All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie is reportedly set to unveil a travelling party of approximately 80 for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour later this year.
While the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) is still mulling the exact number and how the group will be split, a spokesperson told Rapport that this is the likely amount.
If the number does land around 80, it will be the largest touring party ever named by the All Blacks in the modern era, with this; a jam-packed schedule in South Africa.
The focus, of course, will be on a four-Test series against the Springboks with those internationals taking place in Johannesburg (twice), Cape Town and Baltimore, USA.
But there is also the task of taking on the Stormers (August 7), Sharks (August 11), Bulls (August 15) and Lions (August 25), hence the squad numbers being discussed.
“We’ll probably have a larger coaching staff given the number of players and having two games a week in some cases,” said the spokesperson when speaking to Rapport.
A travelling party of 80 would blow the British and Irish Lions’ group of 59 out of the water, as Rennie is likely to get a detailed look at a host of players in South Africa.
According to Rapport, the All Blacks squad is likely to be cut down to 65 or fewer for the fourth Test against the Springboks, the fixture in the United States of America.
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has been no stranger to casting the net wide on the playing front, as last year he used 49 players, and in 2024, 50 were blooded.
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry will not be Rennie’s first assignment as the new All Blacks head coach as they host France on July 4 before Italy and Ireland (July 11 and 18).
The ex-Wallabies and Chiefs coach was announced in the position in March after Scott Robertson departed at the end of 2025, after a difficult two years in the hot seat.
The 62-year-old will be eager to get the All Blacks’ ship back on track this season as the sight of the 2027 Rugby World Cup on Australian soil is beginning to loom large.
