The All Blacks have suffered their first injury blow of the Greatest Rivalry Tour, with hooker George Bell ruled out after sustaining a calf strain during training in Cape Town on Sunday. The 24-year-old Crusaders rake will return home to New Zealand to rehabilitate, with his recovery timeline set at four to six weeks.

Key squad news:

• George Bell suffers calf strain in training in Cape Town; ruled out for four to six weeks
• Crusaders hooker will return home to New Zealand to rehabilitate
• Uncapped Bradley Slater called up as replacement; due to arrive on Wednesday
• Codie Taylor also nursing calf strain and unlikely to feature against the Stormers on Saturday

Bell, who earned four Test caps in 2024 and 2025, was one of ten additional players named in Dave Rennie’s expanded 44-man touring squad. He had been selected as the fourth-choice hooker behind Codie Taylor, Asafo Aumua and Samisoni Taukei’aho, but his tour is over before the opening fixture against the Stormers at DHL Stadium this Saturday.

“We are all gutted for George, to be ruled out of the tour so early,” All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie said from Cape Town. “He’s had a frustrating past few months with injury so it’s a real blow for him to have injured his calf again. We look forward to seeing him return via the NPC and put himself in a position to push for All Blacks selection later in the year.”

Taranaki and Blues hooker Bradley Slater has been called into the squad as Bell’s replacement and is due to arrive in South Africa on Wednesday. The 27-year-old is uncapped at Test level but brings considerable experience, having been part of both All Blacks XV campaigns in 2024 and 2025 and amassed more than 60 Super Rugby appearances across stints with the Chiefs and Blues.

Slater comes from distinguished rugby pedigree. His father Andy is a Taranaki rugby legend, while his uncle Gordon Slater played six matches for the All Blacks, including three Tests, in 1997 and 2000. The younger Slater made a name for himself at New Plymouth Boys’ High School before joining the Chiefs in 2019, where he spent six seasons prior to his move to the Blues this year. He represented Taranaki in the opening round of the NPC last weekend against Counties Manukau.

Slater’s call-up sees him leapfrog Canterbury and Chiefs hooker Brodie McAlister, who made his All Blacks debut in 2025 with two appearances off the bench against France and South Africa. All Blacks assistant coach and selector Neil Barnes is well acquainted with Slater’s abilities, having coached him at Taranaki.

The injury to Bell compounds a challenging hooking situation for the All Blacks ahead of the tour opener. Senior hooker Codie Taylor, who is serving as tour captain before Ardie Savea joins the squad ahead of the first Test against the Springboks, has been nursing a calf strain of his own and is not expected to feature against the Stormers. That scenario could see Slater thrust into action sooner than anticipated in the opening tour matches.

The All Blacks face the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday before matches against the Sharks in Durban and the Bulls in Pretoria ahead of the first Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park on 23 August.

Dave Rennie has named three uncapped players in a 44-strong All Blacks squad for the inaugural Greatest Rivalry Tour of South Africa, a seven-week assignment the head coach has labelled “the toughest tour in rugby.” Hurricanes prop Siale Lauaki, Moana Pasifika loose forward Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa and Chiefs first five-eighth Josh Jacomb are the new faces in a touring party that will face four United Rugby Championship franchise sides and world champions South Africa in a four-Test series beginning at Ellis Park on 23 August.

Key squad news:

• Three uncapped players named: Hurricanes prop Siale Lauaki, Moana Pasifika loose forward Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa and Chiefs first five-eighth Josh Jacomb
• Captain Ardie Savea granted extended break; will miss franchise matches and join squad ahead of first Test
• All 34 Nations Championship squad members retained; ten additions bolster touring party to 44
• Fabian Holland returns after missing entire Super Rugby Pacific season with shoulder injury
• Ethan Blackadder, Rieko Ioane, Ollie Norris, George Bell, Timoci Tavatavanawai and Emoni Narawa recalled
• Du’Plessis Kirifi and Noah Hotham miss selection; Tamaiti Williams, Scott Barrett and Leicester Fainga’anuku unavailable through injury

All 34 players from the Nations Championship squad that recorded wins over France, Italy and Ireland earlier this month have been retained, with ten additions bolstering the group for eight matches across six weeks. Captain Ardie Savea has been granted an extended break and will not join the squad until the first Test, missing the non-Test fixtures against the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls.

“Ardie has carried a massive workload in the last couple of years and we think it is best for him to have an extended break so he can come back ready to lead us into the Test series,” Rennie said. “We have a number of excellent leaders in our squad who will embrace the chance to captain the side.”

