All Blacks to open 2026 season at new One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch
Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Christchurch’s brand new One New Zealand Stadium will have the honour of playing host to the very first game in test rugby’s new Nations Championship.
New Zealand Rugby on Tuesday announced the All Blacks would open their 2026 season in the Garden City, with a clash against France on Saturday, July 4, kicking off at 7.10pm.
It is the first of three games in the Nations Championship Southern Series, with the All Blacks to then host Italy at Wellington’s Sky Stadium on July 11 (5.10pm kickoff) and Ireland at Auckland’s Eden Park on July 18 (kickoff time TBC).
Fortress Eden Park, where the All Blacks are now 52 tests unbeaten, dating back to 1994, will then also host the fourth and final home test of the year, in the first of two Bledisloe Cup clashes against Australia, on October 10 (7.10pm kickoff).
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Tickets for the tests go on sale in March, while fans can register for pre-sales by visiting the All Blacks website.
The season-opener will be just the second All Blacks test in Christchurch in 10 years. Since Jade Stadium was ruined by the 2011 earthquake, Apollo Projects Stadium has hosted five tests (a 22-19 win over Ireland in 2012, a 30-0 win over France in 2013, a 39-18 win over Argentina in 2015, a 41-13 win over South Africa in 2016, and then a 25-18 loss to Argentina in 2022 ‒ the All Blacks’ first-ever to the Pumas on home soil).
New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said the first test of the year would be a significant moment for rugby.
“For the All Blacks to play at the new One New Zealand stadium 15 years after the earthquakes will be a special moment for the team and a significant occasion for rugby at the start of a new era for the international game,” he said in a statement.
One New Zealand Stadium, the 30,000-capacity, state-of-the-art roofed venue, is in its final stages of completion, and is set to be opened in just over four months time, when Super Rugby Pacific stages its Super Round there over Anzac weekend.
All Blacks’ 2026 schedule (dates local time)
NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP SOUTHERN SERIES
Sat Jul 4, 7.10pm: v France, One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
Sat Jul 11, 5.10pm: v Italy, Sky Stadium, Wellington
Sat Jul 18, kickoff TBC: v Ireland, Eden Park, Auckland
RUGBY’S GREATEST RIVALRY
Fri Aug 7: v Stormers, Cape Town
Tue Aug 11: v Sharks, Durban
Sat Aug 15: v Bulls, Pretoria
Sat Aug 22: v South Africa, Johannesburg (Ellis Park)
Tue Aug 25: v Lions, Johannesburg (Ellis Park)
Sat Aug 29: v South Africa, Cape Town
Sat Sep 5: v South Africa, Johannesburg (FNB Stadium)
Sat Sep 12: v South Africa, neutral venue TBA
BLEDISLOE CUP
Sat Oct 10, 7.10pm: v Australia, Eden Park, Auckland
Sat Oct 17, kickoff TBC: v Australia, Accor Stadium, Sydney
NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP NORTHERN SERIES
Sat Nov 8: v Scotland
Sat Nov 15: v Wales
Sat Nov 22: v England
Fri-Sun Nov 28-30: Finals weekend, London (Twickenham)