Rugbe news
The good stories from around the game, your stories.
There is no Rugby Championship this year. Here is what replaced it
2026 is the first Nations Championship: twelve teams, six cross-hemisphere matches each, two tables, and a final at Twickenham on 29 November. The All Blacks are level with South Africa at the top of the southern table after the July leg, and they play Scotland, Wales and England in November.
27 August 2026
One win at Ellis Park and the All Blacks are world number one again
The All Blacks went into the first Test ranked second, 1.68 points behind South Africa. They came out of it on top of the World Rugby rankings on 94.03 points, with the Springboks second on 92.21. Here is how the ranking actually works, and what could take it away again.
24 August 2026
Legends in black: interesting facts and records from All Blacks history
From the 1905 Originals and the silver fern to Sam Whitelock, Jonah Lomu and the record-breaking Black Ferns, here are some genuinely wonderful facts from New Zealand rugby history.
30 July 2026
Fatherhood inspires Tyrel Lomax to reconnect with his Maoritanga
The All Blacks prop says becoming a dad has driven him to embrace te ao Maori, and he spent his last morning before the South Africa tour sharing that with tamariki at a local school.
29 July 2026
Three dreams come true: meet the All Blacks' newest bolters
Siale Lauaki, Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa and Josh Jacomb have each earned a first All Blacks call-up for the South Africa tour, three feel-good stories from three different corners of the provincial game.
28 July 2026
Tana Umaga Headlines Rennie's Rebuilt All Blacks Coaching Team
Dave Rennie has assembled a new-look All Blacks coaching group led by the return of All Blacks great Tana Umaga as defence coach.
22 July 2026
Dave Rennie's All Blacks Reign Begins With a Perfect July
The Dave Rennie era has opened with three straight home wins in the Nations Championship, and the new coach reckons there is plenty more to come.
22 July 2026
Ireland's Eden Park Reality Check After a Winning Start Down Under
Andy Farrell's Ireland arrived in Auckland with two wins from two, then ran into a rampant All Blacks side who won 40-21 to extend a remarkable Eden Park record.
22 July 2026
France Bounce Back to Lead the North After Christchurch Heartbreak
France pushed the All Blacks to the wire in a 34-32 thriller before rebounding with two big wins to top the Northern group of the 2026 Nations Championship.
22 July 2026
England and Scotland's Contrasting July in the Nations Championship
England were battered by the Springboks then hammered Fiji, while Scotland again fell just short in South Africa, as the All Blacks' November tour opponents took shape.
22 July 2026
From the Axe to the Barbarians: Scott Robertson's 2026
Scott Robertson was let go as All Blacks head coach two years into a four-year deal, and has resurfaced in 2026 leading the Barbarians on their winter tour.
22 July 2026
Savea Named Captain as Four Uncapped Bolters Make Rennie's First Squad
Ardie Savea will lead the All Blacks in 2026 and new coach Dave Rennie has handed test call-ups to four uncapped players in his debut 34-man squad.
22 July 2026
The Hurricanes Try Machines Now Chasing All Blacks Wings
Title-winning Hurricanes finishers Fehi Fineanganofo and Josh Moorby have earned uncapped All Blacks call-ups after a stellar Super Rugby Pacific season.
22 July 2026
Springboks Also Perfect: South Africa Loom as the All Blacks' Biggest Test
South Africa matched the All Blacks with a flawless July and now sit level at the top of the Nations Championship Southern group, setting up a blockbuster clash of unbeaten heavyweights.
22 July 2026
Māori All Blacks storm home in Nagoya thriller
Four tries in the final quarter turned a 17-point deficit into a famous 38-31 win over the Japan XV in the first match of the Tamati Ellison era.
27 June 2026
Fresh Faces and a New Era: Dave Rennie Names His First All Blacks Squad
New All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has named a 34-strong squad for the July Nations Championship tests, with four uncapped players and Ardie Savea as captain.
22 June 2026
All Blacks and Wallabies Land in the Same Pool for the First Time at Rugby World Cup 2027
The Sydney draw has delivered a trans-Tasman blockbuster, with New Zealand and Australia drawn together in a World Cup pool for the first time ever.
3 December 2025