Savea, who turns 32 during the tour, has played more than 18 months of virtually unbroken rugby after spending a season in Japan with Kobe Steelers — where he helped Rennie deliver the League One title — before returning directly into the All Blacks setup. His workload management reflects a broader eye on the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, with Rennie keen to ensure his captain arrives in peak condition for the defining encounters.

Lauaki is the genuine bolter in the squad. The 23-year-old prop, who stands 194cm and weighs 125kg, made 13 appearances for the Super Rugby Pacific champion Hurricanes this season, mostly from the bench behind established All Blacks Tyrel Lomax, Pasilio Tosi and Xavier Numia. His ability to scrummage on both sides marks him out, and he represented the All Blacks XV under Jamie Joseph in 2025 before earning his step up to the full squad. He becomes the fourth Hurricanes prop selected. “We feel like he’s got a massive ceiling,” Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw said when Lauaki re-signed with the franchise last year.

Tupou Ta’eiloa, 22, is the youngest member of the touring party and arrives off the back of an impressive body of work with Moana Pasifika, having scored eleven tries in 25 appearances for the now-defunct franchise. Born in New Zealand and educated at Otago Boys’ High School, the back-rower plays for Southland in the NPC and remains contracted to New Zealand Rugby despite Moana Pasifika’s departure from Super Rugby Pacific.

Jacomb, 25, has emerged as a playmaking option through strong form with Taranaki and the Chiefs and joins Ruben Love, Damian McKenzie and veteran Beauden Barrett — who boasts 144 Test caps — in the first five-eighth group. Richie Mo’unga, who has returned from Japan, was deemed ineligible by New Zealand Rugby until he has played in the NPC, effectively ruling him out of touring contention.

Seven capped players have also been recalled. Crusaders flanker Ethan Blackadder returns to the fold having last worn the silver fern in 2024 under Scott Robertson. Chiefs prop Ollie Norris and Crusaders hooker George Bell add front-row depth, while World Rugby Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year Fabian Holland is passed fit after missing the entire Super Rugby Pacific season with a shoulder injury. The 23-year-old Highlanders lock had a hit-out for Otago against Mid Canterbury on Friday to prove his fitness.

Highlanders co-captain Timoci Tavatavanawai earns another squad call-up in the midfield, while Chiefs winger Emoni Narawa has recovered from a near season-long injury to take his place in the outside backs. Rieko Ioane, the 88-Test veteran who recently completed a stint with Leinster in Ireland, re-joins the group after linking up with the All Blacks as injury cover during the Nations Championship.

Among the notable absentees, Hurricanes co-captain Du’Plessis Kirifi has again been overlooked, with his lack of genuine size and positional versatility counting against him in a loose forward group that includes the likes of Luke Jacobson, Savea, Anton Segner and Blackadder, all of whom can cover multiple positions. Crusaders halfback Noah Hotham has also missed the cut, with Cameron Roigard, Cortez Ratima and Kyle Preston forming the scrumhalf trio. Tamaiti Williams, Scott Barrett and Leicester Fainga’anuku remain unavailable through injury.

“This tour will challenge us and demand the very best of us,” Rennie said. “We have selected a squad that we know is up to the challenge. It’s a balanced blend of experienced Test players and a cohort of younger players who will be keen to work hard and showcase their skillset on tour.

“We are thrilled for those players who will have the opportunity to pull on the All Blacks jersey for the first time, and welcome back those who are returning to the group.”

The tour begins against the Stormers in Cape Town on 8 August before fixtures against the Sharks in Durban and the Bulls in Pretoria. The first Test at Ellis Park follows on 23 August, with the Lions franchise fixture slotted between the first and second Tests at the same venue. The second and third Tests take place at DHL Stadium in Cape Town and FNB Stadium in Johannesburg respectively, before both teams travel to the United States for the fourth and final Test in Baltimore — the first time the two rivals have met on American soil.

“With eight matches in six weeks, including a four-Test series against the Springboks, this would have to be the toughest tour in rugby,” Rennie said. “Every player will be required to play their part across this tour, whether it’s preparing to play or helping their mates prepare.

“It will be an intense seven weeks of touring but an excellent opportunity for us to pit ourselves against the current benchmark team in world rugby, and to build connections with each other in a way that only a tour of this scale can do. What we learn about ourselves on and off-field will set us up well for the Rugby World Cup in 2027.”

New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Lancaster framed the tour in historical terms, noting it represents the first full-scale tour of its kind in 30 years, since Sean Fitzpatrick’s ‘Incomparables’ claimed the All Blacks’ maiden series victory in South Africa in 1996. Around 3,000 fans are expected to travel, the majority from New Zealand, with a reciprocal South African tour of New Zealand confirmed for 2030.

