1996 New Zealand rugby union tour of South Africa 1996 New Zealand rugby union tour of South Africa The 1996 New Zealand rugby union tour of South Africa was a historic tour in the history of New Zealand rugby. The All Blacks won the test series 2–1 and became known as the incomparables for their feat of winning a series in South Africa for the first time. The Springboks and the All Blacks have been typically regarded by many as the two greatest rugby playing nations of all time. New Zealand and South Africa had clashed in many tours over time which had been hotly contested. This included the
History of the South Africa national rugby union team Olympics in protest, and the next year, in 1977, the Commonwealth signed the Gleneagles Agreement, which discouraged any sporting contact with South Africa. In response to the growing pressure the segregated South African rugby unions merged in 1977. Four years later Errol Tobias would become the first non-white South African to represent his country when he took the field against Ireland. A planned 1979 Springbok tour of France was stopped by the French government, who announced that it was inappropriate for South African teams to tour France. The Lions toured South Africa in 1980. The team completed a flawless non-Test