The All Blacks perform the haka against France. Photo: ActionPress
The All Blacks will kick off the 2026 test season against France at Christchurch's new Te Kaha Stadium.
The All Blacks will play 17 matches and 13 tests next year with the first test at the 30,000-seat roofed ground, at 7.10pm on Saturday, 4 July.
Italy will play the All Blacks in Wellington a week later with an early 5.10pm kick-off, while Eden Park will host Ireland the following Saturday and Australia on 10 October in the first Bledisloe Cup test.
The season opener will mark the All Blacks first test at a large, permanent stadium in the Canterbury region since the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, which forced the closure of Lancaster Park. It will also be the first test of the new 12-team Nations Championship.
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.
"Hosting France, Italy and Ireland in consecutive weeks will be new for our players and it creates three unique match experiences for fans in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland as we kick off the Nations Championship era.
"The Bledisloe Cup is a hugely important trophy to the All Blacks, as is the team's record at Eden Park, and our home fans will no doubt play their part again in the tests against Ireland and Australia."
Italy will play their first test in Wellington and fourth in New Zealand since the two side's first met in their opening pool match at the 1987 Rugby World Cup.
The All Blacks 52 test unbeaten streak at Eden Park will be on the line twice in 2026, first against Ireland, then against a Wallabies team trying to win the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 2002.
Ireland's visit to Eden Park will be their fourth in New Zealand since their first trip to New Zealand in 1976. They have never won at Eden Park and only twice in New Zealand, but the rivalry between the teams have been evenly matched in recent years with the All Blacks winning six of the last 10 tests.
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson, who lives in Christchurch, is looking forward to taking the team to Te Kaha.
"Playing at home will always be special to the All Blacks and to host three Northern Hemisphere nations in consecutive weeks is a great start to our 2026 campaign and a challenge we will embrace. It will be an historic occasion for Christchurch at the new stadium.
"We know Italy will be highly motivated as we start the Nations Championship and, as always, we will walk toward the challenge of defending our record at Eden Park against Ireland and Australia."
Through August-September the All Blacks will embark on a historic tour of South Africa, including four tests against the Springboks, and four mid-week fixtures against South Africa's United Rugby Championship teams.
The Bledisloe Cup home and away series will run over two weeks in October, while there are three additional Nations Championship fixtures in November against Wales, Scotland and England as well as the tournament Finals Weekend in London from 27-29 November.
The All Blacks 2026 home Test schedule is:
Nations Championship:
All Blacks v France, Saturday 4 July, One New Zealand Stadium (Te Kaha), Christchurch, kick off 7.10pm.
All Blacks v Italy, Saturday, 11 July, SKY Stadium, Wellington, kick off 5.10pm.
All Blacks v Ireland, Saturday, 18 July, Eden Park, Auckland, kick off TBC.
Bledisloe Cup:
All Blacks v Australia, Saturday 10 October, Eden Park, Auckland, kick off 7.10pm.
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