Empty seats and faded aura show how Springboks outgrew the All Blacks

South Africa's rugby unions are trying to transform the storied rivalry between the Springboks and the All Blacks into a lucrative commercial venture. The "Rugby's Greatest Rivalry" tour, featuring eight matches and culminating in a Test in Baltimore, aims to generate significant revenue, with both unions sharing commercial income. The move to play a Test in the US is expected to bring in $4-6 million more than a game in South Africa.

However, the commercial strategy faces an early test. On a cold, wet Tuesday night in Durban, only 14,759 spectators filled the 52,000-seat Kings Park Stadium to watch the All Blacks defeat the Sharks 54-0. While the weather was a factor, the sparse attendance was an awkward advertisement for the project. Although over 47,000 fans attended the All Blacks' opening match against the Stormers in Cape Town, there was no overwhelming sense of an unstoppable force arriving, as the contest remained level for much of the game.

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Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry – the eight-match tour by New Zealand, culminating in four Tests, including one in the US – is an attempt to turn more than a century of history into a modern commercial property.

The Sharks' heavy defeat, despite being depleted, still made a significant impact. New Zealand scored eight tries, adding 40 points in the second half under conditions that should have made handling difficult. South Africa's Daily Maverick described it as "vintage class," suggesting the All Blacks finally looked like the team the marketing promised.

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vintage class

Yet, the Springboks, under coach Rassie Erasmus, appear unfazed. South Africa has dominated recent encounters, winning four of the last five meetings, including the 2023 World Cup final. They handed the All Blacks a 43-10 defeat in Wellington last year and are now back-to-back world champions. The focus has shifted from whether South Africa can compete to how much further they can extend their lead over New Zealand.

This shift in dominance may stem from a shared sense of place for both nations, historically shaped by a receding empire and situated far from traditional global power centers. Rugby provides a rare platform for them to assert their standing on the world stage. For South Africa, the All Blacks are deeply ingrained in national mythology, symbolized by Nelson Mandela wearing the No. 6 jersey opposite the formidable Jonah Lomu and the New Zealand team in the 1995 World Cup final. The absence of the All Blacks from this narrative would diminish the significance of the Springbok identity.

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The question is no longer whether they can live with the All Blacks, it’s how much further they can pull away.