The Springboks, who also swept their Nations Championship opponents in Wales, Scotland and England, named a 43-man squad under Rassie Erasmus last week. Both sides enter the series in formidable form, setting the stage for what promises to be a defining chapter in the rivalry — and a crucial staging post on the road to the 2027 World Cup.

All Blacks squad — Greatest Rivalry Tour

Hookers: Asafo Aumua (Hurricanes, 22 caps), Codie Taylor (Crusaders, 109), Samisoni Taukei’aho (Chiefs, 44), George Bell (Crusaders, 4).

Props: Ethan de Groot (Highlanders, 43), George Bower (Crusaders, 26), Xavier Numia (Hurricanes, 2), Ollie Norris (Chiefs, 3), Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes, 51), Fletcher Newell (Crusaders, 37), Pasilio Tosi (Hurricanes, 17), Siale Lauaki* (Hurricanes, 0).

Locks: Tupou Vaa’i (Chiefs, 47), Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues, 57), Josh Lord (Chiefs, 15), Sam Darry (Blues, 10), Fabian Holland (Highlanders, 12).

Loose forwards: Peter Lakai (Hurricanes, 10), Simon Parker (Chiefs, 8), Ethan Blackadder (Crusaders, 14), Luke Jacobson (Chiefs, 27), Anton Segner (Blues, 2), Ardie Savea (c) (Moana Pasifika, 109), Wallace Sititi (Chiefs, 21), Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa* (Moana Pasifika, 0).

Halfbacks: Cameron Roigard (Hurricanes, 20), Cortez Ratima (Chiefs, 24), Kyle Preston (Crusaders, 1).

First five-eighths: Ruben Love (Hurricanes, 8), Beauden Barrett (Blues, 144), Damian McKenzie (Chiefs, 77), Josh Jacomb* (Chiefs, 0).

Midfielders: Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes, 81), Quinn Tupaea (Chiefs, 26), Billy Proctor (Hurricanes, 13), Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs, 90), Timoci Tavatavanawai (Highlanders, 2).

Outside backs: Caleb Clarke (Blues, 35), Fehi Fineanganofo (Hurricanes, 1), Leroy Carter (Chiefs, 7), Josh Moorby (Hurricanes, 2), Will Jordan (Crusaders, 57), Rieko Ioane (Blues, 88), Emoni Narawa (Chiefs, 4).

*denotes uncapped

Unavailable due to injury: Tamaiti Williams, Scott Barrett, Leicester Fainga’anuku.

Greatest Rivalry Tour fixtures

Saturday 8 August: All Blacks v Stormers, DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Wednesday 12 August: All Blacks v Sharks, Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
Sunday 16 August: All Blacks v Bulls, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Sunday 23 August: All Blacks v Springboks, Ellis Park, Johannesburg (first Test)
Wednesday 26 August: All Blacks v Lions, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Sunday 30 August: All Blacks v Springboks, DHL Stadium, Cape Town (second Test)
Sunday 6 September: All Blacks v Springboks, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg (third Test)
Sunday 13 September: All Blacks v Springboks, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore (fourth Test)

New Zealand Rugby has moved decisively to secure one of the most sought-after coaching minds in world rugby, signing Springboks assistant coach Tony Brown on a two-year contract from 2028.

The 51-year-old, who has been widely credited with transforming South Africa’s attack since joining Rassie Erasmus’s coaching staff in 2024, will leave the world champions after the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia to take up a role with the All Blacks. It is a bold and unusual appointment — not least because New Zealand Rugby does not yet have a head coach contracted beyond that tournament.

Brown is a former All Blacks flyhalf whose coaching reputation was forged during a transformative stint with Japan, where he was instrumental in guiding the Brave Blossoms to a first-ever World Cup quarter-final on home soil in 2019. He returned to New Zealand club rugby with the Highlanders before being recruited by Erasmus in 2024, and his influence on the Springbok backline has been a talking point ever since.

NZR chief executive Steve Lancaster framed the move as essential forward planning in an increasingly competitive international coaching market. “Tony is a world-class coach who is highly regarded and consistently sought after by head coaches and teams around the world,” Lancaster said. “We know Tony is available after the 2027 Rugby World Cup and he’s made it clear he would love to be part of the All Blacks. This decision is simple, it’s about ensuring the best coaches return to New Zealand.”

