Ardie takes a break as All Blacks reveal 44-man squad for SA Tour

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie and his fellow selectors, Graham Henry and Neil Barnes, have revealed the 44-man squad that will travel to South Africa and the United States for the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour.

They have retained all 34 players from the initial Nations Championship Southern Series squad and named an additional ten players to bolster the group for the seven-week tour.

Prop Siale Lauaki, loose forward Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa and inside back Josh Jacomb are the three uncapped players to join the group. They are joined by returning All Blacks Ollie Norris, George Bell, Fabian Holland, Ethan Blackadder, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Rieko Ioane and Emoni Narawa.

The players unavailable due to injury are Tamaiti Williams, Scott Barrett and Leicester Fainga’anuku.

“This tour will challenge us and demand the very best of us,” said Rennie.

“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.

“With eight matches in six weeks, including a four-Test series against the Springboks, this would have to be the toughest tour in rugby. 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 the field will set us up well for the Rugby World Cup in 2027.”

Savea gets extended break

Rennie has confirmed that squad captain Ardie Savea will be rested ahead of the Tests.

“The franchise games will provide an opportunity for other leaders in the group to step in as captain, before Ardie Savea arrives in South Africa ahead of the first Test match,” Rennie added.

“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. We have a number of excellent leaders in our squad who will embrace the chance to captain the side.”

The All Blacks will kick off Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry in Cape Town on August 7 against the Stormers, who finished near the top of the United Rugby Championship (URC) regular season standings.

They will play the Sharks at Kings Park Stadium in Durban four days later and then head to Pretoria to take on URC grand finalists, the Bulls, on August 15.

The first Test against the Springboks is on August 22 at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park, followed by the final franchise game against the Lions at the same venue on August 25.

The second and third Tests will be at DHL Stadium in Cape Town and FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, respectively. Both teams will then travel to America to play the fourth and final Test in Baltimore, Maryland – the first time the rivals have played each other on US soil.

New Zealand Rugby CEO, Steve Lancaster, said this would be a landmark tour for both rugby-mad nations and a generation of rugby fans.

“This is the next chapter in one of our sport’s defining rivalries. It is our first full-scale, old-style tour in 30 years – since ‘The Incomparables’ led by Sean Fitzpatrick pulled off the All Blacks’ first series win in South Africa in 1996,” Lancaster said.

“Fans from both nations and around the world have embraced the concept with around 3,000 fans expected to travel for the tour – the majority from New Zealand. We already can’t wait to host the next iteration in 2030 when South Africa embark on their first professional-era tour of New Zealand.”

The squad is as follows (age, Super Rugby Club, province, Test caps):

* Denotes new cap

Forwards (25)

Hookers

Asafo Aumua (29 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 22)
Codie Taylor (35 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 109)
Samisoni Taukei’aho (28 / Chiefs / Waikato / 44)
George Bell (24 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 4)

Props

Ethan De Groot (27 / Highlanders / Southland / 43)
George Bower (34 / Crusaders / Otago / 26)
Xavier Numia (27 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 2)
Ollie Norris (26 / Chiefs / Waikato / 3)
Tyrel Lomax (30 / Hurricanes / Tasman / 51)
Fletcher Newell (26 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 37)
Pasilio Tosi (27 / Hurricanes / Bay of Plenty / 17)
Siale Lauaki * (23 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 0)

Locks

Tupou Vaa’i (26 / Chiefs / Taranaki / 47)
Patrick Tuipulotu (33 / Blues / Auckland / 57)
Josh Lord (25 / Chiefs / Taranaki / 15)
Sam Darry (26 / Blues / Canterbury / 10)
Fabian Holland (23 / Highlanders / Otago / 12)

Loose Forwards

Peter Lakai (23 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 10)
Simon Parker (26 / Chiefs / Northland / 8)
Ethan Blackadder (31 / Crusaders / Tasman / 14)
Luke Jacobson (29 / Chiefs / Waikato / 27)
Anton Segner (25 / Blues / Auckland / 2)
Ardie Savea (32 / Moana Pasifika / Wellington / 109) (Captain)
Wallace Sititi (23 / Chiefs / North Harbour / 21)
Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa * (22 / Moana Pasifika / Southland / 0)

Backs (19)

Scrumhalves

Cameron Roigard (25 / Hurricanes / Counties Manukau / 20)
Cortez Ratima (25 / Chiefs / Waikato / 24)
Kyle Preston (26 / Crusaders / Wellington / 1)

Flyhalves

Ruben Love (25 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 8)
Beauden Barrett (35 / Blues / Taranaki / 144)
Damian McKenzie (31 / Chiefs / Waikato / 77)
Josh Jacomb * (25 / Chiefs / Taranaki / 0)

Midfielders

Jordie Barrett (29 / Hurricanes / Taranaki / 81)
Quinn Tupaea (27 / Chiefs / Waikato / 26)
Billy Proctor (27 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 13)
Anton Lienert-Brown (31 / Chiefs / Waikato / 90)
Timoci Tavatavanawai (28 / Highlanders / Tasman / 2)

Outside Backs

Caleb Clarke (27 / Blues / Auckland / 35)
Fehi Fineanganofo (23 / Hurricanes / Bay of Plenty / 1)
Leroy Carter (27 / Chiefs / Bay of Plenty / 7)
Josh Moorby (28 / Hurricanes / Waikato / 2)
Will Jordan (28 / Crusaders / Tasman / 57)
Rieko Ioane (29 / Blues / Auckland / 88)
Emoni Narawa (27 / Chiefs / Bay of Plenty / 4)

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Fixtures: