display of rugby between two of the best rugby nations in the world.”
The highly anticipated Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry between the Springboks and All Blacks pits together two of the biggest rugby nations, who, between them, have won seven Rugby World Cup titles and are the only countries to defend their titles successfully.
The All Blacks’ last full tour to South Africa culminated in a 2-1 series victory for the visitors, who were dubbed “The Incomparables” for achieving what no other touring New Zealand rugby team had achieved in a test series comprising three or more matches since their first visit in 1928.
The Springboks enter the series as the world’s leading rugby nation, according to the World Rugby men’s global rankings. As the team to beat, Dr Rassie Erasmus’ charges will face an All Blacks' side under new head coach Dave Rennie.
SARU CEO, Rian Oberholzer, said, “The South African, New Zealand and global rugby audience is thirsting for this Tour and we're delighted to confirm that SuperSport will continue to bring rugby's biggest matches into homes in Africa.
"This is a landmark event in the rugby calendar and having a landmark broadcaster in SuperSport to once again bring the passion and drama of the Tour to screens on the continent will be music to the ears of local fans."
NZR CEO, Steve Lancaster, said, “Anticipation for Rugby's Greatest Rivalry continues to build and interest in the Tour is very strong across New Zealand, as we know it is for South African and global audiences. This is one of the game's most exciting events and we're looking forward to enabling fans to follow another memorable chapter in the rivalry between our two teams and engage with the stories and all the action during the tour."
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry has all the hallmarks of an epic contest and a gruelling test of endurance. The teams carry more than 100 years of heated rivalry between the two nations, mixed with the modern greats of the sport who will look to leave their mark on this historic rivalry.
SuperSport’s coverage will go further than ever before, capturing all the behind-the-scenes action from both camps during this intriguing tour, with expert analysts and former players who have experienced similar intensity during their playing days to that of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, breaking down all the key moments and talking points.
Up-to-the-minute updates will be available on supersport.com as well as SuperSport Blitz. Visit Greatest-Rivalry.com for more information.