The timing of the announcement, some 18 months before Brown’s NZR contract begins, reflects a broader arms race in international coaching recruitment. Andy Farrell recently committed to Ireland through to 2031, while Erasmus is also contracted with South Africa until the same year. Lancaster was blunt about the need to act. “There are a small number of coaches that are highly sought after around the world, and you have to move when the time is right,” he said. “Otherwise they might not be available to you when you do want them. We have just seen Andy Farrell commit to Ireland through to 2031 and Rassie Erasmus is also committed through to ’31. So if you sit on your hands, you ultimately might have less options.”

The decision to sign Brown was led by incoming NZR high performance director Don Tricker, who does not begin his role on a permanent basis until November. Current All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie — the former Australia and Glasgow Warriors boss who was appointed earlier this year after NZ Rugby parted ways with Scott Robertson two years into a four-year deal — was engaged throughout the process and is understood to be supportive.

That support is notable given the circumstances. Brown is widely expected to take on the attack coaching portfolio from 2028, a role currently filled by former Scotland international Mike Blair. Blair was one of Rennie’s own appointments when he named his coaching staff in March alongside Neil Barnes, Jason Ryan and Tana Umaga.

Lancaster also revealed that NZ Rugby had sounded out other coaches before making the commitment. “What we do know, though, from dialogue with other coaches, with previous head coaches and potential head coaches, is that everybody would have Tony Brown in their team,” he said. “So we are really confident making this move now.”

The elephant in the room remains the All Blacks head coaching position beyond the 2027 World Cup. Lancaster confirmed that a process for that role would begin no later than the conclusion of the 2027 Rugby Championship. “For now, Dave and his coaching team are absolutely focused on what’s in front of them and we look forward to challenging ourselves against Tony and the Springboks in the coming months,” he said.

New Zealand Rugby’s recent history with coaching transitions makes this territory sensitive. In 2023, then-head coach Ian Foster took exception when NZR invited applications for the role beyond that season, a process that was seen as undermining a coach still in the job. Foster refused to apply, and Robertson was appointed ahead of Jamie Joseph. The fallout was widely regarded as messy. Lancaster insisted this situation was different. “Securing Tony beyond 2027 is very different to the wholesale change of a coaching group,” he said. “This is about securing a world-class coach to coach in New Zealand.”

From a South African perspective, the loss of Brown will be felt keenly. Since his arrival, the Springboks have added a more fluid, expansive dimension to their traditionally forward-dominated game. The results have been emphatic: back-to-back Rugby Championship titles in 2024 and 2025, and a largely dominant run that included a record 43-10 defeat of the All Blacks in Wellington last September — New Zealand’s heaviest home loss. The All Blacks have won just one of their last six encounters against South Africa, with that lone victory at Eden Park quickly overshadowed by the Wellington thrashing a week later.

Brown himself played down any suggestion of divided loyalties. “My contract with New Zealand Rugby only begins in 2028, so there is still a long road ahead before that comes into play,” he said. “Right now, I am fully committed to the Springboks. What we are building and trying to achieve as a team over the next two years is my only focus.”

Erasmus, for his part, gave his blessing to the move and praised Brown’s contribution. “Tony has made a remarkable difference, both on and off the field, and he has always been upfront with us about wanting to be closer to his family and about the All Blacks holding a special place in his heart, and we are genuinely delighted for him,” the Springboks head coach said. “We’ve made the mistake in the past of negotiating contracts in a RWC year, and this clarity will allow us all to go full steam ahead with our preparations for this and next season.”

The announcement adds an intriguing layer to the upcoming international calendar. The All Blacks are set to play three tests against the Springboks in South Africa and one in Baltimore as part of the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour later this year. Brown will be in the opposition coaching box for all four encounters, plotting against the very team he will soon join.

Before that, Rennie faces his first assignment as All Blacks head coach, with a squad expected at the conclusion of the Super Rugby Pacific season for the Nations Championship tests against France, Italy and Ireland in July.

In an interview with New Zealand media earlier this year, Brown described Robertson’s departure from the All Blacks as “bizarre” and revealed he had been in talks to join Robertson’s coaching team before opting to honour his Springbok commitments. He also indicated he would have been keen to apply for the head coaching role that ultimately went to Rennie, had he not been tied to South Africa.

For the global game, the signing underlines a growing trend: the top coaching talent in world rugby is now the subject of the same kind of long-range recruitment and contract manoeuvring once reserved for players. Whether Brown’s presence on the All Blacks ticket from 2028 also signals a longer-term vision for who will lead New Zealand beyond the next World Cup remains to be seen. But it is a significant piece of a puzzle that is still very much being assembled.