Rassie Erasmus’ verdict on Springboks featuring in midweek games against the All Blacks
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus and Sharks scrum-half Grant Williams.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus is unsure whether Springboks players will be able to feature for their clubs against the All Blacks during Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour next year.
On Thursday, NZ and SA Rugby revealed the details of New Zealand’s seven-game tour of South Africa, with an eighth fixture hosted at an international venue.
While the Springboks and All Blacks will face off in a four-Test series, the men in black will also tackle all four United Rugby Championship teams in midweek matches in the traditional tours format.
Much like with the British and Irish Lions tours, the midweek games can often prove to be rather one-sided affairs, with the clubs weakened because their best players miss the fixture as they are on international duty.
It’s difficult
Asked whether this would be the case in 2026 when the All Blacks tour South Africa, Erasmus explained the difficulties of releasing players from the national set-up to their clubs for the midweek matches.
“It will differ from player to player, like for example, now we have two weeks off, then we go back into camp, and then we play Japan, France, Ireland, Italy and Wales,” he said.
“Now, the Japan game is set up for us for the Japan-based players who don’t currently play in the league and for some players who are coming back from injury.
“So it’s difficult to answer the question, but if there are players next year who are out of form, who’ve come back from the injury, who’re maybe in the return to play process, [they might play].
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry: Details of All Blacks’ eight-game tour of South Africa confirmed
“But I think it’s very tough if you’re in camp, busy preparing for the Greatest Rivalry series, and you play three games at home, you probably want to try and win at least two of those, if not all three, so that last one is a dead rubber wherever that gets played.”
He added that the decision on who will be available for the midweek matches will be made by the Springboks.
“So, unfortunately, in my opinion, Springboks must get the decision-making there, but I guess we’ll have 36 players in our squad, but it will be stupidity from our side if there are 36 players in that squad; four or five who’ve played no rugby and you’ve got them for training the whole week,” he said.
“We can maybe train them Monday, Tuesday with you and let them go Wednesday and play against New Zealand.”
Lions series debacle, Kolisi’s excitement
The availability of the Wallabies to the Australian Super Rugby Pacific teams caused some debate this year, with Lions chief executive Ben Calveley warning Joe Schmidt that he had to release players to their clubs for the midweek matches.
“The agreement is very clear,” he said. “Test players have to be released to play in fixtures leading into that series. That is our expectation.
“We’ll play the game at the weekend and will carry on having discussions with Phil Waugh (chief executive of Rugby Australia), and will take it step by step. It’s important that these games are competitive. It’s not just from a performance standpoint, but it’s also right for the fans, partners and broadcasters, who are all expecting competitive fixtures. That would be their expectation as well.”
It’s unclear whether similar clauses have been included in the agreement between the two unions for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour next year.
Meanwhile, Springboks captain Siya Kolisi spoke of his excitement of the All Blacks’ touring South Africa, a feeling he believes that the New Zealanders will be sharing.
Particularly after the SA teams left Super Rugby, meaning that for many of the New Zealanders, it will be the first time that they will be visiting South Africa.
“It’s exciting for us players. I’ve only heard of the tours,” he said.
“I’ve never really seen one like this, so it will be something new for us as players and something very exciting. I’ve heard so many stories from guys who have played in tours, and obviously, the rivalry between us and New Zealand has always been big and tight – you saw this year with the two games that we played against them.
“For them as well, they will get to know South Africa a bit more and interact with the public because they do have a lot of support in South Africa.
“It will be big for most of them who’ve never actually been to South Africa for a Super Rugby tour. It will be exciting, and I can’t wait to experience it. If I get the opportunity, we also like to take tours as a group, but we have never done one for so long.”
